FULL STORY
• UK commercial web printers experience financial benefits of long-term planning
• Flexibility and 24-hour support from global infrastructure cited as key features
A year on from the launch of its Flexible Value Service Plan, Goss International has earned praise from a growing number of UK web offset printers. New commitments, including contracts of up to five years, indicate confidence and satisfaction in the Plan.
Pictured top right: As part of a two-year consumable parts service for Alderson Print Group, Goss International provides a consignment of consumable parts which are stored and maintained on-site at Alderson at a discounted rate.
Immediate right: Andy Campbell, group managing director, Alderson Print Group.
Bottom right: Dean Pike, deputy managing director, Westdale Press.
The Goss Flexible Value Service Plan allows printers to purchase a ‘bank’ of service hours at discounted rates, on an annual basis. Banked hours are redeemable against a numbers of services, including routine maintenance and emergency services; all backed by a Goss International warranty.
Among the satisfied customers are some of the UK’s leading commercial printers, including Southernprint, the Alderson Print Group and Westdale Press.
Southernprint, part of the Wyndeham Group, started using the service at the beginning of 2009 and recently renewed its contract. Nick Waterhouse and managing director Paul Toms explain why the service works for them:
‘It has not only allowed us to spread costs across the year but also plan downtime at our own convenience rather than being governed by production. Press interventions are far from convenient during a heavy production schedule, but on the other hand, spending money on maintenance when your press isn’t running at full capacity is not ideal either. It’s a tricky balancing act. The Flexible Value Service Plan eradicates those problems and makes services available when we want them,’ explained Toms.
A specialist in medium- to long-run magazine and commercial printing, Southernprint is based in Poole, Dorset. Its press line-up includes a Goss Sunday 4000 press and two 32-page Goss M-850 presses. Southernprint has fully serviced all three presses using banked service hours. Waterhouse comments, ‘This service plan is definitely the way ahead if you have a planned preventative maintenance philosophy. We’ve made good use of the service, tapping into Goss International’s global resources, by scheduling downtime in advance, and we’re planning more interventions for later in the year. Having the facility to think ahead and deal with potential issues before they can become a breakdown, makes for good business.’
Alderson Print Group opted for the Flexible Value Service Plan in February this year, committing to a five-year agreement. According to group managing director Andy Campbell, Goss International has ‘gone the extra mile’ in adding value to the Plan. With two Goss M-600 presses printing to ISO12647 colour standards, quality is the byword at Alderson’s.
‘We have worked tirelessly to achieve what we believe is the best-quality web offset print in the country,’ said Campbell. ‘In our experience, the Goss team is top in its class, committed to investing in research and technology to ensure they stay there. And with such high-tech presses, we feel it’s important to employ that expertise to maintain them in peak condition. As with all businesses, any assistance with cash-flow is an advantage, spreading payments over a 12-month period is an additional value to us, especially when it is at such an affordable price.’
In addition to the Flexible Value Service Plan, Alderson Print Group has invested in a two-year consumable parts service. Goss International provides a consignment of parts which are stored on-site at Alderson, and audits and replenishes the stock regularly at a discounted rate. Consumable parts include items such as oil filters and jaw blades.
‘Good value and flexibility doesn’t stop at the Flexible Value Service Plan,’ stated Peter Banks, customer service manager at Goss International. ‘We initiated the new consumable parts service because it was identified as an excellent way to provide extra value – helping presses to run at optimal levels at an affordable rate. This applies to all our existing services too.’
Cardiff-based Westdale Press started using Goss Lifetime Support services in 2007 in the form of a service agreement and extended warranty to support day-to-day running and maintenance of its M 600 press. The warranty agreement was recently further extended for another year as part of the Flexible Value Service Plan programme and includes consumable parts with planned maintenance every three months.
‘The web market is becoming much more competitive,’ said Dean Pike, deputy managing director, at Westdale. ‘Customers require quicker turnarounds with more emphasis on quality, and there is greater requirement for recognised and audited standards when trying to attract new customers. Continual monitoring and maintenance of our own customer service and quality control procedure is essential in helping us achieve and maintain our accreditations. As the original equipment manufacturer, Goss International has the best knowledge of the press, and their warranty offers excellent value.’
Pike concluded, ‘We are always able to make contact with a Goss technician when required which is vital when you’re running a 24/7 plant.’
© Graphic Repro On-line, 30 July 2010.
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