Case Study

Andrew Samuel, Head of IT & Data Protection Officer at City West Country, explains how SDS’ reliability and straightforward approach made them the perfect partner during a critical period of change.

The situation

City West Country have been operating with aging print equipment and increasingly poor service levels from our existing provider.  This created daily disruption across multiple sites, with frequent breakdowns, constant toner shortages, and an ever growing number of support tickets.  The IT department found itself “middle manning” every toner order, every jam, and every service request, often receiving numerous print related tickets each day.  We estimate between 5 and 10 hours a weeks was spent dealing with related issues.

Alongside this, we needed a modern secure scanning solution that would integrate cleanly with the growing use of SharePoint and Microsoft 365.  It was clear our business needed not just replacement equipment, but a completely refreshed, future ready print and document workflow.

The SDS Solution

SDS approached the challenge with exactly the calm, flexible and pragmatic mindset needed.  They were happy to migrate us away from our legacy provider in controlled phases, ensuring each site transitioned smoothly without operational downtime.  They even assisted with moving our existing hardware between sites so we could maintain continuity as the phased rollout progressed.

Our new devices were deployed seamlessly, and the SDS team took the time to understand the specific workflow requirements of each department.  The move from Driive to Document Navigator (DocNav) added secure scanning, direct SharePoint integration, and a host of useful features that instantly modernised our document handling.

From the first day, the difference was felt.  Machines now auto-order their own toner.  Service requests are logged and resolved rapidly.  Staff across all departments have commented on how much easier printing and scanning have become.  And most impressively, the IT department, previously drowning in printer issues, is now completely free of print-related support.  Since switching to SDS, our print-related tickets have dropped to zero.

The long-term benefits

SDS’ local presence and straightforward, customer-focused approach have proven invaluable.  Their proactive service, reliable equipment, and willingness to adapt to our evolving setup have transformed what was once one of our biggest IT pain points into a fully self-sufficient environment.

The business is also seeing substantial financial benefit: moving to SDS has reduced our annual printing costs by more than £20,000 – significant saving that continues to compound as the partnership matures.

SDS remain consistently accessible, supportive, and easy to work with.  I would not hesitate to recommend them to any organisation seeking a dependable, adaptable and genuinely customer-led print and scanning partner.

“…SDS adapted quickly to every change we threw at them. Staff love the new set up, IT no longer receives a single printer ticket, and the business is saving over £20,000 a year …”