Stories from the Field

“Great customer service.” What does that phrase mean to you? I hear it nearly every day, and yet I wonder how different people interpret this concept. A wholly intangible idea, this can be difficult to define.

For our customers, the experience begins as soon as they pick up the phone to contact us. While our Field Service Technicians are the face of a customer’s experience with the Northwest Group (CTX and QBSI), our Dispatchers in the Customer Care Center are the voice. If a customer experiences long hold times, unclear communication, or the feeling their concerns are not being addressed, then an opportunity to provide great customer service has already been missed. However, if a customer has a prompt, concise and attentive conversation when calling the Northwest Group, the tone has been set for a great overall experience. But great customer service doesn’t end there.

As important as effective communication is to our Customer Call Center, it is equally imperative to our Service Department. At the Northwest Group, we ask that all of our technicians contact our customers within one hour of receiving their service call to provide an estimated time of arrival. This allows a customer to understand where they fall in our technician’s schedule. Since not all copier repairs go as expected, not every ETA can be achieved, which is why follow-up communication is absolutely critical. If a technician knows they cannot meet an ETA, it is of the utmost importance that they communicate with their customer to update them as soon as possible. Additionally, if a machine is in need of parts that must be ordered from our manufacturers, and the part arrival is delayed, step one is to contact our customer to update them of the situation, and offer alternative solutions, if possible. 

What does this all mean? Communication is the key!

So, what does great customer service mean to me? That our customers immediately know the expectations, are communicated with if there is any delay, and what the plan is if there are any hurdles that our Service Department needs to overcome. Now that’s great customer service.

Jim Wadsworth 

Field Service Manager

www.ctx-xerox.com

www.qbsi-xerox.com

What's All The Hype With Solid Ink?

What is the deal with SOLID INK?

The first solid ink printer was created by Tektronix in 1991 and printed at 1 page per minute.  The printers were a big hit in the graphic community because of the bright and high graphic output.  In 2000, Xerox bought this technology and continued to develop it with the primary research and development occurring in at the Wilsonville, Oregon location.  In 2009, Xerox released the first multifunctional product utilizing the Solid Ink Technology named the ColorQube 9200 series. There were some very unique and beneficial elements to this new product that made it a huge success to Xerox and its subsidiaries.

1.) Environmental Benefits: Because these devices use solid ink instead of the normal toner that laser devices use, all the parts that go into a toner device don't exist. Therefore, the waste from toner, waste toner, drums, fuser units and the packaging associated with these items is reduced by 90%.  Not only this, but the space necessary to store these items, the trucks used to ship these items all gets reduced! 

2.) Cost Benefits: These devices also utilize a 3-tier pricing strategy. What is that? Normal laser devices have two meters, a color meter and a black & white meter.  There is no gray area.  On the ColorQube systems with solid ink, there is a 3-tier system that doesn't look at whether the system is color or black & white but actually how much color is being used. For documents that have a color logo in the corner and usually count as full color on laser devices, now can fall into the 1st tier with the rest of your black & white documents.  With a percentage of fill between 3% and 7% in color, ColorQube systems will count that page in the 2nd tier and finally the remaining fill falls in the full color click rate. Since the introduction of the ColorQube series, we have seen a huge amount of documents fall into the 2nd tier, roughly 70%, which dramatically reduces the overall expense of printing color.

3.) Technological Benefits: Xerox introduced these devices with the same multifunctional capabilities as a normal laser device.  You are able to scan to various platforms, print both PS and PCL from Windows or Mac as well as fax and copy.  They also included the important security features that come standard on Xerox devices including data encryption, automatic disk overwrite and an optional removal hard drive.  The system was built for the heavy flow of an office workflow and over the last few years has stood the test of time.  Xerox recently introduced the ColorQube 8700 & 8900 to the product lineup that included this very same technology and advantages but fits a smaller environment both in footprint and volume.

For more information on the ColorQube series and Solid Ink technology, let us know, The Northwest Group - CTX, QBSI, Pinnell!

