Before finding EKM with Predictive InSight, ManagedPrint worked with various data collection agents (DCA’s). “In both cases, we ran into the same problems. Machines would fall off the network, and we had no local counts. These were ongoing issues, and at some point, you just learned to live with it.” Rich Houghton was continually frustrated with DCA’s but thought that he had no better options at the time. “Traditionally, service calls go like this. A nurse reports a problem to their help desk, the help desk calls us to explain the problem, and then a dispatch is alerted who calls the tech.” The communication link used for resolving issues was very convoluted and often resulted in more time spent than ManagedPrint, or their clients wanted. “We thought if we could have a machine to tell us the problem instead of the person, we could boost productivity and save time.”

“We were finally exposed to EKM at an HP show, where they discussed smart device services (SDS). To us, this was a serious game-changer, and we immediately knew that we had to change the way we service.” Rich and his team sat down for a serious comparison on potential benefits. When it came down to it, EKM had SDS built into it, and other DCA’s did not. The choice was easy for them to make. With EKM and Predictive InSight, ManagedPrint immediately began changing the way they do business. “The machine is the best data point of what’s wrong with it, and we were finally able to tap into this smart technology. With the introduction of SDS, we opened up a triage desk, which dramatically improved the rate at which we could resolve issues and errors. That was our main driver of interest in EKM.”

After making the switch to EKM with Predictive InSight, Rich and his team began to notice the other quality-of-life improvements that came with their new DCA. “Another huge benefit of EKM was the pricing model, which is price-per-device managed. The model allowed us to see which devices are under contract and which ones are not.” With their previous DCA, ManagedPrint often had to pay for devices run by competitors because there was no interface to tell the difference. “It wasn’t easy to see levels and what has changed, but with EKM and Predictive InSight, we have a whole dashboard with graphs and dates.” This dashboard also allows ManagedPrint to locate machines that are supposed to be on contract and make corrections. “It’s amazing, and I’ve already found over forty machines that were supposed to be under contract.”

For Rich, it was clear that operations were more transparent, efficient, and cost-effective. On top of that, his clients seemed to reap the benefits of EKM with Predictive InSight as well. “Customers love the auto-ship. They no longer have to worry about watching their levels and making orders.” Another improvement that ManagedPrint experienced was a boost in professionalism. “I’ve noticed a change in the dynamic between our Customer Care Center and the clients on the phone. Now that we have all of the data at our fingertips, we are in control of most situations that come our way.” Their customers were quick to acknowledge and appreciate the enhanced quality of service. With an improved interface, ManagedPrint joined the upper echelon of service providers. “Our experience using the previous DCA’s consisted of putting people on hold to research their machines, come back, and at that point, they’re already irritated because it took us so long. But with EKM, it’s just all there.”