Customer receives machine, software, consumables, service and consulting from a single source
Challenging market environment in the UK increases attractiveness of the subscription offer additionally
Hampton Printing (Bristol) Limited is the first UK customer of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) to take advantage of a Heidelberg Subscription Plus agreement. The award-winning printer, which serves a range of customers in the fashion, retail, automotive and lifestyle industries, expects this move to deliver significant efficiency and quality improvements at its Bristol site. The company's contract with Heidelberg includes a complete package, with Heidelberg supplying a latest-generation Speedmaster XL 106-6+L, Prinect software, consumables, service, including service parts, training and consulting with analysis and guidance from Heidelberg experts.
The customer can order consumables and service parts directly from the Heidelberg eShop whenever the need arises. Heidelberg also manages the stock of consumables and service parts on behalf of the company as part of "Vendor-Managed Inventory".
Mike Malpas, Managing Director of Hampton Printing, emphasizes: "As a company, we have been working in partnership with Heidelberg for over 30 years. We are committed to using the latest technology to increase our efficiency, while at the same time focusing fully on the development and growth of our business, customers and employees. Heidelberg's subscription model provides us with precisely this freedom in a challenging market environment, which is why it convinced us.
Ryan Miles, Managing Director of Heidelberg UK, says, "Subscription benefits customers who have a solid and growth-oriented business model. The particular advantage is that both parties to the contract share the same interests and aim to improve the customer's overall performance.
Subscription from Heidelberg builds attractive offer to UK customers
The UK is one of the most important markets in Europe for Heidelberg and its sales volume puts it in the top 10 worldwide. The variable and demand-oriented subscription model, therefore, offers the company the opportunity to further expand its partnership with its customers in a highly competitive environment that is facing additional challenges due to Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. By focusing on higher productivity and improving overall performance, it makes it easier for customers to shape their future growth.
The Heidelberg Subscription model follows the growing pay-per-use trend in mechanical engineering with the aim of further reducing the company’s reliance on the straightforward sale of presses. Under this model, customers only pay for the number of sheets actually printed. The smart holistic system offered by Heidelberg under the top configuration level of the new digital business model includes equipment, software, all consumables required – such as printing plates, inks, coatings, washup solutions, and blankets – and a comprehensive range of services geared to availability. New add-on and variable Print Site Contracts are making the subscription portfolio an attractive option for an increasing number of print shops. If customers so wish – under Subscription Smart, for example – Heidelberg will also take care of all aspects of logistical operations for consumables (vendor-managed inventory).
A holistic system of this kind could not be managed dependably without big data applications – in predictive maintenance, for instance – and the company’s Push to Stop approach to autonomous printing.
The rollout is going according to plan and is to be expanded further. Establishing pay-per-use models in industrial offset printing is the result of the ongoing digital transformation at Heidelberg, and also the company’s software and data expertise.
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