New Opportunity for SMBs - TransPromo

The question is one that many SMBs (small to medium sized businesses) are asking themselves – how do I use advertising in the current climate?  The most tried and true method for SMBs to get people walking into their front doors is by sending out “coupons” in colorful direct mail campaigns.  Check your kitchen drawer full of pizza coupons to prove that.  

But the average household now sifts through 41 pounds of junk mail a year – and only 5-10% of it is EVER read by the intended recipient.  Why should an SMB invest hundreds or thousands of dollars in a marketing campaign which may not reach event 10% of the intended audience?

And when you think of it, “junk mail” is really a misnomer. It’s not junky looking – it’s usually quite slick and impressive looking (especially if it’s been printed on a Xerox). It's just that it’s often very BAD mail – mail that should never have been sent to someone in the first place. Mail that asks someone to clean their carpets when they have hardwood floors, for example. Mail that offers them dog walking when they have a cat.

Mail that looks great – it just isn’t for the person to which it’s been sent.

But there is one type of mail that is ALWAYS for the person it’s addressed to – Bills and Statements - otherwise known as Transactional Documents. It’s no wonder that over 95% of all transactional documents are opened and read by the intended recipient. Ever not open the light bill for a few months?

For the last few years, large or enterprise companies have come to believe that the easiest and most effective “advertising” they can accomplish is to advertise to their current customer base by combining these two types of mail – and that’s called “TransPromo”. The term TransPromo originates from the practice of combining both transaction and promotional marketing elements in one document.

Who hasn't received bank statements, invoices, informing them of performed transactions, or other informational documents in the mail? And who haven’t received coupon advertisements or glossy 4x6 full-color adverts addressed to “your name or current resident” in their mailbox? Effectively combining these two different documents in to one is what TransPromo is all about.  

Major corporations are using TransPromo every day to garner more and more business from current and past customers.

For example, in that stack of “junk” mail, right behind that direct mail coupon for carpet cleaning in someone’s “hardwood floor only” house, a major home renovation retailer sends a coupon for a Hardwood Floor Care system with a monthly credit card statement.  The retailer had drilled down into the data of the customer’s previous purchases and sent them a coupon that was specifically for them, based on their past purchases.

My NEW Hardwood Floor Care System is great, by the way.

Many SMBs who “get” TransPromo think of it as something that can only be implemented within large corporations. However, there are thousands of small- and medium-sized businesses that send out bills and statements each month that can reap the benefits from implementing TransPromo into their communications strategy, from doctors to local auto repair shops. According to the market research firm, InfoTrends, these documents represent almost 32 billion customer touch points and cost these companies about $120 billion per year.

Here at the Northwest Group (QBSI, CTX, Pinnell), we possess the technology and the expertise to assist our SMB clients with TransPromo. Our technology is second to none in our industry – hardware and software provided by the Northwest Group (QBSI, CTX, Pinnell) can create TransPromo documents that really effect change in our client’s own marketing campaigns. But it’s not enough to just create “Great Looking” advertisement.

At the Northwest Group (QBSI, CTX, Pinnell), we know that color has been proven to increase participation, enhance learning, and increase a consumer’s willingness to read. The proper use of color in our customer’s TransPromo documents requires an understanding of why and how color works. Too much color can be distracting and make a statement look more like an over-the-top advertisement. Not enough color and one misses out on its attention grabbing advantages. Hardware or software can’t tell you how much or how little color a TransPromo mailer needs – only our Production / Marketing specialists can provide that value.

Additionally, when collected and used correctly, data can be a powerful tool. Understanding the data that drives TransPromo, and the resulting personalization opportunities, is imperative to campaign effectiveness. When it comes to data-mining and collecting the right data to use in TransPromo, the Northwest Group (QBSI, CTX, Pinnell) Professional Services can provide real insight into those golden nuggets of data hiding in back-end systems.

So at the end of the day, what advantages do TransPromo documents offer the SMB?

