With an executive board and highly experienced operational team in place, it’s been a period of intense activity for Chairman Julian Niman and Chief Executive Paula Gillings. Their philosophy has been based on developing shared knowledge, services and expertise to enhance what were already highly respected dealer-driven operations.
“When the deal went through during the early hours of March 24th there was perhaps understandably a bit of uncertainty in the channel,” said Julian who ended an eventful 2009 by getting married. “Hopefully the fear factor has now been removed. We said from day one that it would be a business as usual approach and any changes would only enhance the services we provide.
“Nimans and Rocom are two of the most respected and longest-established names in the distribution industry; we were always keen to build on their pedigree and hopefully our customers are starting to benefit by a much stronger and more cohesive working partnership. For example many dealers are benefiting from our joint leasing service which does not impact on their standard credit terms and offers their own customers a viable alternative to making upfront cash investments.”
The continued acceleration of convergence increases business opportunities for customers, particularly regarding more application-based technologies, according to Julian who pointed out: “By working with many leading manufacturers we are able to offer our customers the finest choice of systems as well as many peripheral items such as handsets, headsets and conferencing systems, along with many associated services.
“Pre and post sales support remain high on the agenda whilst Technical Support is another strong element of our overall customer proposition - with an on-line ticketing portal recently registering its 2,000th user. This innovative technology was originally developed at Rocom and introduced at Nimans last Summer. It provides resellers with a continuous flow of live information and acts as a handy reference point to download new software releases. It’s a great example of how both companies work together to benefit our customers.”
Resellers can also take advantage of many improved services, having access to dedicated leasing and network facilities for example as well as an expanded product range. All deliveries are made via a state-of the-art logistics operation at Nimans’ HQ, which enjoys a reputation as being the best in the business.
“We are stronger together which in turn gives our customers a competitive advantage in the market,” Julian emphasised. But despite the progress made, he says the hard work will continue. “It’s tough out there for resellers. We’ve spent the last 12 months taking a close look at the market, identifying what works and what doesn’t. We haven’t made any rash decisions but have been laying a solid platform to build from, fine tuning lots of areas of the businesses.”
He concluded: “We are determined to remain ahead of the game. Yes there is increased competition in the market but we’re not afraid of that. The strong sales performance towards the end of 2009 and the bright start to 2010 is clear evidence that the fruits of the acquisition are beginning to blossom.”