We often discuss the importance of diversification with fellow dealers. It is critical for us all to find ways to keep income streams strong when one particular industry segment encounters headwinds. For many, that segment was print. Declining sales, COVID, increased online presences and other factors led to a reduction in print sales and service. One natural diversification add-on has been IT, which can go together with printers and copiers, and will lead to better utilization of company technicians’ time.
Here is our latest diversification: We recently expanded into an area that could be a game changer for us and others who may follow suit — robotics.
For the record, we love our employees. They are our greatest asset. So, this is not a “robots should replace humans” conversation. However, robots can fill certain voids in the workforce while also making life better for employees. Consider, for example, the number of repetitive (and potentially health-threatening) tasks that human workers regularly undertake. In warehouses, lifting heavy pallets of product, spending hours scrubbing and cleaning floors and back-and-forth moving of product from one location to another can lead to workplace injuries from improper lifting or moving techniques. Robots can take on these and other tasks and free employees to focus on higher-level wor
We entered the robotics market this year through a partnership with Pudu Robotics. Our first sales have been for businesses interested in deploying robots to clean their facilities. A robot can run 24/7 if needed, will not call in sick, does not get tired and will take on jobs that many in the workforce do not want (including but not limited to scrubbing). Interested industries include gun ranges and food production facilities. While seemingly very different businesses, both have buildings which must be kept spotlessly clean. Cleaning/scrubbing robots are also an excellent fit for manufacturing warehouses, pharmaceutical labs and corporate facilities.
Other robotic applications include stacking boxes, moving heavy loads from place to place and providing service in the hospitality sector. For these, we introduce the “humanoids”— life-sized robots that can do almost everything a human can. They pick up, carry and transport heavy loads. In areas where jobs are hard to fill, humanoids will prove immensely popular. The capabilities are endless and the interest in this newest technology is real.
For the businesses that buy or lease robots, the proposition makes great sense. They get tireless support that can work around the clock, can fill positions where help is hard to find and the ROI on an investment of this sort can be impressive.
Back to diversification for a moment — for the dealer looking to expand his/her offerings, robotics makes sense for a number of reasons:
- The business model is very similar to MPS. Customers can purchase or lease the robots. Leasing companies are interested in the robotics market. There is the opportunity for monthly recurring revenue with service contracts.
- Robotics allows dealers to use their technicians’ expertise more fully. And, as technology improves, we will install programs on copiers (and robots) allowing each to be remotely monitored and we can diagnose and fix a problem without an on-site visit and before a situation becomes a problem. We may even see a time when a humanoid robot can perform some of the repair and testing functions that a technician can.
- The ROI on robots can be very favorable. In the case of scrubbing robots, a dirty floor can cause health and injury problems, and having a tireless worker dedicated to keeping the floor clean is critical. If a cleaning robot comes with a leasing price tag of $10,000, for example, it does not take long for it to pay for itself, especially when you consider the ongoing costs of a cleaning company or employee, year after year. With an ROI calculator, it is easy to show customers the benefits and returns, which will vary by usage.
- Having robots as a part of a company’s menu of services can also prove advantageous when it comes to attracting talent for the business. Newer salespeople are not always excited about selling copiers and printers, but if some “cool” technology such as robotics is on the menu, that makes a big difference.
There are several reasons why robotics may well be “the next big thing” for copier/print dealers looking to make up for the losses in the market caused by declining print. It is worth a look. Diversification is key!
Vince Miceli
Vince Miceli is vice president at Pulse Technology, https://pulsetechnology.com, based in Schaumburg, IL and Merrillville, IN.