1. Guaranteed reading:  More than 95% of transaction documents are opened and read each month – far more than any other type of direct response effort.  In comparison, standard direct mail has a readership rate of about 7%. A TransPromo document ensures in a better way that the included promotional message will be read.
2. Interest: With TransPromo, SMBs can develop personalized offers with a high degree of relevancy. That’s the secret ingredient in TransPromo success. Many SMBs have data-systems with actionable information on the purchasing histories and preferences of current customers. Using this past purchase history data, SMBs can make their advertising “interesting” to the intended recipient.  In companies that engage in TransPromo, customer response to TransPromo mailers are up to 20 times higher than with regular direct mail campaigns.
3. Impact: When SMBs use TransPromo, they can generate impressive results. Research from the Forrester, TAWPI, Corporate Insight, Bancographyand, among others, indicates that relevant TransPromo content in a marketing campaign can boost year-to-year annual revenue over 36%
4. Cost benefits: SMBs already must send invoices or other transactional documents. Including promotional messages in these documents instead of sending them separately is a tremendous cost advantage. More than 75% of the cost of mail is attributed to postage. TransPromo can significantly reduce mail costs because SMBs can aggregate direct marketing messages or notifications with documents that are already going into the mailstream.
5. Customer loyalty: SMBs can build long-term loyalty by providing valuable information and advice to customers on a one-to-one basis. Helping customers understand key issues and make sound decisions increases their sense of trust in a relationship. Studies have shown that customers that receive TransPromo can be counted on for up to 30% more revenue than customers that don’t receive TransPromo.

TransPromo is an application ripe for the SMB.  Here at the Northwest Group (QBSI, CTX, Pinnell), we can help doctors, auto-repair shops, bakeries – any SMB – to begin to reap the benefits of leveragingwhite space on the "must read" documents they already send out to their customers every single day.

Uncovering Your Needs

As office environments and technology evolve, there are many areas to consider for companies.  This is also where the differences in how this job is done, wins and loses opportunities and separates me from my competitors.  A simple example that I see every day is the wants and needs with in a company.  These are usually so different from one department to another- odd, yet exactly how these folks symbiotically exist together.  I recently experienced this with an owner and staff of a small/medium sized company. They didn't even realize the uniqueness of their needs until I brought it up during the meeting:

The group included the president, IT manager, head book keeper, marketing manager and office manager.  The six of us sat down and I asked "if I could take notes to ensure that I could learn as much as possible as I don't spend nine hours a day, five days a week in their office."  As suspected, they said "please do."

After and hour and numerous topics that I brought up for the group to discuss- I finally said "here's what I heard- and please correct me where I'm wrong:"

"You Mr. Owner have three real priorities that I believe fall in the following order:  financial commitment to the new solution as #1.  Acquiring a reliable system that keeps the troops happy and is a better unit than the current one."

"Mr. Information Technology Manager: you want anything that comes on your network to be up to today's standards, will accommodate the next planned update and never causes you any network issues."

"Mrs. Marketing Manager: you need the VERY best quality, all affordable options for punching, folding, etc. and not only need it fast for your deadlines, but need it reliably so you don't have any other challenges to meet your needs."

"Mrs. Office Manager:  you are the main user and want speed, functionality, top notch training and although it will hiccup, you need a service organization that is timely and tremendously efficient so the technician not only has the parts, but doesn't come back for the same issue 2-3 times."

"And finally Mrs. Accountant:  you've been very clear that none of these things really matter to you.  You need simple, concise and clear monthly bills so you can track, invoice projects for cost recovery and ensure that all $ are accounted for to the penny."

There was a long silence... finally the President said "I bet none of us really considered how diverse the other's requirements are and we surely didn't communicate this the last go around when we looked at office equipment.  Please coordinate to have the system you recommend to be brought into our office with IT and the office manager and send me the numbers and some references I can check."

He and the IT manager left the room, the others stayed and we continued to talk for another 15 minutes about how I could positively impact their work.  At the end I agreed to send the accounting manager a sample billing and how we can track jobs.   The marketing manager  wanted to see some proof files in advance and the office manager wanted to know how fast and how many features I could put on the demonstration unit for their office. 

