HP CASE STUDY
IMAGETEC SPEEDS CUSTOMER
SERVICE WITH REMOTE
PRINT MANAGEMENT
HP Smart Device Services Action Center enables faster
response times and enhanced service experience
Industry:
Business Services
Objective
Provide immediate remote print management
service for customers
Approach
Engage HP Smart Device Services Action
Center as remote management solution
for HP printers
Impact
Enables remote interaction with HP printers
for quick service
Supports proactive, cloud-based printer
and MFP remediation
Gives service techs remote access to
informative central dashboard
Supports the cost-effective management
of customers’ device fleets
Reduces number of service calls requiring
travel and improves service efficiency
Provides a competitive differentiator based
on proactive customer service
Country:
USA
CASE STUDY | IMAGETEC
IMAGETEC is an industry leader in office solutions
and print management. The company is leveraging
HP Smart Device Services Action Center to efficiently
manage fleets of printers and quickly provide firmware
updates remotely.
Challenge
Serving a wide geographic area
IMAGETEC has been an industry leader for digital office equipment and print management
in the Chicago area for over 26 years. The company was started in 1992 with the vision of
providing businesses with innovative digital office solutions and a focus on customer
service. Today, it has grown to more than 150 employees who work from the headquarters
in McHenry, IL., and five other offices in the greater Chicago area. IMAGETEC leads with HP for
A3 and 60ppm print solutions. “We also offer managed services so we have a fully-staffed IT
division that can provide network support and help clients with particular jobs or projects.
We can also manage the network and provide cloud space if a client needs it, so we offer
software solutions and support as well,” says VP of operations, Mark Dodge.
The majority of the company’s clients are based within a 100-mile radius of downtown Chicago,
but for those who have distant branches, IMAGETEC uses remote desktop and support services
or works with alliance partners in New York, California, Georgia, Florida and other states.
Supporting large print environments over such a wide physical area is challenging on engineers’
time, travel and cost, so remote management, diagnosis and resolution are important.
While the company had legacy remote capabilities, they were not as functional or robust as
needed. “We needed to be able to check current firmware versions, see what the customer
was using and update firmware,” Dodge explains. “We want to see what's going on with
the product and be able to access and troubleshoot directly through the remote program.
That’s the value-add that enhances our service organization, allowing a faster response to
clients' issues and faster resolution. Our previous remote programs did not have all that ability.”
“HP SDS Action Center gives us the ability to remotely
manage a eet of devices. It’s a value-add that enhances
our service organization by enabling faster responses.”
Mark Dodge, VP of operations, IMAGETEC
Solution
CASE STUDY | IMAGETEC
Remote device remediation
Enhanced customer experience
Swift remote remediation
IMAGETEC realized that HP Smart Device Services (SDS) Action Center was unique because it had
much of the functionality that was not available in other remote access tools.
The cloud-based platform allows service providers to remotely update, upgrade, restart and
configure the settings of their customers’ HP printers, copiers and multifunction printers (MFPs).
HP SDS Action Center features a service dashboard including HP proactive notifications and
mobile access for technicians so service teams can access the dashboard from a phone, PC,
laptop or tablet.
IMAGETEC currently supports dozens of clients and more than 1000 managed HP devices as part
of an early assessment of the SDS service. A service manager checks for alerts that are sent to the
SDS dashboard based on remote detection tools, then reviews and determines which alert notices
are for actions that can be solved remotely, and which need to be sent to field technicians.
“Our expenses can range from $100 to $150, just for
a simple service call. If we can do the same service in
a few minutes from a computer in our oces, we can
save thousands of dollars.”
Mark Dodge, VP of operations, IMAGETEC
“HP SDS gives us the advantage of remediating things faster, easier and at less cost,” says Dodge.
“We can actually solve problems for clients by going through the SDS Action Center and making
changes to their devices and settings without ever having to send a technician onsite.”
SDS can also save time and effort for service technicians while they are at customer sites.
They can use their laptops to log into the system and obtain insight into the current situation.
This enables them to make intelligent decisions and triage which printers need a physical visit,
and which can be remediated remotely. Particularly in locations such as a college or business
with a campus of buildings, remotely monitoring printers can save time spent walking to various
buildings. Service technicians also have access to online technical instructions as needed.
Benefits
Intelligent issue resolution
CASE STUDY | IMAGETEC
Reduced costs for
service support
Enhanced security:
remote rmware updates
Customer at a glance
Industry:
Business Services
Company name:
IMAGETEC L.P.
Location:
McHenry, Illinois
HP services:
HP Smart Device Services (SDS) Action Center
Website:
imagetec.com
Customers benefit from the efficiency in remote management and prompt service. SDS Action
Center gives IMAGETEC the ability to identify and remediate issues before the customer even
knows they exist.
“In one example, an automatic notification was received from a customer site and based on
what was happening, we knew that a print cartridge had not been pushed all the way in,”
says Dodge. “No one in the customer’s office knew about it. We rang to tell the customer,
and he was ecstatic because until we called, he didn’t even know it wasn’t working.”
The possibility to quickly remediate multiple networked machines is also a plus, Dodge explains,
“With travel costs and the rates for employee labor, our expenses can range from $100 to $150,
just for a simple service call. If we can do the same service in a few minutes from a computer
in our office, we can save thousands of dollars. We can pass those savings along to our
customers and are more competitive in our business.”
Another important issue is the ‘security shell’ that HP has created around the service. “We can
deliver a firmware update security patch to more products, to more customers in a single day
than we ever could before, because now we don't physically have to go do it. Also, we can push
them out at night, so you are not waiting for a tech to come and do it in the middle of the day,”
says Dodge.
“Our industry has been focused on the customer service side with the emphasis on what our
response times are and how fast we can fix problems,” he explains. “What's starting to come
in now, and what we're driving hard, is a shift to a different thought process. We can now focus
on how much preventative, proactive remedial service we can deliver remotely so it doesn't
interrupt the customers’ workflow or operations.
“I see a problem up on the screen, I take care of it and push out a patch or firmware update.
The machine worked when you went home last night, it works today, and you never knew it
needed attention.”
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© Copyr ight 2019 HP Development Comp any, L.P. The infor mation contained herein is subject to change without notice. The o nly warranties for HP
produ cts and ser vices are set forth in the express wa rranty statements accompanying such products and se rvices. Nothing herein sho uld be constr ued
as constituting a n additional war ranty. HP sha ll not be liable for technical or editorial error s or omissions contained herein.
4AA7-6585ENW, November 2019
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