References · Case Study
Topic: Topcart Managed Print Services (Topcart Comfort)
We use toner from Topcart and receive a full-service package in return, which includes not only maintenance but also service visits, replacement and disposal.
Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt AG (Agosi) was founded in 1891 as a public limited company by Pforzheim jewelry and watch manufacturers. Since then, the company has expanded its scope from the processing of precious metals alone to the production of semi-finished products and is now one of Europe’s leading circular providers of precious metals and precious metal services. As part of the Umicore Group, Allgemeine Gold- und Silberscheideanstalt AG, together with its subsidiaries and plants, is present in all relevant regions of the world. The AG’s headquarters are located in Pforzheim, a site with around 400 highly qualified employees and international connections to the global precious metals markets.
The four-person procurement team manages approximately 1,200 suppliers and places nearly 10,000 orders per year. This means they are responsible for procuring production materials, capital goods, energy, services, as well as hardware and software. The department is headed by Holger Scharsich. When he joined the company, the approximately 80 to 100 printers and multifunction devices were serviced by three different providers. Two of the contracts covered maintenance only and did not include the procurement of toner, which meant that Holger Scharsich had to source it separately. “Having the devices from three different providers serviced was more than unnecessary and pointless. That is why we wanted to standardise our device landscape and structure it more simply in order to gain a better overview. Another goal was to reduce inventory levels, which had grown to a very considerable size. Due to the lack of visibility into stock levels, it often happened that several employees requested toner at the same time, but the inventory did not cover everything. This led to frustration among users. We therefore had to redefine our processes and automate certain procedures. Today, there are so many possibilities in the areas of automation and digitalization. I wanted to make use of them as well,” explains Holger Scharsich. In addition, the Group had issued overarching guidelines requiring the exclusive use of HP printers. Agosi was therefore looking for an IT service partner to support the development of a strategy and implement it: from procuring the devices to deploying suitable software products for automating and digitalizing document and device management.
“At that time, Topcart was already servicing some of our devices as a third provider and made a great effort to continue working with us. Our contact person developed a strategy for us to harmonize the device landscape using just a few models. We assigned a specific model to each user requirement, so we know exactly which department has which device,” says Holger Scharsich. The overall concept—with a dedicated contact person, the device strategy, a comprehensive warranty for the devices and additional software products—convinced Agosi to work with Topcart.”
The comprehensive warranty included in the Managed Print Services package covers complete technical service, all required maintenance and all spare and wear parts. Devices that are defective and uneconomical to repair are also replaced with new devices at no additional cost. “We use toner from Topcart and receive a full-service package in return, which includes not only maintenance but also service visits and replacement. There are no minimum purchase quantities or additional charges, allowing us to calculate our costs precisely.” To monitor toner levels and support the SAP ordering process, Holger Scharsich uses the Printer-Control software TC CARL, which displays all devices and their data in a manufacturer-independent overview. This includes, for example, page counts, status, and toner and paper levels. If the trigger level is too low, the software also automatically sends notifications to the user.
Agosi has now been a Topcart customer for many years and benefits from simpler organization, the availability of a dedicated contact person and fast response times. Working together has automated many processes within the company. If a problem occurs, IT is informed first and can often resolve minor issues itself. If a repair exceeds the team’s printer expertise, a notification is sent to Topcart and the problem is virtually solved. “Timely and competent problem-solving is particularly important to us in our collaboration. This works very well with Topcart, which makes our workflows much more relaxed and means we no longer experience any downtime. We also achieved a reduction in our inventory levels with Printer-Control software: We configured the trigger level so that we always receive new toner in good time without having to store excessive material. The consumables are delivered directly to the respective employee’s workplace and only need to be replaced. Topcart also handles disposal—it could hardly be simpler. The automated processes significantly relieve the user and allow them to focus on their core tasks. Topcart offers a full-service package at market-based prices and with a dedicated contact person. All in all, we are very satisfied with our choice of IT service partner.” Agosi also receives regular service analyses and can therefore immediately identify which devices are still economical to operate. This enables the company to continuously optimise its device landscape and maintain an overview.
Working together
Philipp Mayer
Key Account Manager for Managed Print Services
It is important to me that we focus on your actual requirements—not follow a one-size-fits-all approach. I will advise you independently on your entire device fleet, regardless of whether you want to buy, rent or lease.