Most of my job, once I find an opportunity, can be done by asking a ton of questions, listening for a long time- then circling back around to ensure that all the bases are covered- even the ones "they" didn't know needed covering.

Scott Plemmons - CTX Market Director 
ctx-xerox.com

$63,730 for Healthcare Adoption of Electronic Medical Records

Electronic Medical Records (EMS) and Electronic Healthcare Records (EHS) are the terms used to describe a paper-light medical office environment that will get medical practices a payout from the government.

Medical providers that did not take advantage of Oregon and Washington’s EHR Incentive program in 2011 can still begin participation in 2012.  Qualified practices that did not initiate EHR will still get the full $63,750.00 payout over 6 years of consecutive and nonconsecutive compliance until 2016.

Practitioners must bill Medicaid to qualify for the payout. Some restrictions can apply and in certain cases fluctuate. Dental and Chiropractic also qualify.

The first step is to apply for a National Provider Identifier or NPI. This is a unique 10-digit identification number issued to health care providers in the United States by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).  More information can be found at https://nppes.cms.hhs.gov

You then register with your state (i.e. medicaidehrincentives.oregon.gov/OHA/mhit/apply.shtml) and adopt, implement, or upgrade to a certified EHR system, based on the criteria set forth by the state. You must then prepare to attest with your state of jurisdiction. Once you have met the guidelines for EHS you will receive payment, and as long as you meet the requirements you will continue receiving pay outs for the term above.

Ways The Northwest Group (CTX, QBSI, Pinnell) can assist with your implementation:

• The DocuWare Medical Records Division Product Group
• Finding “Meaningful Use” providers to suit your needs
• Workflow optimization assistance and training
• Selection of EMR software that meets your practice culture
• Back file conversion and digitization of client records
• Integrating your current assets into your EHS system

The Northwest Group (CTX, QBSI, Pinnell) embraces this process as part of our 360°™ strategy to offer all areas of your business or practice our expertise in workflow optimization.  The outcome will be higher quality, more efficient healthcare for all of us!

-Chris, CTX Solutions Specialist

The BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) World

Recently, it was reported that over 90 million iPads will be purchased in 2012 –   just a few more than the 40 million purchased in 2011.  Additionally, Amazon reported that a week before Christmas, they were selling over 1 million Kindles a week – thanks in no small part to the Kindle Fire, a $199.00 tablet that does 80-90% of what an iPad can do, for less than a fourth of the price. 

It’s not at all going out on a limb to say that new tablet technology has revolutionized how we think about accessing information. As a consumer product, tablets are amazing: grabbing email, streaming videos, playing games, reading books, browsing the web – there really hasn’t been anything like it since the World Wide Web. 

But what about as an ENTERPRISE device? The Gartner Group estimates over 80% of business will support a workforce that uses tablets by 2013.

You may say, or your corporate IT may say, that “we don’t support these devices”. That’s all well and good, but as you may already know, your knowledge workers don’t really care about your IT rules.

In fact, if John Smith in Accounting already has your corporate wireless internet password and an Outlook Web Access address, that Kindle Fire that Santa delivered to him on Christmas Day is a fully functioning “enterprise device” on your network on January 3^rd – with or without your permission or approval. 

These devices are coming. If you were debating whether or not to buy iPads for your employees last year and never got around to making a decision, you are now left with a stark reality: in the coming months, your network will be exposed to and connected to multiple tablet devices from multiple manufactures, all with different interfaces and apps. 

There’s really not much you can do about it. 

The days of a static, one-size-fits-all policy applied to company-owned assets are over. You are living in a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) world.

It’s a scary proposition, made even more frightening if you don’t have the right technology partner to assist you in traversing this new digital minefield.  

Here at the Northwest Group (QBSI,CTX, Pinnell), we’re developing multiple mobile and cloud based technologies that will support the onslaught of BYOD.

