Document Solutions from FirstChoice – Multifunction printers, office machines & electronic document management

 “Our designated First Choice account manager contacts me every couple of months to check I am happy and everything is running smoothly. If we have any concerns or additional requirements we’d like to discuss, the account manager is always pleased to pop into the office at short notice to discuss anything face to face,” says Tony Drew, finance and administration manager at the Maidstone office.

Martin Professional is the world market leader in intelligent lighting for entertainment and architectural applications.  Martin has always possessed the unique ability to combine innovation and efficiency in product development with quality and value.  This unrivalled expertise has resulted in the most comprehensive lighting range on the market.  Martin is the only manufacturer in the world able to offer a complete entertainment package.

Martin Professional Plc is the wholly owned British subsidiary of the Martin Group.  This market leading UK company distributes the entire range of Martin products, including lighting and smoke machines. These products are sold directly to professional companies such as lighting hire companies or installers, through a network of qualified “preferred retailers”.
 
The British subsidiary has an office based in Maidstone, Kent and comprises of 26 employees across the marketing, finance and sales departments. In 2001 the finance department purchased their first Xerox black and white office copier machine through First Choice Business Systems. They have since remained loyal to First Choice and have advanced to replace their two existing black and white WorkCentres with two colour multi-functional workstations, whose specifications are as follows:

Xerox WorkCentre 2636 offering black and white and colour as and when required.  The group have been so impressed with the digital quality of the machine and the service offered by First Choice, they have decided to upgrade the machine to an even faster WorkCentre, the 7235. This model offers the fastest first-page out time in its class as well as more advanced finishing options.

Xerox WorkCentre 7132, again offering both black and white and colour when required. The 7132 multifunction system is the affordable transition to the next level of productivity for the office. 

Both of these easy-to-use devices offer powerful printing, copying, scanning and faxing. They are primarily used by their internal marketing department for the production of centralised marketing collateral. However the machines are also shared with sales and finance for general day-to-day office use.

Added value features

When asked what core features set First Choice aside from the rest, the ‘Scan to Email’ capability was a ‘must have’ requirement within the Martin Group. This particular feature is crucial for a) paper reduction and hence cost savings and b) promoting cross-department and cross-divisional communications within the group. With these digital documents, you can easily create, search, re-use and build upon your documents, providing the added value of:

• Containing costs
• Sharing knowledge
• Accelerating workflow
• Integrating paper and electronic documents
• Managing and distributing documents effectively

Seamless installation

“We wanted to stay with a supplier who we knew would deliver a slick, seamless and problem-free installation. We didn’t have to get involved with any set-up or configuring,” claims Tony Drew, finance director at Maidstone, “it was all taken care of and up and running within a matter of hours.”

Cost matching

“When service contracts are up for renewal, we naturally always look at other suppliers. Whilst First Choice has not always been the cheapest, they have been by far the best value for money, always offering fair and competitive packages.  For me deciding to stay with First Choice was an easy business decision as I had the trust and peace of mind I would be receiving the best digital print quality as well as the highest customer service.”    

Colour quality and overflow

Now that Martin Professional has a second colour multi-functional, they are better equipped to manage high-volume overspill, specifically with colour prints within the marketing department. Their quarterly print volumes still continue to rise, highlighting that departmental buy-in and confidence levels in the output and quality of the machines still continues to grow.

Download: Martin Professional Case Study