YOUR BUSINESS
Case Studies
Ridgemill Case Study 1
Overview
Many businesses talk about customer service, few deliver.
At Ridgemill we mean what we say. We pride ourselves on
being flexible in our approach and willing to go the extra
mile, as this solution for a major shop-fitter proved…
The Problem we were given…
Following a management buy-out our client, a national shop
and office fitter, faced two real headaches with regard to their reprographic equipment. The first was in their front office,
the second in their site offices.
Front office
In the firm’s Head Office, spaghetti of differing service contracts
had been created, almost by default, after a restructuring process.
The result was 12 different copiers from different suppliers
and different manufacturers. To make things more complex they
had partially outstanding leases for different periods of time from
different dealers in different parts of the country.
Site office
In their site offices they had a range of unsupported machines
bought by site managers as and when needed, many of which
were non-operational due to site damage. The result was 20
photocopiers in varying states of disrepair with no service
contracts and no cost-efficient way to get them all working.
The solution we came up with…
In the Head Office, Ridgemill Business Systems looked long
and hard at the situation, going through every contract on
behalf of the client. It quickly became clear that the ad hoc
nature of the contracts entered into, plus widely differing
service provisions, were presenting the client with a logistical
nightmare going forward.
Therefore we were empowered to negotiate favourable contract
settlements with each different leasing company and service
agent. So far, so standard. However the next problem we faced
was that the post-MBO venture was designated as a
“New Enterprise” as far as the major leasing companies were
concerned. In other words re-financing through major funders
was not an option. At this point, then, other reprographic
providers closed the door.
Not Ridgemill. Instead we found a way to provide the necessary
funding through our own rental company. It meant we were
able to settle all the outstanding contracts, supply brand new
equipment and actually reduce the company spend on copying
and printing. Just as importantly, it was future proofed -
we supplied the machines through our own rental company
and consequently offered the client complete flexibility.
That flexibility not only covers the specification of machines,
but the number.
Site machines
The solution to the problem of on-site needs that disappear
on project completion was short term rental. Instead of buying
machines that then broke and had to be taken back to head
office for storage, our client now simply rents the latest
and most robust model with copier-printer-scanner-fax facilities.
The fixed monthly cost they now pay includes full service,
support, installation and set up anywhere in the UK with a one-off
delivery and installation charge. It even makes the construction
site’s budgeting easier, with a complete office system provided
at a fixed charge per month for the duration of the site.
In addition there is now proper consistency. All sites use the
same machine model giving them print, copy fax & scanning
facilities. Because Ridgemill decided to run training courses
at their head office all site personnel are now properly trained
on their use. Driver software is pre-installed on all necessary
computers and, from a site perspective, the process is as simple
as plug and play.
A happy ending
The solution we put together here has proved so flexible
and cost effective that many others in the civil engineering
and construction industry have followed this model. Ridgemill
now operates the same methodology for national and international
companies that range from hydro-electric projects to Olympic sites.
