When you hear the term ‘local business’ you tend not to picture a company that has reach throughout Scotland and the rest of UK. Very rarely does a company manage to combine the operation of a large business with the mentality and focus on customer service that local businesses strive on. Ivory Solutions, based out of Kilmarnock, is certainly the exception to the rule.
Ivory Solutions are an independent company supplying Photocopiers/Printers, MFDs/Franking Machines/Wide format Printers and now 3D Printers and have been established for 16 years. The owner, Ian Ivory, has had quite a journey to the position he is in today. Having played football for Wolverhampton from the ages of 14 to 16 as well as Ayr (picking up a Gothia Cup win), Ian was certainly full of ambition from a young age which clearly paid off. Unfortunately, a medical condition which affected his knees prevented him from pursuing football as a career path. His choice to move on from football was cemented when a young Alex Ferguson advised that he do just that. Seeing that Ferguson then went on to become one of the most successful managers in the world, Ian believes he couldn’t argue with that advice. Going back to the drawing board, he got a job with an office equipment provider before going on to be a service engineer. This experience in the industry formed the knowledge needed to start Ivory Solutions and the rest was history.
As previously stated, Ivory Solutions is an independent business that has a large reach across Scotland and England. For potential customers this may seem daunting when, especially those with small businesses, have had bad experiences with big chain suppliers. Ivory Solutions’ aim is to ensure you that even though they have the reach and manpower, their main focus is on customer service and making sure you feel comfortable at all times as a client. To Ian this means a few things, he knows too well the horror stories people have had with contracts and especially the dreaded small print that comes along with buying equipment like this. Additional charges being added to the cost of this equipment is prevalent in situations like this. This is why Ivory Solutions’ contracts have four bold clauses that ensure the customer is aware of what they are signing and paying for. This is a truly unique style of contract that makes Ivory Solutions stand out in the realm of customer care.
Not to mention the customer care that is carried out on the road. With 150 UK based service centres, Ivory Solutions can provide unmatched maintenance service to all of its customers nationwide. With maintenance workers on the road equipped with state of the art equipment that allows repairs to be done on the day as opposed to ordering parts. On top of this, their Service Control software means they get constant info from the equipment they supply you with. This means that if there is an error, they will get notified through this software and may have an engineer on the way to you before you even know there is an issue. This is a big change for this industry as traditionally it was a reactive industry that involved contact from the customer before issues were dealt with. Software like this allows Ivory Solutions to be proactive in how they deal with customer care which truly puts them at the forefront of the industry.
Keeping up to date with modern technology is something that Ian and Ivory Solutions thrive on. The equipment they can offer goes far beyond just printers and copiers. Normal printers, scanners as well as wide format versions are all available but on top of this they offer franking and telecoms equipment. An interesting addition to this is Document Management Solutions which monitors supply usage in your office. The most recent addition to the equipment on offer at Ivory Solutions is 3D printers. 3D printers have been around for a few years but are now getting to the point where the technology is accessible to all and the equipment is affordable. 3D printers at their core are printers that build objects out of plastic based on models made in 3D computer software. These machines have jumped right out of science fiction movies and into our living rooms seemingly from nowhere. This technology is limited only by imagination and businesses are jumping at the chance to get their hands on one and Ivory Solutions are happy to demonstrate them to anyone who wants to see how they work. A quick search online will reveal anything from glasses to houses being built with these amazing machines and now Ian and his company are the first Ayrshire based suppliers to have them in stock. Just a few years ago these machines were almost unattainable but now they can be found in our very own local community supplied by a local business.
Being local really is a message that Ivory Solutions wants to spread. They want the people of Ayrshire to know that they are here and ready to help your business with any needs it may have. From installing one printer to one hundred, nothing is too small a job. With the company planning on growth it’s only a matter of time before Ivory Solutions is synonymous with bringing new and leading technology to businesses all over the UK but always keeping Ayrshire firmly in its sights.
