Oxygen Technical Services Ltd

First Phase Data Gets Local Trucking Company Moving Again

When a local trucking company realized they were spending too much time ordering printer supplies, they called First Phase Data. We were able to streamline their processes with a managed print services program, saving them time and money and making life easier for everyone.

The Company

The client is a large Canadian trucking company. Like other trucking companies, this firm relies on its printers to print routes and directions, invoices, manifests, bills of lading, dispatch sheets, and more for their drivers and clients.

Not surprisingly, the company owns a lot of printers – more than 25 printers and MFPs in their three locations. The printers are of various makes and models, purchased over time. Because of the volume of its business, the company goes through a lot of paper and supplies. A lot. And that’s their problem.

The Challenge

Because the company owns so many different types of printers, ordering the right supplies for each printer – and having them shipped to the right location – is a huge challenge. Ordering printer supplies is also a major time drain for all the departments and individuals involved.

The company developed its own internal processes to service its printers, but that ended up being extremely time-consuming. When supplies were needed, the person or department where each printer is located had to create a requisition with information about the printer make and model and toner type, and send that requisition to the IT department. The IT department then had to cross-reference the printer and create a purchase order for the current supplies.

They then sent the PO to First Phase Data, who filled the order and delivered the supplies to the company. The IT staff then had to deliver the supplies to the person in the appropriate department, who then had to change the toner.

Ordering supplies took valuable time away from the person and department where each printer was located, as well as from the IT department. Imagine all that effort spent for each of the company’s 25-plus printers. That’s a lot of work!

The Solution

Realizing the huge amounts of employee time spent ordering printing supplies, the company’s management called in the experts at First Phase Data. Our company has almost four decades’ worth of experience managing print services for companies all across the Winnipeg area. The trucking company’s issues were not new to our team.

To assess the situation, the First Phase Data team met with the client. We reviewed their current process and their printing needs. Then our team came up with a proactive solution that we felt would better manage the clients’ printer supply process and save their employees valuable hours every week.

First Phase Data’s team proposed a managed print services (MPS) solution. We installed FM Audit print monitoring software to give the company’s IT staff full visibility of their printer fleet. They can now see, at a glance, page counts, toner levels, printer status (on/offline), and other information about each individual printer or MFP. This enables the IT department to track printer and supply status remotely, in real-time.

Even better, the IT department now receives alerts when they need supplies – before they run out. Just before any printer or MFP indicates low toner status, it sends an alert directly to the IT department.

After the IT staff receive the alert, they can choose to order or decline ordering the toner, when choosing to order the toner they are ensured that they will get the correct toner for the correct device and have it delivered to the right location/department. Department staff no longer have to be involved with monitoring and ordering printer supplies.

The Results

With this new system in place, the results are everything the client asked for. The print management software does all the work in the background, freeing up the individual department and IT staff. With automated alerts and electronic ordering, the IT department is more efficient, no longer chasing information on what supplies to order for specific printers.

Also, the company’s IT department now has the real-time data they need to make better decisions regarding their print fleet. Staff and management can now be proactive in their decision making, as opposed to their previous reactive stance.

It’s a win-win situation for all involved – thanks to the experts at First Phase Data.

Let First Phase Data Provide Managed Print Services to Your Company

First Phase Data has been offering MPS to Canadian businesses since 1987. We sell printers and MFPs from HP, Lexmark, and Xerox, and back up all the products we sell with superior customer service and technical support. Our managed print services can help your company spend less time and money on printing and printer supplies – and more time focusing on your core business!

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