- Reduced Costs
- Increased Productivity
- Improved Security
- Reduced Waste
Customer Profile
- Technology
- HQ: Newcastle upon Tyne
About Sage
FTSE 100 enterprise software company The Sage Group Plc have been a customer of ours for over ten years.
The relationship between the two companies has continued to flourish since, and we are now one of Sage’s longest-standing service providers.
The Challenge
In 2004, Sage commissioned work to develop a brand new, state-of-the-art headquarters. Part of this process was a refresh of Sage’s existing print hardware, and we were asked to undertake a full print audit to understand its current position and how this could be improved and streamlined.
One of the key areas identified following this audit was the management of print across the business. In its head office alone, Sage had over 250 desktop devices, all from different suppliers and of varying age. This was proving to be a hindrance due to the variation in administration and maintenance, as well as the escalating costs and difficulty in finding supplies for aged devices. All parts were ordered from different suppliers, and the older printers were breaking down regularly. Most of the desktop devices were out of warranty and being replaced on an ad-hoc basis when they failed. The age of the devices also meant many did not make use of modern energy-saving technology.
At the time of the audit, no print protocols were in place, meaning Sage was unable to track the amount of print being produced, and by whom. A large amount of waste was also being produced due to uncollected print jobs.
After an extensive tender process including current and potential suppliers, we were chosen as the preferred supplier after devising a solution that would reduce costs by a six-figure sum annually.
After undertaking the audit and being invited into the tender process we immediately knew that we could help the business achieve its objectives. Our proposal offered a solution that would allow print to be fully managed across the organisation, as well as significantly reducing costs. The contract specification was extensive and we wanted to ensure it provided the best possible solution to Sage.
In addition to the proposal we put forward, we offered to work on a consultancy basis throughout the planning and development of the new headquarters, to ensure that all areas of the print process were streamlined and fit for purpose once employees moved into the new building.
”We have been extremely impressed with the service offered from one of our longest standing service suppliers. Many of our staff are comfortable picking up the phone and dealing with Agilico direct – a huge benefit that means issues are dealt with quickly, without reliance on our IT department. The service and value we get is second to none, and I would not hesitate to recommend the company to others.
FacilitiesSage
The Solution
Three months before Sage moved to its new headquarters, we became an integral part of the planning process, taking part in extensive consultation and overseeing installation of 58 network-connected multifunction print devices. The devices installed also utilised the latest energy efficient features, meaning that they could operate at a fraction of the cost of the previous print fleet.
The fleet worked in conjunction with the company’s current security system, allowing employees to pull print via their security access cards for confidentiality and monitoring purposes. A toner and parts store was set up within the new building to allow the replenishment of parts on a regular basis – a service that was unique to Sage.
In order to manage the transition from the previous system to the new one, we made provision for the training of all staff, to be undertaken as soon as employees moved to the new premises, to ensure that they could begin using the new systems immediately. On-site training for all 1600 staff was undertaken in small groups across a three-week period. During this time our engineers circulated the new building to ensure that any problems were immediately rectified. This phase was completed on time and proved to be very successful.
Change can sometimes unsettle employees and we wanted to ensure that everyone was comfortable and confident with the systems we were implementing. Once the install was complete, we continued to monitor Sage’s print requirements and later recommended that Sage installed innovative rules-based print software Pcounter to further reduce costs and improve efficiency, by allowing the IT team full visibility into exactly what was being printed, and implement processes to manage how employees used the printers. The Pcounter solution also allowed staff to print confidential documents, as prints would only be produced once a user was at a machine and authenticated themselves. This had the additional benefit of reducing wastage, as jobs would be deleted from the print queue if unclaimed.
After the initial installation was complete, we were keen to continue to work in partnership with Sage to ensure we continually provide the best service possible. It became clear that Pcounter was the ideal solution to further reduce costs and allow Sage to analyse user behaviour and implement print rules and procedures.
Results
The project provided many benefits to Sage. The key achievements were:
- A six-figure reduction in print costs annually
- Reduced costs across the business, specifically in areas such as energy, consumables and maintenance
- A reduction in the amount of waste paper produced by Sage and its staff
- Creation of secure print procedure that ensured all confidential documents remained private
- The creation of a cost-effective and convenient print service that was managed by one supplier and invoiced at a set monthly fee
Following the success of the head office project, we were appointed as the national supplier for print services across the UK, supplying machines, maintenance and parts to all of Sage’s offices.
