Print.IT Reseller - issue 54

PRINT.IT RESELLER : SPECIAL REPORT In the current economy, many businesses are looking to cut costs in an effort to build certainty in an uncertain climate. Customers are tightening their belts, and demanding better returns on their investments, which is often leading them to choose cheaper alternatives for their everyday essentials. Many IT managers believe that third-party supplies are an inexpensive and reliable alternative to genuine supplies, and that they can help them achieve quick wins in terms of cutting costs. However, there’s a growing amount of evidence that points towards third-party casting a larger stain on balance sheets than what’s predicted at the point of purchase. In March 2018, Buyers Lab published its latest investigation into third-party supplies, as commissioned by Brother, with the findings revealing how third-party inks and toners were still lagging behind the reliability and sophistication of genuine supplies. Key findings included how Brother genuine supplies resulted in 57% more output, whereas third-party supplies averaged nine maintenance issues during testing, in comparison to zero logged by Brother Genuine As many businesses look to cut costs, Louise Unsworth, Supplies Business Unit Manager at Brother UK, explains the false economy created by purchasing third party supplies, and why supplying genuine inks and toners can keep customer relationships healthy INSIGHT: Why bargain inks and toners can cost customer relationships and stain their balance sheets Supplies. These two proof points alone show how third-party inks and toners can help customers to yield a greater return on investment. They also prove how genuine supplies result in employees spending less time attending to faulty printers, something which two thirds of business leaders report staff wasting one to two hours each week solving*. So how can these issues work to undermine a strong relationship that a reseller may have fostered with its customer? To use Brother as an example, our mission is to help businesses be more successful, more quickly. It’s what our hardware, matched with genuine inks and toners, is designed to achieve. But once third-party consumables are introduced to this equation, we risk not delivering on our mission, as customers are faced with damaged hardware and potentially a voided warranty. It’s not the best means to drive success for our end- customers! Vendors and the channel need to advise end-customers on the costs they should expect from their print systems. Supplying genuine inks and toners, which carry less risk, can help keep this prediction accurate – something that customers will value as they aim to improve cost control and cashflow. SR Louise Unsworth 01732 759725