Page 18 - Print 21 Magazine Nov-Dec 2018

Cover Story Konica Minolta
Mission critical service delivery
Printing presses only make money for printers when they are running. Uptime is the essential factor when calculating productivity, even more so than speed. Delivering fast and reliable service to ensure maximum utilisation is more than
As digital technology matures, print quality
is becoming less of a differentiator in the buying decision. When comparing printing engines speed and additions such as extra colours and varnishes are more likely than abstract quality to distinguish one press from another. Even price is no longer a major source of difference. Customer decisions in a mature market are much more likely to be made on past experience, reliability and service. This latter has become the critical distinguishing feature between most vendors and is a
key element in securing customer loyalty and repeat investment.
According to Michael George, State Service Delivery Manager NSW, Konica Minolta has developed a unique service model in Australia that delivers world best results. Self-directed work teams provide a flexible and efficient service response to customers across the regions and throughout the metropolitan areas with the aim of achieving maximum uptime. Service engineers can make their own decisions based on who is the best person to take the job; who has the tools and parts on hand to fix the issue in a single visit; who has
the best knowledge of that client’s business and requirements; and who can get to the customer soonest to minimise their downtime.
Konica Minolta commits to an average response time of two hours and standard service hours of seven am until seven pm, Monday through Friday. Konica Minolta’s engineers are proud of the work they do, they build strong relationships with customers, are known to go above and beyond their normal duties to ensure the system is back up and running before they leave their customer.
“Currently our first time fix rate is in the mid-80s, but we’re working to raise that to 90 per cent,” he said.
A day in the life
In order to improve the customer experience the self-confessed
Beatles fan has devised a system to increase the cooperation between
his service teams and the company’s sales personnel. Field service engineers spend one day per quarter accompanying sales people on their customer visits. Similarly sales people go with the engineers to see how service interacts with customers.
“We’re out there building relationships with the customers.
a mission statement
for Konica Minolta; it’s the way the company distinguishes itself in the fiercely competitive digital printing market.
Above: A palpable sense of mission in the service offering
of Konica Minolta: (l-r) Bronwyn Lear, Michael George and Paulo Leong.
18 Print21 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2018