Sydney's B2B Technologies deploys Ricoh, Kyocera printing solutions to retailer Taking Shape

Sydney-based managed print provider B2B Technologies has scored a deal with clothing retailer Taking Shape to upgrade its printing capabilities.

B2B deployed printers from Ricoh and Kyocera to replace Taking Shape’s legacy Fuji Xerox machines to meet specific needs across the business.

B2B Technologies Victorian branch manager Sam Belleli told CRN that Taking Shape reached out with the aim of saving costs and upgrading its technological capabilities.

“[Taking Shapes] found that their technology was very close to what they had previously, where the printer models may be new but they were exactly the same machines as the old ones, and they felt they were going nowhere,” Belleli said.

“After a thorough review, we found our vendor mix generated substantial cost savings of just over 40 percent and every machine was an enhancement that’s more applicable to Taking Shape’s environment.”

"I'd also like to thank our account manager Amanda Pearson-Reid for her work in leading the project," Belleli added.

Taking Shape chief information officer Adrian Jacobson said, “We needed a supplier who understood the needs of the business and the requirements of each business area. The warehouse demands more robust and reliable equipment whilst our designers needed more technical devices to handle the detailed graphics and prints.”

“It was also important that our supplier was able to provide some cost savings by looking at ways to better manage ongoing printing costs.”

The Ricoh machines, specifically the Pro C5200S model, were brought in for the design team, giving them advanced colour matching quality and colour consistency and help provide high quality and high volume output for marketing materials and other creative projects.

The Kyocera machines, specifically the ECOSYS P3155DN, were more robust and durable monochrome printers suited for the warehouse, printing higher volumes for the likes of shipping labels and other logistical printing needs.

B2B also provided managed services to handle hardware, software and support requirements, as well as a print automation system to manage the entire fleet, toner ordering, support and maintenance.

Security features were also added to maintain privacy when printing confidential documents on the machines. Jobs can be sent securely to the printer and be held until they are released, making it suitable for payroll and HR departments.

“Overall, B2B Technologies showed a complete understanding of our requirements across a range of facilities containing different departments, providing a simpler and more structured solution in place that works for us,” Jacobson said.