The customer
WHSmith serves customers shopping for convenience items, books and news in busy travel locations. It opened its first Australian store at Melbourne Airport in 2010. At the time of the original case study, its Australian network had grown to more than 50 stores, with operations including airport and hospital environments.
The challenge
The retailer’s devices were distributed across regional locations and sites that could be difficult to reach, including airports and hospitals. A service visit or consumables interruption was not simply a matter of walking across an office.
In a fast-moving, customer-facing setting, uptime was a priority. WHSmith wanted minimal service interventions and consumables replacements, with a suitable balance between purchase cost and performance.
The solution
WHSmith adopted Epson business inkjet devices using Heat-Free technology. The fleet brought together A4 and A3 equipment for point-of-sale documentation, inventory reports and customer invoices.
The case study describes fewer moving parts and high-yield ink as important factors in reducing maintenance and supplies interventions. Orion Print Management proactively managed the fleet so that WHSmith’s own IT team could spend more time on its key projects.
The documented Epson fleet
- WorkForce Pro WF-C579R
- WorkForce Pro WF-C879RTC
- WorkForce Enterprise WF-C17590
These are the models used in the case study. Explore Epson Business Solutions or speak to Orion about a suitable current configuration.
Document workflows
The technology supported the documents and processes the team already depended on.
Point-of-sale documentation
Business documents supported the day-to-day operation of customer-facing retail sites.
Inventory reports and invoices
A4 and A3 equipment handled operational reports and customer invoice output across the network.
Proactive fleet management
Orion looked after the print environment, reducing the fleet-management burden on WHSmith’s IT team.
The outcomes
Fewer interruptions
The original study reports reduced service and consumables interventions, giving staff more time to attend to customers.
Savings over the contract period
Orion quantified total cost savings at just over $53,800 for the reported contract period. This was a historical, customer-specific result—not annual savings or a forecast for another organisation.
More time for core IT work
With Orion proactively managing the fleet, WHSmith’s IT management team could focus on important IT projects rather than everyday printer management.
