Discover how Vision worked closely with Yodel, a leading logistics company, to deliver a tailored managed print solution that addressed their business needs.
The challenge:
When Yodel went to market for a managed print service supplier, they had a clear set of objectives in mind; to reduce their printing costs, streamline their operations and improve the overall efficiency and reliability of their printing infrastructure. They wanted a supplier who could help them rationalise their fleet, eliminating unnecessary devices and reducing their overall printing volume in the process, as well as providing ongoing support and maintenance to ensure reliability and uptime.
The solution:
Following a hotly contested tender process with multiple manufacturers and resellers, Vision came out on top. They were able to meet Yodel's objectives by developing a customised managed print solution from the ground up that addressed their specific needs; through a thorough assessment of Yodel's existing print infrastructure, Vision was able to identify areas where cost savings and rationalisation could be achieved. Vision then proposed a comprehensive managed print solution that reduced Yodel's total number of printing devices and optimised their printing processes. This was complimented by ongoing support and maintenance, underpinned by Vision’s Remote Fleet Management (VRFM); as a national logistics company, print is an integral component of day-to-day operations at Yodel, so ongoing support and maintenance were key considerations in order to ensure maximum reliability and uptime of Yodel's infrastructure.
The approach:
Vision took the time to fully understand Yodel’s print requirements, which included a deep dive into their historic usage data, as well as mapping the current geography of devices. Through this analysis, Vision was able to identify underutilised devices, make recommendations for optimal siting of new ones and introduce new software into the operations such as PaperCut to enable “follow me” printing throughout Yodel’s estate, which allowed users to print to a central queue and then retrieve their print job from any device rather than being tied to one specific machine. This led to a significant reduction in the size of Yodel’s fleet and ultimately, expenditure.
The outcome:
Vision was able to reduce the size of Yodel’s fleet from 300 devices to just 140. This consolidation not only helped reduce the costs associated with maintaining a large number of devices, but also reduced the environmental impact of Yodel's printing operations. By standardising their fleet of devices, Vision was able to ensure users at Yodel had a consistent user experience and that the IT support team could better manage the devices, reducing the costs associated with maintaining the fleet in the process. Furthermore, the Vision team were able to help Yodel maximise the return on investment of their new print solution with technology from their Business Process Automation offering. Planet Press was utilised to reformat data produced by legacy business systems, which enabled delivery notes, proof of deliveries, sack labels and more to be efficiently printed on the new, more cost effective hardware, enabling the removal of legacy dot matrix printers.
Jason Lowry, Director of Procurement at Yodel states:
"Prior to working with Vision, we had struggled with appropriate account management, costly, inefficient print services, an antiquated fleet of printers that didn’t align with our sustainability ambitions.
Vision stood out for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, they were competitive on price, as well as flexible and communicative throughout the process. However, Vision also offered additional benefits that were important to Yodel. One of the most significant advantages that Vision brought to the table was contract cost transparency. We wanted a supplier that was transparent about all costs associated with their managed print solution, and Vision was able to provide this level of transparency, giving us the confidence that we would not be surprised by unexpected costs down the road.
We valued the fact that like us, Vision takes their environmental responsibility seriously. Aside from holding certification for ISO 14001, they implemented a range of solutions that helped us to reduce our environmental impact such as PrintReleaf, a software that enables us to plant trees to offset paper usage, and toner recycling which helped us to reduce waste associated with toner cartridges. These obviously aligned with our sustainability goals, which forms a key part of our CSR strategy, and they helpfully developed an energy consumption comparison between the existing and new devices, which demonstrated the potential energy savings associated with the new solution which was really powerful.
Finally, we needed a supplier that had the resource and capabilities to tackle multiple large sites. Yodel has a complex network of sites across the UK, and Vision was able to deliver a managed print solution that addressed the needs of all sites.
Since partnering with Vision, we have seen a significant improvement in all these areas and more; the team at Vision worked with us to assess our needs and provided tailored solutions that resulted in substantial cost savings for our company. In addition to saving money, we have also significantly reduced our environmental impact through reduced waste and energy consumption.
We have been really impressed by the transparency and reporting offered by Vision's remote fleet management software, VRFM, which has provided us with valuable insights into our print usage, and even makes it possible to resolve issues remotely without even having to engage technical resource internally.
Finally, one of the standout aspects of Vision's services is their exceptional account management. The team is always readily available and responsive to our needs and concerns, making the overall experience seamless; their proactive approach and attention to detail has helped us optimise our print infrastructure to better meet the needs of our business."
