Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd is celebrating a successful first year of its newly enhanced partner programme and partner portal, which has for example seen unit sales (of A3 and A4 multifunctional devices) increase by 128% compared to pre-pandemic figures.
The company now also has 28 solo-branded ‘exclusive partners’ throughout the UK, all benefitting from being an extension of the Konica Minolta brand.
Encompassing office, professional and industrial print, along with IT solutions, Konica Minolta’s channel development programme has seen 32 new resellers added through a careful process that avoids potential sales or geographical conflicts with existing partners. To support this ongoing growth Konica Minolta has expanded its partner support.
Cameron Mitchell, Business Leader for Indirect Channel at Konica Minolta Business Solutions commented: “Over the last year we have continued to further develop our offering in line with our commitment to our partners. This includes building and developing a framework for Professional Print Accreditation, along with new partner onboarding.
“With the business IT and print market continuing to evolve rapidly, our Partner Programme is geared towards supporting our partners as they evolve with it. This includes selling our integrated Digital Transformation software solutions, which are fully backed by a dedicated specialist sales team and the technical expertise of Konica Minolta’s ProcessFlows team.”
Konica Minolta’s enhanced Partner Programme includes the ‘Exclusive Partner’ scheme, which recognises and rewards those that solely sell its hardware products and services, as well as recognition of those that specialise in specific/specialist areas (such as ITS or Professional Print) with specific and unique incentives and rewards.
Cameron stated, “We decided to take a different approach to our competitors by shining a light on these partners that stand out in a sometimes crowded ‘Me Too’ market. Undoubtedly providers need to differentiate themselves more, and by delivering Professional Print, Industrial Print, or solutions they can deliver the vital systems that customers need today.”
Being a Konica Minolta partner adds further value, as Cameron explained, “Undoubtedly our partners appreciate added-value support with sales, marketing, and PR, along with special pricing and attractive margins. We also focus on partner events that deliver tangible benefits, networking with other partners and building a community of support that is exclusive to Konica Minolta partners. Our Accreditation really does demonstrate expertise and investment in training and support, and along with the other well-deserved benefits it shows the commitment to delivering the best for customers – which is essential in standing out from the crowd.”
Konica Minolta said that further Partner Programme enhancements are planned for the year ahead, including the use of a new customer engagement facility from Spring 2024.
“We are on a journey with our channel partners, one that will continue to evolve and change to meet the needs of end users and the broader market,” concluded Cameron. “We have always been certain that our technology is best-of-breed, and we firmly believe this is also reflected in the comprehensive support we offer our essential partners.”
