Page 38 - Print21 Jan-Feb 2022

Profil
Looking
ahead
Print21 editor Wayne Robinson talks with Vincent Nair, executive chair of industry supplier Smartech Systems, on how its
fi st year performed, how the company is evolving, and where he sees opportunity for the print industry in ANZ.
Just a year ago industry supplier Quadient Oceania, formerly known as Neopost Australia, was acquired by Smartech Business Systems,
with Smartech, which had been based in Hong Kong, moving its headquarters here on the back of the transaction and deciding to retain and grow its sales and services teams in Asia.
Quadient Oceania as it was – the name has now changed to Smartech Systems – has been a growing force in supply to the commercial print industry, with a portfolio of solutions in graphics, particularly finishing, in wide format, and of course in mailing from its Neopost heritage.
Smartech chairman, Vincent
Nair, the driving force behind the company’s growth strategy, is excited about the future of its Australia/ New Zealand arm. Smartech is a
mail sending technology partner to Quadient in Asia and so is familiar with the worldwide Quadient portfolio of technology solutions.
However, the Smartech Systems Oceania portfolio of solutions is more diverse. It includes graphics industry solutions in wide format printing representing Canon, Epson and HP, and finishing solutions from Duplo.
It is also an eCommerce solutions vendor, as the largest electronic parcel locker solutions supplier to Australia Post, and has a host of mail processing solutions.
Buying a business in the middle of a pandemic is quite a move, but for Nair and his business partner USA-based Texan, David Moore, the proposition stacked up, the opportunities were clear, and Covid notwithstanding the future looked bright. With 19,000 customers across Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, the company clearly has a large reach. So, one year
in, what does Nair see now?
He says, “We found a business that
was in great shape, with a top-class portfolio of solutions and staff that really knew their industry. It has in some sectors been a tough year for everyone, but I am delighted to say that we have exceeded our budgets, we have retained all our customers, we have added new customers.
“We have retained all our staff who we needed to grow with us, and we have been able to implement some steps that will help take
the business, and our customers, forward.” These steps include,
for instance, having specialised solutions architects to augment the field sales team, to provide more substantial understanding of client needs.
Wins
In its PFS business – graphics – Smartech has had some big wins, among them OfficeWorks, the nationwide behemoth owned by WesFarmers – an enterprise with high standards when it comes
to establishment of suppliers.
As anyone who has been there recently knows, Officeworks offers
a substantial onsite printing, copying and document solutions service. The tender to supply the related print systems was keenly contested, with Smartech coming out on top. Nair says, “Clearly
we have the hardware and the workflow solutions that befits any commercial print organisation, but more than that Officeworks wanted to work with a supplier that has longevity, scalability and it wanted a partnership that would last, and that is what Smartech could provide.”
Smartech is a major supplier in finishing systems, particularly with its Duplo range of finishing and
Add services: Vincent Nair, chairman, Smartech
embellishing solutions, which Nair says offers print businesses some, “quality, cost-effective solutions, with some great innovation in there, and typically for a lower investment level”.
Mailing Technology, including sending solutions and folding inserts is, Nair believes, a real opportunity for commercial print business owners and the industry alike. He says, “If I am
a cattle farmer and wanting to grow
I may be thinking of adding sheep
or goats to my portfolio, as I already have many of the assets and skillsets common to adding other livestock. Similarly for print businesses looking to add new revenue streams, mailing offers the opportunity to use existing assets – customers, factory space, workflow – to provide a new service. You can go to customers and tell them you can take them along the final mile, all from one point of contact.”
Nair says mail will continue to be an important part of the communications mix: “The paperless office has been predicted for 50 years. It won’t happen. Paper and print has real cut-through that communications professionals value. He does, however, believe that print businesses have the capabilities within themselves to evolve to meet the new market demands. He says, “Print business owners will do well to ask themselves what they can offer
to customers in 2022. It may be just putting ink or toner on paper and folding it, or it may be enhancing the value through adding new services, such as digital embellishment, and if they can provide integrated services, leverage their knowledge to new areas, then they may find new opportunities open up.”
A breath of fresh air can bring
a new perspective; Nair and the Smartech team are doing just that, and are set to be a significant partner for the printing industry. 21
38 Print21 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022