Michigan-based Am Law 200 Firm Improves MFD Output Efficiencies, Decreases Costs by 23%

This Michigan-based, Am Law 200 firm has over 500 attorneys representing 40 practice areas and serving clients out of 19 offices across North America. The firm’s Chief Information Officer oversees enterprise-wide IT strategy, business process innovation, information security management, and legal operations such as client intake, records, legal project management, compliance, and data analytics.

A SKEPTICAL START
This Michigan-based, Am Law 200 firm has over 500 attorneys representing 40 practice areas and serving clients out of 19 offices across North America. The firm’s Chief Information Officer oversees enterprise-wide IT strategy, business process innovation, information security management, and legal operations such as client intake, records, legal project management, compliance, and data analytics.

In 2019, the firm’s multi-functional device (MFD) fleet was identified as an area needing improvement. The fleet was satisfactorily provided mainly by Xerox; however, the firm did not have centralized management of the contracts across its many offices resulting in maintenance and invoicing on different schedules, varying terms and conditions, mixed manufacturers with varying impression rates, equipment age and contract expiration dates spanning several years, and no single point of contact to improve the overall situation.

The CIO was interested in capturing back-office efficiencies by streamlining contracts and schedules, improving pricing, service terms and conditions, and right-sizing the fleet. Firm leadership had previously achieved a successful outcome in an RFP for its outsourcing services by engaging Mattern—it was during this time that Mattern indicated the potential to optimize the firm’s MFD fleet.

The CIO, however, was skeptical of such a project:
“The prospect of putting all our MFDs under a single umbrella was an attractive proposition, but I was not convinced that Mattern could do better than I could in these negotiations. Given the success of the outsourcing project and based upon some early analysis, however, we decided to engage with Mattern in the lead.”

HANDS-ON, ANALYTICAL APPROACH
Mattern initiated the engagement by completing a comprehensive review of the firm’s MFD output situation, while accounting for standalone and networked printers. Additionally, Mattern deployed an end-user satisfaction assessment that included a review of current provider’s service levels, critical features and desired accessory additions for the new fleet.

Based on these evaluations, and utilizing its industry knowledge, benchmarks, and long history with law firm operations, Mattern offered several recommendations for the firm’s consideration, including enhancements to fleet capabilities, service level agreements, and reporting requirements.

Mattern then collaborated with the CIO and other firm leadership to create a uniquely tailored request for proposal (RFP) that addressed the firm’s areas of concern.

THE SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS AND RESULTS
The RFP process included the incumbent and several, additional viable providers. After careful review, the firm elected to retain one of its incumbent service providers; however, with the following changes:
- Right-sized fleet configuration.
- Convert one MFD per floor to a color-capable device.
- Expanded output capabilities for the Marketing Department.
- Mandatory monthly reporting on services metrics.
- Significantly improved terms and conditions, including:
- Fixed lease and impression rate costs for the term duration.
- 20% flexibility to upgrade/downgrade/return devices without penalty.
- Penalty-based service level agreement.
- Penalty-based timely and accurate invoicing.
- Zero-based contract with no monthly minimums.
- Cancellation for convenience.
- Defined end-of-term obligations with month-to-month auto renewal.
- No cost internal moves and follow-up training.

THE SKEPTIC IS WON OVER
Ultimately, the firm was able to enter into much-improved contract that streamlined the firm’s operations and captured the desired efficiencies and guaranteed the firm’s fleet would receive the attention required to maximize uptime.

Mattern was able to achieve all this while decreasing monthly costs by 23%. Further, Mattern was retained by the firm to oversee project implementation, as well as the ongoing monitoring of the contract throughout the agreement term.

The CIO concludes:
“In the end, Mattern was able to leverage terms that I could not have obtained on my own and was able achieve better pricing and a better SLA than I could have. From someone who was initially skeptical, Mattern did a great job and I recommend their team.”

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