Gestetner SA goes direct with Computer Facilities for R1m

Leading total document solutions provider, NRG Gestetner SA, has installed three high volume printers, aimed at the computer room environment, at Computer Facilities, a data processing bureau. The deal, worth over R1 million, confirms Gestetner SA as a contender in the high volume printer market.

Computer Facilities specialises in direct marketing campaigns for a range of blue-chip clients such as American Express, Nedbank and RCI. An important part of the processing requirements for a direct marketing campaign is to convert database information into a standard format to produce personalised letters. Traditionally, the majority of the printing was outsourced but with the purchase of the three Gestetner printers, more than 50% of the outsourced work is now being printed in-house.

Ian Geary, managing director at Computer Facilities, says: "The decision to bring some of the printing in-house has definitely been the right one from a cost, quality and flexibility point of view. Our clients are benefiting from the reductions in cost and improved turnaround times and we are finding it far easier to manage the quality of the prints. We now have greater control and importantly my staff spend less time on checking on our suppliers and more time on delivering to our clients` expectations."

Computer Facilities had two printers on trial for three weeks, the Gestetner 10512 and a competing product from another leading vendor. By the end of this period it was the staff who unanimously voted in favour of the Gestetner 10512s. The key is usability.

"My staff found the Gestetner machine much easier to operate and that it presented the least problems in terms of paper jams and the like. In addition, we were impressed with the service from Gestetner. When printing is your business and there is down time, you want to be sure that you have partnered with a company that will respond rapidly and efficiently," says Geary.

The 10512 printer has a LCD touch-screen which has simple to follow words and symbols, directing the user through the various options. Alan Austin, national sales manager at Gestetner SA, says: "All of our products are designed with the end-user in mind. There is no point in having a range of brilliant finishing options and printing variables if the average user can`t figure out how to tell the machine what they want."

The 10512 incorporates usability with high volume speeds, professional finishing options, reliability and document quality. Computer Facilities now prints approximately 1.8 million pages a month on the three Gestetner machines. "Bringing the printing capabilities in-house has proven to be the right move for us and standardising on Gestetner machines was definitely the right decision," concludes Geary.