For example, the Xerox Mobile Print application allows tablet users (any make or model) to print to any Xerox device on their network. Your best customer walks in with a copy of the latest contract on their iPad and they want to review it? No problem. Have them email it to cloud@yourcompanyname.com and let them pick it up at the Xerox device by the reception desk. No fuss, no muss. 

Additionally, by utilizing DocuShare, Xerox’s content management system, customers can take old, paper-based forms and easily convert them to fillable e-forms capable of being brought up on a tablet or a smartphone. Imagine filling out your vacation request form, time-card or adding a new baby to your healthcare plan by simply accessing an App on your Android, iPad, iPhone, Kindle or other mobile device. 

Cloud-printing? Mobile App development? Tablet computing? This doesn’t sound like a “copier company”, does it? 

The fact is, by all accounts, we are in the middle of a sea of devices – devices that our IT departments don’t purchase, don’t control and don’t support. But there they are, connected to our networks, accessing our email, our files shares, our documents – and it’s only going to get worse. 

At the same time, business are moving more and more applications off enterprise servers and off to the cloud.  And what better way to access cloud services than through a Mobile Device? 

So whether it’s something as simple as printing from an iPad or as complex as teaming with Cisco to help develop, deliver and support a “borderless network” cloud service to clients, Xerox is leading the pack with innovative new ideas and new product offerings.

So, we’re not just your neighborhood copier vendor anymore.

The commercials say Xerox is “ready for real business”.

At the Northwest Group (QBSI,CTX, Pinnell) we’re eager to be your real business partners. 

- Derek, QBSI: Solutions Specialist

The Cloud?

Technology is really amazing these days.   I’ve sold office equipment for many years and I’m convinced that 2012 will be the year we see technology such as Smartphone’s, Kindle’s, and iPad’s affecting the way I approach my customers.   Why…. Because of the Cloud.

Two years ago my neighbor, who works at a large software company in Washington, told me he was working on the “Cloud” project.  He explained that the “Cloud” was virtual servers that would replace traditional servers that business’s typically own and maintain on site.  That seemed cool to me but not too impactful to my approach to business.  I was mistaken.

What is most exciting to me about this major shift in business document needs is that Xerox is in the best position to help customers solve the Cloud Document Puzzle.   The Northwest Group (CTX, QBSI) has the best professional services team to help navigate through the security, network, software and hardware business objectives for organizations in the Northwest.  

Bring on 2012 …with technology and the Northwest Group with workflow optimization.  I can’t wait!

-Meredith : Major Account Manager

The Northwest Group Customer Care Center

In 2009, we recognized the need for faster remote support so the Northwest Group implemented the Customer Care Center.  This resource is comprised of certified IT specialists who are trained on a variety of technology solutions including hardware, software and network infrastructure.   With our CCC, we are able to provide our customer base instant response to daily issues involving print, scan, and fax. 

As our customer base continues to grow, so does our call volume. A top priority for the NWG remains to be finding more efficient methods to get our customers up and running again. When you place a service call at CTX, QBSI or Pinnell, you will speak with our CCC support who will immediately try to remedy the situation remotely.   Using state-of-the-art technology, we are able to remotely connect to your computer to see exactly what you are experiencing.  If after this remote session, we feel an onsite technician is required, then one will be dispatched to your office.  With this process in place, we have seen a 33% reduction in our onsite technician requests, simply because most issues are being resolved remotely.  This has been a tremendous relief for our customers who simply don’t have to be down very long and can continue with their day-to-day business. 

When you call us, we are your neighbors, we understand your needs and we know that you also need to stay productive and your device is a large part of that.  So give us a call and experience the terrific support from our Customer Care Center!

- Kristopher: Customer Care Center Manager

The Good Old Days

Many people my age are nostalgic for "The Good Old Days". For office equipment, however, the good old days are now. 

As a service technician, I have seen tremendous change both in processes and in the equipment over the last 25 years.

When I started in 1984, a typical service call took twice as long as it does today, while generating much more waste per click.

