Heidelberg has brought its subscription model for financing its presses to Australia and New Zealand, following success in Europe and Asia. It is available for all presses that Heidelberg produces.

 The subscription model allows printers to install machinery on five-year contracts, which include all the costs of consumables, maintenance, with fixed costs known in advance. Richard Timson, chief executive at Heidelberg ANZ, says, “It takes a bit of analysis work with the client to work out what the current pricing is for their printing, and put together a model which includes all consumables, maintenance, equipment. All the client needs is the building, staff, power, and paper and away we go.

“It is a win-win for printers. They have to undertake a financial crash report to ensure they can afford it. We will not offer it to people without proper credit tests.It is a five-year programme with the model, and we guarantee the machine will produce and work at maximum productivity, and be maintained.

“We have had some good success in Europe and other countries, and it is looking like a good model for businesses that do not want to do mainstream funding. Printers will have comfort knowing that we will make the machine produce in excess of their current production, and that the machine will have a high level of uptime, because we make sure that the machine is maintained efficiently.

“From a technology perspective, after five years, they can give the press back and start up with the next machine. After that period, it is easier than having to fund the machine. Usually leases go for seven years, and many do not exchange for newer products once their leases end. But it also allows people to know what their fixed costs are as they are getting in to it.

“We are currently talking with 12 printers across Australia and New Zealand. I expect, within the next six months, several people will sign up for the programme. There is a lot of interest. We have an expert travelling out from Germany in May, running seminars for customers, including on our subscription models, which are now a part of our portfolio of methods for funding equipment.”

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1 Comment

  1. Finally, now we will see offset printers having to calculate their true cost (click) per impression.
    Hopefully this will wake them up to charging the correct price for their product based on the equipment and overheads they have, not simply doing work at marginal rates to keep their presses turning.
    Heidelberg have always been a market leader and this will hopefully return the industry to profitability.
    Don’t drive your selling only based on price, if your product is better and you match that with quality service, profitability will return.

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