In the latest in our series of interviews with Lexmark partners we talk to Wayne Jones, Managing Director of OES to get their view on how COVID-19 has affected their business, the biggest challenges that are facing customers and what they think the future of print looks like. 

 

What is the biggest project you have worked on with Lexmark?

 

We worked with a large high street chain who were looking for an integrated A4 print solution. The Lexmark team were instrumental in helping us secure the contract and providing help and support along the way. So far we have rolled out 52 A4 printers and A4 MFDs with another 450 to be rolled out over the next 6 months. 

 

How do you see the print industry changing from A3 devices to A4 devices? 

 

The print industry is moving at a rapid pace. More people are beginning to see the benefits of A4 MFDs as the cost of ownership and print costs begin to match or even challenge the price of A3 devices and it becomes less popular to print in A3. 

 

What changes have OES made during COVID to become stronger and in a better position to win in the marketplace?

 

We pride ourselves on a great quality of service. In addition to ensuring our relationships are strong and good communication is upheld, the priority for OES is to ensure that customers get the most from their devices. However during COVID19 when customer demands changed almost overnight this became more important than ever. We expanded and started to manage print solutions in home offices which has turned out to be a great growth area for us. 

 

COVID19 has brought many changes, the main one being the rise of the hybrid work model. How have you supported customers with this and how else do you see the Print Industry changing as a result?  

 

Although most employees are back at the office, the days of the traditional Monday-Friday in the office for many has been replaced with a more flexible, work from anywhere approach. Therefore, having a managed print solution that allows employees to work at optimum productivity both from home and the office is key. Employees need access to devices that enable them to print from any location and we are seeing more customers requesting this. 

 

How has the adoption of Lexmark’s Cloud Fleet Manager helped with delivering a managed print service to customers?

 

The adoption of Lexmark’s Cloud Fleet Manager has been a game changer. It has allowed the IT engineers to update firmware remotely and troubleshoot problems and has reduced our call times significantly. Now most calls apart minus any new part requirements can be fixed remotely, meaning that customers get a much quicker response and a better service. With Lexmark we are now able to provide a wide range of high quality A4 devices and their Cloud Fleet Manager solution is a great addition to our existing product portfolio.