It was common for large production machines to have maintenance intervals of 20-30k. This would be like having your car serviced (for 4-6 hours at a time) every week or every 1000 miles.

Back in the day, many copiers used liquid toner. This is as bad as it sounds. The liquids were flammable and VERY toxic. Many unscrupulous individuals simply poured this hydrocarbon cocktail into the sewer to dispose of it. In today's society that would never be allowed.

Office equipment today is cleaner, easier to repair, and runs more reliably. For the end user, the future is even brighter. The machines themselves have more productivity increasing features than ever before.

They have incorporated the technology that previously was only available in commercial printing equipment into every day document production, allowing end users to often times fix an issue without waiting for technical assistance.

Xerox has also made a real commitment to the future. From the reduction of hazardous materials in manufacturing (RoHS) to the implementation of the ColorQube family and it's Solid Ink Technology, Xerox has shown an impressive and innovative environmental focus.

And to the future that my 5 year old granddaughter will one day inherit, with companies like the Northwest Group (CTX, QBSI and Pinnell) and Xerox working hand-in-hand, it can only get better.

- Mark: Senior Service Technician

Do You Know How Much You Spend?

Managed print is one of the last unaudited expenses in the office place according to CFO Magazine. According to the article, “most companies have no idea how much they spend”, (CFO Magazine, May 2008). You may say to yourself, “Yes, but that article was printed over three years ago. It is no longer relevant.”

OK. Then how much do you spend on printing? If you can’t answer that relatively quickly then it is still relevant today.

What is managed print? It can mean different things to different people. To the Northwest Group (CTX and QBSI), it includes all related expenses and opportunity costs related to putting an image on a piece of paper. Clearly that includes the cost of toner, the cost of the device, and the cost of maintenance. How about the cost of shipping toner or the cost of paying a person to manage the flow of supplies? Money is spent on these peripheral costs as well and should be included in the assessment.

The Northwest Group likes to work from this Managed Print Services (MPS) value statement: “NWG Managed Print Services reduces the amount of time, money, and resources spent on your printer fleet. By allowing us to manage your fleet more efficiently, you can spend your resources on more revenue generating investments.”

Companies have their own culture and way of doing things. NWG honors that by keeping the terms and conditions of our MPS agreement open. We tailor your experience within the program to meet your needs and to fit within your culture. Do you already donate empty toner cartridges to a local non-profit which then allows under-privileged people to keep a job?  Great, we will support that. If not, maybe we can direct you towards one or at least introduce you to our recycling program to help keep Oregon and Washington green.

I invite you to look into your print environment and see what is there. You may be surprised.

- Daniel: Managed Print Services Director

Service & Our Continuous Improvements

At the Northwest Group (Copytronix, QBSI and Pinnell) we are not just a copier company, we strive to provide the very best solutions and service in the marketplace.  This is not a stagnant operation, in fact, we continuously look for new ways to improve our processes both internal and external so that our service is seen as superior and our customers are satisfied.

One significant change we have made in 2011 is our use of BEI Services. Business Equipment Information Services is a tiered approach to managing service results.

This is how it works:

BEI provides us with a worldwide database of equipment performance. We can quickly compare our equipment performance to national standards and take the guess work out of whether or not the equipment is performing as expected, and if not, some insight as to why.

It shows us the most and least effective volume bands for each individual model. We can also instantly compare our results in some critical areas such as parts and labor cost, copies between visits, time between failures and most importantly our ability to fix it the first time, without having to order parts or be called back for any reason before a certain criteria of copies and time make it a quality service call.

Technician territories are set based on data from BEI which builds effective territories based on training, travel, and technical efficiency. It is workload distribution that gives us the best chance of having the correct technician responding to the call with the correct parts to get it fixed the first time.

Along with benchmarking and building effective territories, we can then offer an incentive program to our technicians that rewards doing a total service call, having the correct parts to fix it the first time and making the equipment run as long as possible between service calls.

By benchmarking results, running efficient territories and using parts wisely, we are becoming a better service organization for our customers. That is the ultimate goal.

- Ed: Service Manager