duh duh du du… whamp.
after a thorough and exhaustive (or should I say exhausting) search the Copier Research Assessment Panel has spoken and it is not good news for Xerox. So here was what we learned in the process. (Click on the logo to hear how they likely feel)
- All things being equal… customer service wins. Xerox had some features that Canon did not… and vice versa. At the end of the day it was the ability to listen and respond that put Canon head and shoulders about Xerox. Our inital complaint and the reason for the assessment was the low reliability of our current Xerox machines. After hearing that for months and months, our sales team gave us a flier that assured us that if we resigned the contract we would be covered by a full replacement warrantee that would replace any machine that we were not happy with… for any reason. Newsflash… we already are unhappy with these machines!!
- Technology really is amazing. During this assessment we have been exposed to dozens of technological improvements that will give us a whole new set of capabilities. We are looking to add color capability as well as begin to explore a paperless office (ironic to say that when we are buying copiers whose job is to create paper documents)
- Teams see things that individuals do not. We were a cross functional/department team. We all were able to bring different needs and requirements to the table. At the end of the day we had lots of cool conversations that led to this huge decision.
- Kinkos is making a fortune on $0.59 copies. Our contract with Canon is small potatoes by the standard of a huge chain like that and there is a HUGE difference in price between what we pay and what is charged at a chain like that.
- Big decisions go from a simmer to a boil quickly. Our team has been working on this for several months, but at the end of the conversation this went from a theory to a signed contract in one day. Amazing when you think about it, but we were confident in the new solution and in the team that will be delivering and supporting it.
The full text of the announcement to the staff is below Read more
the times are changing.
i’ve got a new role in ministry here at mariners church… and I could not be more pumped!! here is the email that was sent out to the staff here…
Staff,
For the past several months, Blair Farley has been working with Jack and several others to assess our implementation of Fellowship One and how we as a church we could be using it better. Throughout the course of this evaluation, it has become clear that Blair has many gifts and talents that are not being used in his current position as the Outreach Communications Director. With his unique knowledge of and experience with both Fellowship One and ministry, we’ve realized that he is a perfect fit for our IT Director position. While Outreach is very sad to lose him, we recognize what a valuable contribution he will make for our church in his new role. Blair will begin transitioning November 1 on a part-time basis, with a complete transition by December 1.Please join us in congratulating Blair!
Robin Riley
Outreach PastorJack Swan
Executive Pastor of Operations
so i am going to be on a new ministry adventure here at mariners… more to come on what kinds of things later. for now I am finishing strong in outreach and helping to transition my role… busy couple of months ahead!
had an interesting meeting the other day…
no. it was not about copiers. Read more
how many abbreviations can one brain hold?
answer. 147.
today, the Copier Resource Assesement Panel, visted the canon usa facility in irvine. after our last copy center demo our team approached this visit with some trepidation. we ate lunch on the way there and we nervously laughed about what we should expect. we were not however disappointed by the canon team.
they were throughly profession in their discovery and succincent in their presentation. they offered enough detail to make us understand the technology, and yet they moved quick enough from subject to subject that we did not get bored with the mundane. we learned about: mfd’s, sso and about a hundred other 3 & 4 letter abreviations. it was all good though. we learned about how we can manage cost recovery & accounting, how a user would print files, access the menus, scan files, clear a jam, load paper & create booklets.
all in all a good time was had by all and it created some very good discussion. hopefully the finances and details will come together now.
another day another copier.
so yesterday included a meeting with our friendly canon business solutions reps. what a difference a few days can make in how I think about and feel about copiers. very professional presentation. these guys understood what it meant to listen and understand our needs. what is ironic about all of this is that they got their foot in the door by a cold call that lead to a conversation that has lead to a great understanding of needs and products. so now the question is: will their machines and cost structure meet our requirements. again, only time will tell. this I can tell you… if I needed to pick from canon or xerox who I would rather have coffee with… it would be canon. on the other hand… if I am having coffee with our copier salesmen, then I have other issues I need to sort out.
a litany.
today in our staff meeting we talked about our current process of assessment. one component of this season is a talent assessment designed to provide a baseline for everyone on our team and provide a roadmap for further development. self assessment can be fearful at times, espcially during times of change. to alleviate that fear we spent time in study and prayer as a team on what it means to really be comfortable with knowing that God is in control. He is the vine and we are the branches.
one of the members of our team brought a “litany of humility” to the team to use a framework for the prayer we should be praying as team. it focused our team and provided a time of surrender as we read the following words as a team.
Litany of Humility
O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honored, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, deliver me, O Jesus.From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, deliver me, O Jesus.That others may be loved more than I,
O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I,
O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may, increase and I may decrease,
O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I unnoticed,
O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I,
provided that I may become as holy as I should,
O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.This prayer was written by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930), the secretary of state for Pope Saint Pius X
what a powerful reminder of our position with God & others.
a blank page.
creativity starts with a blank page. today i stared at one for a long time seeking inspiration, clarity & simplicity. while i am sure that there are hundreds of way to present the information at hand, i wanted this to stand out. i desire the “a-ha” moment.
as the day progressed and the page filled up with data points, it occurred to me that there can be joy in starting with a blank page, because that is what give the filled up page value.
i still have another day or so to finish the project. at the end i hope that my team will have a roadmap to work off of for this ministry year. that this tool will enable us to minister more effectively to our volunteers and our service recipients. that the time and energy spent now will be leveraged and extended.
on the surface it was just a team calendar, but on the next layer down it is an expression of the time spent to clarify and create.
