THE OFFICE PRODUCTS ANALYST A monthly publication devoted to the cost performance analysis of office products

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1 PAGE 1 Volume 36, Issue 7 Industry Analysts, Inc A monthly publication devoted to the cost performance analysis of office products MFP Service Margins Inside this issue: Service Margins...2 Canon...4 Konica Minolta...6 Kyocera Mita...7 Ricoh Family...9 Sharp...10 Toshiba...12 Published by Industry Analysts, Inc. The OPA (Office Products Analyst) is published monthly by Industry Analysts, Inc., 50 Chestnut Street, Roch ester, NY , USA, Phone #: (585) , Fax #: (585) , Web: Publisher, Louis E. Slawetsky. This publication is for the exclusive use of our subscribers. The information and opinions in each issue are based on the best information available, but the completeness and accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Subscriptions: $350.00, one year (US); $ overseas and Canada. Prices for multiple subscriptions on request. Reproduction in any form without written permission is strictly forbidden and will be subject to prosecution. Each year we conduct extensive surveys with U.S MFP dealer community. This year s research is based upon interviews with ** office equipment dealers representing major brands that participate in this channel. Interviews typically took more than one hour and covered critical areas of the MFP dealer s world including margins, compensation, solutions sales and more. Full results published the annual Imaging Systems Dealer Strategies Report which serves as an annual report on our industry. This issue of The Office Products Analyst (OPA) covers MFP service margins from dealers representing Canon, Konica Minolta, Kyocera Ricoh Family (Ricoh, Savin, Lanier), Sharp and Toshiba brands. Service margins are part of the trifecta that makes up the typical copier/ MFP contract, driving profitability for the dealer. As hardware margins have declined over the years, service and supply margins remain two critical areas where dealers can remain profitable. How important are service margins? Of the three components hardware, service and supplies, all brands in this year s study continue to report highest margins for service when compared with service and supplies. Clip art Many factors influence the profitability of service for a dealer. Certainly product reliability is a factor. Fewer service calls directly impact the profitability of a service contract. Other factors also affect service margins, such h as how long it takes to set up and install a device, preventive maintenance cycles, call back percentage (how often a technician has to return to address the same problem), parts yield, etc. Unless specifically stated, charts in this issue of The OPA reflect average service margins for both color and monochrome MFP devices

2 PAGE 2 Service Margins After years of continued increase in service margins, we note a significant decline in this year s study. There are at least three trends that are having a negative impact on service margins overall. First, users are holding on to their MFP devices longer. That is, the average age is increasing. With increased age comes increased service cost. Second, we note that more than 50% of unit installations are full color systems. These systems, being more complex, have always resulted in the need for increased service. Moreover, all inclusive cost per page plans that include toner have been eroding dealer margins. Many customers are printing full

3 PAGE 3 color pages with coverage considerably higher than the average quoted by manufacturers. The result is that dealers are on the hook for expensive color toner. Finally, more than 90% of all unit placements are connected to a network or workstation (Imaging Systems Dealer Strategies). These systems are more service intensive, given the combination of hardware (MFP) and software (drivers) needing service attention. Yet, despite this increased cost, dealers are reluctant to increase the cost of their service contracts for connected systems. This year s study showed that Sharp dealers have achieved the highest service margins (44.7%) followed by Canon (42.8%). Kyocera dealers, normally experiencing higher margins, indicate the lowest margins in this year s study (39.5%). Increased service cost for specific models were offered as the reason. When examining service margins for full color systems only, we find that Toshiba (43.5%), Ricoh Family (43.3%) and Canon (43.0%) dealers indicate the highest service margins. While Sharp dealers indicated the highest service margin for color and monochrome MFPs combined the company s dealers indicate the lowest service margin for full color systems alone (35.3%). When comparing color margins to those found for all MFPs (color and monochrome) we find that all brands with the exception of Kyocera indicate higher margins for color products

4 PAGE 4 Canon All MFPS

5 PAGE 5 Color vs. Mono When examining Canon margins for the combination of full color and monochrome devices, we note a decline for three consecutive years. Canon Color vs. Mono Hardware Margins When we examine Canon service gross margins for full color products, we note declines here as well, although the year over year variances are not as significant as those found for the combination of all MFPs. In addition, we note that Canon color service margins are consistently above the overall industry averages.

6 PAGE 6 Konica Minolta All MFPs Color MPFs Konica Minolta dealers indicate a steadily declining full color service gross margin, falling from 49.0% in 2009 to the current average of 41.5%. Two points should be stressed. First, the rate of decline has slowed. Second, the color gross margins indicated by Konica Minolta dealers are consistently above the industry average for each year.

7 PAGE 7 Konica Minolta Color vs. Mono Hardware Margins Konica Minolta dealers continue to indicate a decline in service gross margins from 48.0% in 2009 to the current average of 41.5%. We should note, however, that Konica s service gross margins continue to be above the industry average. Konica Minolta dealers indicate a higher gross margin for color systems (44.7%) than is the case for monochrome systems (41.5%). This is the result of a decline in monochrome service margins coupled with an increase in service margins for color systems. Kyocera All MFPs

8 PAGE 8 After an increase in last years service gross margins for full color systems Kyocera dealers this year indicated a significant decline. In fact, this year s study indicates the Kyocera dealers average the lowest service gross margins for color systems for all brands studied. Color MFPs Here, we examine Kyocera service gross margins for the combination of monochrome systems. After an increase last year, these margins declined to below the industry average this for the second time in three studies. Kyocera Color vs. Mono Hardware Margins

9 PAGE 9 Kyocera dealers indicate service margins that are comparable for both monochrome and full color systems. This year we note a significant decline for gross margins in both categories. Further, Kyocera dealers indicate service gross margins that are below the industry average, again in both categories. Ricoh Family All MFPs Ricoh Family dealers (Ricoh, Savin, Lanier) indicate a lower service gross margin for color MFP systems than that found in last year s study. However, this level remains higher than that found in Color MFPs

10 PAGE 10 As is the case when products, we find, when examining service margins for all MFP products (color and monochrome) a decline when compared with last year s data. Still this year s average remains above that found in Ricoh Family Color vs. Mono Hardware Margins Service gross margins for full color products remain higher than those reported by Ricoh Family dealers for monochrome systems. The widest disparity is found in the 2009 study, although all differences remain somewhat constant. Sharp All MFPs

11 PAGE 11 Sharp dealers indicate a significant decline in service margins for full color MFPs (35.2%). While these reported margins were consistent with the Universe of reporting dealers for the years 2009 and 2010, we find this year that reported margins have dropped to a level significantly lower than the Universe. Color MFPs When we examine service gross margins for all MFPs (color and monochrome), we find that Sharp dealer indicate a decline to a level below that found for the Universe of dealers, no doubt driven by the lower margins for color products. Sharp Color vs. Mono Hardware Margins

12 PAGE 12 We note a decline in service gross margins for full color systems in each of the reporting years ( ). However, service margins for monochrome systems are higher than those found for color systems this for both 2010 and Toshiba All MFPs Toshiba dealers indicate the highest color service gross margins in this year s study (43.5%). Moreover, Toshiba dealers have indicated a service gross margin level (color MFPs) higher than the Universe of respondents for two of the last three studies.

13 PAGE 13 Color MFPs When we examine Toshiba service margins for all MFP products, we find a year over year increase to 42.7%. Still, this is lower than the margin noted for 2009 (47.2%). Toshiba Mono vs. Color Hardware Margins Toshiba service margins are higher for color MFP products than is the case for their monochrome systems in each of the three reporting years. By Lou Slawetsky, CEO Industry Analysts, Inc.