Dealer to dealer – Mark Davis talks the ins and outs of the industry

Mark Davis started as Head of Partner Success in the New Year and has already begun to enhance the support provided to make Office Power dealer partners more successful. With 18 years of experience under his belt, both as managing director of Office Star E-Pro and Key Account Director with Office Gold Group, he understands the daily ins and outs of the office supplies industry, the challenges dealers often come up against and (most importantly) the ways to get around them. We spoke with him to understand more about his experience, where he sees Office Power adding value to dealers and how he’s using his industry know-how to help dealer partners achieve their objectives.

What initially attracted you to the office supplies industry?

As funny as it sounds, I would say I fell into it. I always wanted to run my own business, and office supplies seemed like a stable market. I purchased my first company in 2000 and went from there.

What did you enjoy most about being an office supplies dealer, and what were the challenges?

So far, I’ve spent over eighteen years in the industry, and although it had its challenges, I’ve had some excellent experiences. I loved the fact that I dealt with every part of the business from IT and logistics to staff and – of course – customers. The office supplies industry is a great community, and if you’re a people person it’s fantastic because you’re always given the opportunity to communicate and connect with customers, suppliers and other dealers. However, as with running any business, there were plenty of challenges across the board. These ranged from the regular need to negotiate cost prices, managing continually squeezed margins and sourcing some pretty obscure specials to general admin and ad hoc tasks which would seem to creep in from everywhere. However, I did enjoy finding solutions to these, and what I learned made me better at my job.

If Office Power had existed at the time, what difference would it have made to your company?

To be honest, it would have been the perfect solution. I always struggled as a smaller dealer having to work with expensive and often ineffective software packages and tackling with supplier integration. This cost significant time and money – not just in licence fees but the hidden ‘distraction cost’, as I just wasn’t concentrating on growing the business. This is a story we’ve heard time and time again, but it is a real issue for smaller businesses in every sector. There simply isn’t the support when you’re going it alone. Back in the early 2000’s I pushed my business to full website and supply chain integration and if Office Power had been around it would have made my life and company experience a whole load easier – and my margins a fair bit higher too.

When you first heard about Office Power, what were your initial thoughts?

I first heard about Office Power back in 2014 when they were new to the market. I met Chris Armstrong (Commercial Director) at a BOSS Federation Awards dinner in Birmingham. Until then I was under the impression that they were a just a systems supplier and hadn’t appreciated that they are a full business partner to dealers. I think this happens a lot in the community, as there are so many dealer groups offering x, y and z, but I feel Office Power are uniquely placed to deliver pragmatic and beneficial support to dealers.

What do you feel are the three main benefits of partnering with Office Power?

I would firstly say the website, simply because it’s so modern, easy to use, highly functional and in my opinion nothing else compares. I’ve worked first-hand with outdated systems for too many years, and Office Power’s website appeals to the masses of customers who prefer to shop online, so a totally user-friendly website is essential. Secondly I’d say the supply chain, not just because of the buying power and service level agreement benefits, but also the array of suppliers which are fully integrated with the platform, making the whole ordering process so much easier. Finally, I’d say the support that Office Power gives you, from the customer service team to the financial organisation, life for dealers is just made so much easier.

Why did you decide to join Office Power as Head of Partner Success?

I joined because I wanted a new challenge which would broaden my skill set. I really like the dealer community and funnily enough its quite difficult to escape from. I’ve made some friends for life throughout my career, and I value that fact the dealers take on board my experience when we’re working together. I really welcome the opportunity to work with dealers to make them more successful.

How have you found the role so far?

I’ve settled in well and found my feet very quickly. It’s great working with like minded people, both dealers and the Office Power team, in an industry I know well and enjoy. The role is expanding into different areas which I welcome, and I also appreciate that the business has the faith in me to deal with more responsibility.

What are your goals for the future of Partner Success at Office Power?

Ultimately, I want to streamline Partner Success, implement processes to aid all stakeholders’ experiences with the Partner Success Team and make both the dealers and the Office Power business more profitable, all the while keeping relationships thriving.

If you’d like to find out more about how Office Power can help you, call 020 7392 3930 or email chris.armstrong@officepower.net.