Snap Printing reduces click charge, boosts print room efficiency


22 Dec 2010

Snap Printing in Limerick has reduced its click charge by almost 50pc and increased print room efficiency by 70pc, thanks to a new Konica Minolta print environment deployed by MJ Flood Ireland.

The replacement of existing Xerox and Canon machines with a high-quality, high-speed Konica Minolta C6501 production printer also delivers print quality excellence resulting in repeat business rates of over 70pc for the Limerick franchise.

Husband and wife team, Ashley & Karen Walker took over the Dock Road, Snap Printing franchise in January 2010. “While we acquired the business at a good price, we knew we would have our work cut out for us to make it successful,” explains Ashley Walker, director of the Snap franchise. “A chance encounter at a local networking event resulted in a thorough print audit by MJ Flood Ireland, which concluded that our click charge could be significantly reduced while providing superior print quality and reliability with a Konica Minolta solution. We were convinced by their advice and took the decision to run with MJ Flood and Konica Minolta,” he adds.

Boosting efficiency in the production print environment

Print speed and machine efficiency represents a critical part of Snap’s business operations. Production print manager, Dave Gardiner explains how the new Konica Minolta environment has helped to boost efficiency and provide maximum uptime:

“The new machine is not only more reliable and more robust. It also allows us to run time-consuming variable data jobs such as raffle tickets overnight. For example, I can load up the database, fill the high capacity tray and run the job overnight and when I return next morning, I have the confidence of knowing that everything is complete. This frees up machine time during the day for less complex jobs and maximises machine time efficiency. Our Konica Minolta print environment plays a huge role in helping us to minimise costs and produce the superior print quality our customers have come to expect from us,” he adds.

Flexibility for demanding customers

Snap has a broad spread of customers including consumers and large enterprise. From students and sole traders through to multinational organisations and public sector bodies, all have one thing in common – a demand for a high quality finished product at a competitive price.

“The Konica Minolta print environment provides us with the ultimate in flexibility explains Gardiner. “Business cards and letterhead, menus, corporate brochures and more sophisticated saddle-stitched booklets can be produced quickly and easily using a variety of stock including 100 gsm coated sheets and 300 gsm matt board. 99pc of our jobs are run as full SRA3 sheets and guillotined down to final size which decreases running time and maximises efficiency. In a two month period since September, our SRA3 print volumes are running at almost 90,000,” he adds.

Affordability and predictability of costs

A five year rental agreement to cover the cost of the new production environment was very attractive to the new franchisees as Ashley Walker explains. “As a new business startup, we knew we had to invest in technology to build the business. Purchasing from MJ Flood on the back of a lease plan made it very easy for us to transition to a new print environment, without the pain of having to go to the banks looking for a small business loan. We could immediately benefit from the reliability, efficiency and quality of the new machine and enjoy full predictability and affordability in our cost structure,” he adds.

Increasing profitability with a partnership approach

“We chose MJ Flood as we were impressed with their business approach,” comments Karen Walker. “James Kavanagh and his team spent a lot of time with us at the beginning of the project, understanding our business and challenges. He put together a solution, which specifically addressed them in a cost-effective way. The reductions achieved in click charges and the increases in print room efficiency simply adds to the bottom line and increases our profitability. This has allowed us to counter some negative perceptions on price and re-position the Snap brand as one synonymous with value and quality. We have already doubled our turnover this year with strong margins to enable us to confidently compete and grow,” she adds.

The migration to the Konica Minolta environment was seamless. As soon as the order was placed, it was delivered, installed and commissioned within 24 hours. Dave Gardiner continues: “On the few occasions that we have had to call someone from the team, they have been here on site within 15 minutes of the call. We just can’t afford any downtime and the MJ Flood team directly supports our efforts in that regard.”

AT A GLANCE

Organisation: Snap Printing, Limerick

Industry: Production print

Organisation profile: The Snap franchise at Dock Road has built a strong clientele over the years. It was taken over by Ashley & Karen Walker in January 2010. Their team of dedicated design and print professionals provide service excellence and a range of high quality print solutions to Limerick city and surrounding areas. Clients include FAS, BNI Sarsfield Chapter, Scanlon Architectural Ltd and the Limerick Institute of Technology.

Business challenge: To replace production machines nearing end of life, reduce cost per copy and provide superior print quality to Snap’s customers.

Solutions:

  • Installation of a Konica Minolta C6501 production print machine.
  • Five-year lease deal to Snap Printing with structured and affordable monthly payments for equipment. The lease deal includes all parts, labour, maintenance and support.

Benefits:

  • Reliable, superior quality colour reproduction for Snap’s clients.
  • Significant reduction in copy cost of almost 50pc boosting profitability for franchisees.
  • Increased print room efficiency of 70pc helping to streamline workflow and optimise operations.
  • Reliable service and support with rapid on-site engineering available.
  • Affordable and predictable monthly payments which negates the draw on capital expenditure at a time when credit availability is limited.
  • Solution drives a high level of repeat business which currently stands at approx. 70pc.

For more information on MJ Flood’s Production Print solutions, please contact us at www.mjflood.ie or call us on (01) 466 3500

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