PrintIT Reseller - issue 49

30 INTERVIEW 01732 759725 Vision is currently three years into a five-year plan to double in size by 2020. It hopes to achieve this goal by continuing to develop its core business of managed print and document services, whilst also focusing on production printing, IT services, client retention and service excellence. Bond said: “We have a comprehensive business plan to potentially double in size by 2020.” As part of the overarching business strategy, Vision kicks off each new financial year (the company’s FY runs October 1 to September 30) with a theme, designed to focus the team company-wide on achieving its goals. “This year’s theme is Accelerate,” Smyth said. “It’s in three parts: Learn to Earn, Compete and Win and Retain and Gain,” he added. Accelerate was unveiled to around 150 staff working across its sales and support functions at a series of kick-off meetings. These events were sponsored by Vision’s key business partners including HP, Samsung and Ricoh. Vision has been awarded the highest level of HP Partner Accreditation as a Managed Printing Reseller and was delighted to welcome George Brasher, HP’s UK Managing Director as a keynote speaker at the kick-off meetings. Clear objectives “We are very clear on our growth objectives and in order to ensure all of the team are on board and focused on our objectives, we launched this financial year with Accelerate,” Bond explained. “Accelerate is a simple but effective three-pronged strategy,” Smyth continued. “Learn to Earn is about accelerating our knowledge base so we’re equipped for the changing market.” All employees undergo an appraisal process following which development plans are agreed and put in place. “We are focussed on setting goals and supporting our employees in achieving these,” he said, adding that the firm has gone back to basics with sales training on the features, advantages and benefits of its offer, as well as market focus. Key business partner HP has a suite of online training tools and all customer-facing employees are encouraged to make use of this. “It’s about making sure they understand the FABs across the entire range from the new range of A4 and A3 MFPs to the PageWide devices, as well as all of the solutions that PrintIT Reseller caught up with Vision CEO Phil Bond and COO Mark Smyth, to find out more about the managed printing and managed document specialists’ vision for growth Accelerate for growth wrap around the hardware proposition. We have a HP learning kiosk in the office so it’s easy for our team to access and utilise,” Smyth explained. Compete and Win, according to Bond is designed to develop and drive a winning mentality and culture. “From a top-level perspective it’s about making sure the business is well run and efficient, ensuring our customer service delivery is outstanding and our sales professionals are confident to successfully compete and win in a continuously changing marketplace.” Smyth argues that as Brexit negotiations and the process of exiting the EU continues, there will be financial challenges for some vendors and resellers. “It will be more essential than ever to have a well-run, efficient business that can stand up to market conditions through consolidation, that will inevitably expose any inefficient businesses and make it far more difficult for them to compete,” he said. Bond added: “The third element of Accelerate – Retain and Gain – is a focus on both winning new business as well as retaining and growing our existing client base.” Smyth continued: “Client retention is a high priority for us and we’re very proud of our performance in this area. Our mindset is very much to add value and deliver excellence in customer service and by driving this focus on the customer, we are both retaining and gaining more of our existing clients’ business.” Winning new business Bond and Smyth concur that winning new business is a key component of the growth Phil Bond, CEO, Vision Mark Smyth, COO, Vision We are very clear on our growth objectives and in order to ensure all of the team are on board and focused on our objectives, we launched this financial year with Accelerate

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