Customer Success Story: Dulux
Dulux manufactures, sells paints and coatings that protect, maintain, and enhance the spaces in which we live and work. Professionals and homeowners alike have depended on Dulux products for generations.
As a result, the company has a deep understanding of its customers and have invested in world-class technology and research as well as development facilities.
Dulux operates according to key values that demand total commitment to providing outstanding customer service and satisfaction, as well as developing strong, professional business relationships with customers and suppliers.
Summary
“The stores are more efficient, the company is saving money, and the machines are delivering high-quality materials that meet our specifications. The overall result is outstanding.”
– Lorenzo Caio, National Merchandising Manager, Dulux Trade.
The Challenge
Dulux’s new Business+ system lets customers order products online, then either pick up from one of its 61 Trade Centres or have the product delivered at their convenience. Customers can order in-store if they prefer. Sales staff review or place the order using iPads, then print the order out for fulfilment.
Lorenzo Caio, National Merchandising Manager, Dulux Trade, said, “We implemented the iPads to help facilitate the ordering process. Having mobile devices that can receive and print the orders makes sales staff more effective and reduces the time it takes to fulfil customer orders.”
To make this process effective, Dulux Trade needed printers in each trade centre that were capable of wireless printing.
At the same time, store managers needed to be able to print other, high-quality documents such as point of sale information.
Lorenzo Caio said, “Until recently we would fax stores regarding promotions and company information. Now it makes more sense to email that information, including the promotional materials that need to be displayed in-store. However,for a significant number of stores, the printers weren’t high enough quality to print out point of sale materials. This meant someone would have to take the files on a USB to a local printing shop to get the materials printed out.”
Dulux Trade needed to replace this inefficient and costly process with one that was faster and simpler.
The Solution
Dulux Trade had been working with Konica Minolta for more than 15 years so, when it came time to review its printer fleet, the company turned to its long-term partner.
Lorenzo Caio said, “Our relationship with Konica Minolta is trust-based. We have a handful of suppliers that we know will support us and get the job done without delay, and Konica Minolta is one of them. It makes my job easier knowing that questions or issues will be dealt with fast so we can get back to work.”
The existing printers throughout Dulux’s trade centre network were due for replacement in February 2015. Dulux Trade took the opportunity to upgrade significantly to colour machines with wireless capabilities.
The company chose a mix of Konica Minolta C224e and C3350 colour desktop multifunction devices for their advanced features and ability to produce consistently superior quality materials.
Customer Benefits
The new printers have delivered on their promise of wireless connectivity and high performance.
Lorenzo Caio said, “All sales staff can now print wirelessly from iPads and other mobile devices. Importantly, all stores can print point of sale material to the appropriate standards without having to use a third-party supplier. This delivers huge efficiency benefits to the company as well as eliminating the cost of using outsourced printers.
“The printers’ reliability is also a key benefit. When a printer goes down it causes frustration for the store and it can mean delays in processing orders or getting point of sale information displayed in time. We needed reliable machines that would do the job day after day without fail. Konica Minolta’s printers have delivered that performance.”
Dulux Trade also chose to implement Konica Minolta managed print services.
Lorenzo Caio said, “Previously we just leased machines and managed them ourselves. This could cause issues if there was a problem with a machine and a store needed to pay to get it fixed: those sorts of unplanned expenses were detrimental to budgeting.
“Now, with a managed print services agreement in place, Konica Minolta is responsible for all maintenance and repair issues. That means less disruption if something goes wrong, plus lower costs. And it means we can budget more accurately because the managed services come at a fixed cost. That gives me peace of mind.”
Once the devices were set up, Dulux Trade Centre staff were impressed with the new functionality.
Lorenzo Caio said, “The staff at store level say the machines are fantastic. It gives them more flexibility and lets them do everything they need to do right there in the store, instead of having to go elsewhere. Order fulfilment is also much faster now and printing those orders happens at the push of a button because the devices are fully compatible with the iPads, rather than having to click through a number of screens.”
The staff at store level say the machines are fantastic. It gives them more flexibility and lets them do everything they need to do right there in the store, instead of having to go elsewhere. Order fulfilment is also much faster now and printing those orders happens at the push of a button because the devices are fully compatible with the iPads, rather than having to click through a number of screens”
– Lorenzo Caio, National Merchandising Manager, Dulux Trade.
