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Case Study: Authorized DocuWare Partner

Applied Imaging

Applied Imaging was founded in 1987. They began as fax machine dealers offering Ricoh products such as the early 2000’s version of eCabinet by Ricoh, which stored data on one physical device.

Casey Lowrey is Applied Imaging’s Chief Operating Officer, he has been with the company for 14 years and explains how their extensive research plus one business acquisition, led them straight to a partnership with DocuWare: “We had been looking for a new partner to help us expand our reach in the small to medium sized business (SMB) space, as this was an untapped market for us. We wanted to enter this space strategically and in a way that allowed us to handle new customers with different requirements to the larger enterprise customers we were used to.  

“It made sense for us to give DocuWare a try and we have enjoyed a strong, stable partnership with them ever since.“

 Applied Imaging had previously partnered with Square 9, however they found that their distribution model was to onboard businesses in a mass approach type of strategy. This meant that customers were not always getting the best service and customer experience they deserved. When Applied Imaging acquired a smaller company called Haselbring Clarkwho already partnered with DocuWare and had 10-15 happy customers  it made sense for us to give DocuWare a try and we have enjoyed a strong, stable partnership with them ever since,” states Lowery. 

 Leading up to the acquisition, Applied Imaging started to learn more about DocuWare. The solutions’ quality and capabilities surprised both management and their in-house developers. Applied Imaging prides itself on working within and meeting tight project deadlines. They felt confident that the addition of DocuWare would further re-enforce their reputation for reliable, quality service and speed and were in turn quick to make the decision to become an Authorized DocuWare Partner and forge a new relationship of their own. 

“Right now, we complete about one deal a month with DocuWare and of those deals approximately 90% are cloud-based.“

 While DocuWare Solutions are the perfect fit for their SMB customers, Applied Imaging also partners with other document management providers such as Smart Search & Highland to meet the complex needs of the larger enterprise customers they also have. Although DocuWare was selected as the best fit to support their move into the SMB market, Applied Imaging regards the document management solution as enterprise level software, that just happens to perfectly fit the SMB’s they are targeting. For their SMB customers, DocuWare’s cloud-based solutions guarantee a quick implementation with a small and scalable financial investment. “Last year we saw about an 50/50 split between cloud and on-premises and this year about 90% want the cloud,” says Lowery.  

 Applied Imaging’s document management business has evolved since they started their partnership with DocuWare. The “big switch to the cloud and having capture as a part of the cloud, is a strong selling point for their SMB customers. Being an Authorized DocuWare Partner has taught us to think more like a software company and less like a hardware company.  Now we have the know-how to go out and find more opportunities ourselves and not rely so heavily on our hardware reps,” says Lowery. 

“Being an Authorized DocuWare Partner has taught us to think more like a software company and less like a hardware company.”

 

Applied Imaging Logo Red and Black_OFFICIAL (002)
Country: USA
Partner since: 2010
Deployment: On-Premises | Cloud
Completed projects: 18

We had been looking for a new partner to help us in the small to medium sized business (SMB) space, as this was an untapped market for us. We wanted a partner who could help us enter this space strategically and in a way that allowed us to handle new customers with different requirements to the larger enterprise customers we were used to.

Casey Lowery
Chief Operating Officer

The conscious decision to transition to a cloud-first solutions provider is a big change from their earlier model when their business was based mainly on on-premises implementations. Their cloud-first strategy is about building for the future, as it offers many more opportunities to both seamlessly expand the use of DocuWare within an existing customers’ business and to include more new customers in their portfolio. Both levels of expansion lead to a more lucrative business model and greater earning potential for Applied Imaging. “This year with all the changes going on in the world, it felt like the right time to double down & invest in this [cloud] space,” states Lowery. 

“Now we have the know-how to go out and find more opportunities ourselves and not rely so heavily on our hardware reps.”

 Of the many benefits that DocuWare allowed them to offer their customers, the product price points stood out, as they were very much in line with what Applied Imaging’s customer base were looking forAdditionally, DocuWare’s affordability and flexibility mean that Applied Imaging not only provide software solutions that help their customers’ business to prosper, but they can also leverage the cloud licensing structure that Docuware has in place and upsell, cross sell and massively increase new sales while securing repeat and expansion business opportunities themselves. This is key for every Authorized DocuWare Partner! DocuWare provides them with expert training and support - Regional Sales Directors frequently go out in the field with partners. It is DocuWare’s goal to create a sustainable and successful eco-system in which all partners can independently thrive, excel and grow their own unique customer base. 

 Customer feedback has shown that the “capture” feature is also what often sets DocuWare apart. The fact that the solution has a clean, simple interface and provides a robust set of customizable offerings means that user acceptance is fast and smooth. “We cant think of a single unhappy customer,” says Lowery. 

 Applied Imaging have 75 hardware reps that sell copiers and printers. This is the team that also generate leadsas they can uncover more opportunities with customers. The reps bring in an ECM expert, who evaluates the processes and demos how DocuWare eliminates redundantrepetitive manual ones. Once these basic pain points are addressed, the conversation organically switches to how automated workflows can also help. This often leads to a decision to expand the use of the solution across multiple connected departments and sometimes even companywide.  

 DocuWare’s Regional Sales Director regularly hosts Lunch & Learn sessions for the Applied Imaging team and discussions of the latest use cases and how issues are resolved are also raised here, keeping all reps in the know. Applied Imaging place great emphasis on internal training so that their reps can be independent and self-sufficient and be ready to meet the changing requirements of their customers. For example, in the past, many conversations began with cost savings and in 2020 with the COVID-19 global pandemic forcing many businesses to manage their workforce remotely, the conversation shifted very quickly from the ROI of investing in document management to the importance of remote access to ensure business continuity. In the current environment where everyone is trying to be lean – cost is important but remote access is even more so. 

 In conclusion, as a valued Authorized DocuWare Partner, Applied Imaging have found that DocuWare product updates are well-communicated throughout the +600 strong partner network and are delivered on time. The potential to grow their business and increase their sales is as much a focus for DocuWare as it is for them. They receive support as needed but have found that they have been well-equipped to handle almost every new business opportunity. Applied Imaging have adopted a “land and expand” sales philosophy and as much as 30 percent of their business comes from doing more with current customers. Upselling is a big focus for their sales team! 

 Looking ahead to 2021, Lowery says the goal is to achieve Platinum Partner status. How will they do it? All he would share is that they have identified some niche areas and plan some highly targeted sales tactics to secure repeat and of course new business. Upsell opportunities are everywhere – “of the last 10 projects, 2 were excellent upsell opportunities and we plan to build this strategy much deeper into the bed-rock of our sales activities,” concludes Lowery. 

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