For more than 41 years, FXBC Northern Rivers has been delivering a full range of print and document scanning solutions, IT support and managed IT services to its clients. The well-established and busy firm works with small, medium and large enterprises throughout the Northern Rivers region in NSW and beyond.

Community-minded and dedicated to helping local businesses thrive in a digital environment, the team at FXBC keeps its clients abreast of the latest developments in technology and works hard to provide a high-quality service that is second to none.

“It’s imperative that the printing and scanning equipment we provide our clients is robust and reliable, and the services that we deliver are seamless, effective and efficient so that they can concentrate on their core business,” explained Danny Abal, Sales and Operations Manager, FXBC Norther Rivers.

Passionate about fulfilling this mission and staying at the top of their game, FXBC constantly scans the market to identify new and improved solutions that can help them offer better equipment and service. It was while assessing such products that FXBC came across Dynamic Software Solutions’ (DSS) new Intelligent Data Collection Appliance (iDCA) device.

The iDCA proved instrumental in helping FXBC overcome one particular challenge that had remained elusive – customer IT changes leading to Software DCA (Data Collection Agent) drop-offs from FXBC’s Printanista hub web-based interface. Without the constant flow of printer data, FXBC was unable to deliver paper and toner to clients on time or bill them correctly, which affected the quality of their service. Further, reinstalling the standard data collection software every time drop-offs occurred was not only frustrating, but time-consuming and expensive for FXBC.

Challenge 1: Reducing drop-offs and in-person print service support and costs 

“We have quite a lot of clients throughout the region and manage a considerable number of printer and multi-function devices. One of our biggest headaches was the continuous number of copiers and printers that were non-reporting on a monthly basis. Sixty drop-offs a month was not uncommon and this was not only frustrating from our point of view, it was also very costly,” explained Danny.

FXBC was experiencing printer drop-offs for various reasons including clients turning computers off at night and change in IP addresses. However, the primary reason was due to the reconfiguring or upgrading of client desktops and servers.

Initially, FXBC attempted to address the problem by emailing a link to clients and asking them to follow the prompts, but this proved exasperating for them. As a result, the issue could only be successfully resolved by sending out a technician.

“Technicians are expensive, period,” said Danny. “However, in regional Australia, where clients can be located some distance away, this expense is compounded. Then add the time required to actually reinstall the data collection agent software and the costs associated with sending out a technician start to quickly mount. The entire process is laborious, time-intensive and high-cost.”

Solution      

To reduce drop-offs, FXBC started installing the new Intelligent Data Collection Appliance (iDCA) device that they had identified to see if the product would prove to be a viable solution.

The iDCA works in conjunction with ECI’s FMAudit or Printanista Hub to record data. It connects to any network port on a client’s network or in-line with any networked MFP or printer. The iDCA can also be physically attached to any MFP or printer via a simple stick-on. It then relays all printer-metric information back to the reseller’s hub interface.

The smart, standalone device is highly secure and reliable and as it works independently of servers, it largely eliminates non-reporting printers and drop-offs. Better still, the iDCA collects data without the expense of having technicians reinstall data collection agent software every time a customer’s server is upgraded or re-configured.

It also captures data regardless of where clients are working and whether they are using physical servers or servers in the cloud.

“Since we started deploying the iDCA we have seen our drop-offs decrease substantially. This has translated into considerable savings both in time and money. What’s more, it has freed-up our manpower so that our technicians can now concentrate on fixing machines, networking computers and other IT activities, which help boost our revenue,” said Danny.

Challenge 2: Delivering a valet service  

“The frequent drop-offs were also negatively impacting our service levels, and this was a critical issue for us. The goodwill and professional reputation we had taken years to establish was slowly being chipped away,” said Danny.

With the Software DCA offline, FXBC would lose visibility over printer-metric data, meaning that they could not receive correct meter readings, and therefore, bill clients accurately.

“It is not a great look when you cannot bill your client correctly. Worse still, is when you have to issue a credit because you have overcharged them,” explained Danny.

Further, because the printer-metric data was unavailable, FXBC would not receive the required alerts to replenish their client’s paper, toner and associated consumables. Apart from appearing unreliable and unprofessional, this also led to client downtime and lost productivity.

“Without paper and toner, clients cannot print their documents, and when something needs to be done urgently and they do not have the means, it reflects badly on us,” said Danny.

Solution 

“Since deploying the iDCA, we have been able to return to providing a valet type of service which is what our clients expect and are paying for,” explains Danny.

The iDCA has allowed FXBC to bill with confidence and without the need to guess, overcharge or waste time directly calling clients to get a meter reading. “It is a highly robust and efficient device, and collects and relays printer usage data in real-time so that we can accurately bill our clients on time,” says Danny.

Plus, FXBC now receives reliable and regular alerts to replenish their client’s consumable items. They can also anticipate their client’s needs to ensure a quality service and on-time delivery.

“The iDCA centralises and simplifies the collection of all client printer-metrics so we can see who will need what and when, and plan accordingly. This lets us deliver their consumables on time, and to also streamline our internal processes, while helping to minimise our operational costs.

“The iDCA is a set and forget tool. It is easy to install and is always on, working silently in the background, promoting better customer service,” says Danny.

Conclusion   

Since implementing the iDCA, FXDC has experienced significant benefits. They have been able to deliver better service by shipping toner and consumables on time, as well as billing clients accurately and in a timely manner. Plus, the no-fuss capability of the iDCA means that expensive and labour-intensive IT support for dealing with drop-offs is reduced, driving down costs and saving valuable technician time that can be channelled towards profit boosting activities.

According to Danny, “The iDCA reliably automates meter reporting and helps ensure we are no longer bogged down in providing expensive, manual print service support.”

About Dynamic Software Solutions (DSS)  

Established in 2007, Dynamic Software Solutions (DSS) is a division of the Dynamic Supplies Group – a group of companies that specialise in distribution, software, and logistics. Dynamic Software Solutions offers a range of IT solutions, including office productivity, remote monitoring, print management, cost recovery, document capture, dealer marketing, and sustainability programs. These solutions are designed to help end-users operate with greater efficiency, saving them both time and money

For more information visit www.dssolutions.net.au