The business environment for Office Products Dealers (OPDs) and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) is evolving rapidly. OPDs face declining margins, increased competition from online marketplaces, and shifting customer expectations. Meanwhile, MSPs provide critical IT services but struggle with high lead generation costs and customer acquisition challenges.
A strategic partnership between OPDs and MSPs presents a compelling opportunity to bridge these gaps, allowing both industries to thrive by leveraging their complementary strengths. OPDs have long-standing customer relationships and deep knowledge of procurement cycles, while MSPs offer technical expertise and recurring service models that bring stability. By working together, they can create a win-win scenario that enhances customer value, generates new revenue streams, and strengthens market positioning.
This article explores the key benefits of the OPD-MSP partnership, how it works, and why this collaboration is essential for future growth.
The traditional OPD business model has been built around transactional sales—supplying office products, print consumables, and equipment on a one-time or recurring purchase basis. However, this model is under increasing pressure:
E-commerce Disruption: Marketplaces like Amazon and Staples have made it easier for businesses to procure office supplies with fast delivery, competitive pricing, and automated replenishment.
Shrinking Margins: As product commoditization accelerates, OPDs face ongoing price pressures and declining profitability.
Limited Differentiation: Without value-added services, OPDs struggle to differentiate themselves beyond price and product availability.
Customer Attrition Risks: A lack of integrated technology solutions means OPDs remain vulnerable to losing customers to more innovative competitors.
The challenge is clear: OPDs must find a way to increase customer retention, expand their service offerings, and future-proof their businesses.
On the other hand, MSPs operate within a recurring revenue model, providing managed IT services such as cloud computing, cybersecurity, remote monitoring, and data backup. Their biggest hurdle? Lead generation. MSPs face:
High Customer Acquisition Costs: Unlike OPDs, MSPs do not have an existing procurement relationship with potential clients, making sales cycles longer and more expensive.
Limited Market Reach: Many MSPs rely on digital marketing and cold outreach, which may not yield strong conversion rates.
Difficulty in Scaling: Without consistent access to warm leads, MSPs struggle to scale effectively.
By partnering with OPDs, MSPs gain a strategic advantage—access to an established customer base without the high costs of traditional lead generation methods.
The key to a successful OPD-MSP partnership lies in structured collaboration. OPDs introduce MSP services to their customers as a value-added offering, while MSPs handle all technical sales, service implementation, and ongoing support.
The Referral & Commission Model
OPDs identify potential customers who could benefit from managed IT services and provide warm introductions to the MSP.
The MSP engages directly with the customer, performs a needs assessment, and closes the sale.
The OPD earns a commission on all MSP services sold, typically 10% of total service revenue for three years.
The OPD is not responsible for selling, supporting, or implementing IT services—this remains entirely within the MSP’s domain.
The Business Intelligence Advantage
One of the biggest strategic benefits for OPDs is access to business intelligence through Data Capture Agents (DCAs) and Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM) software.
DCAs provide real-time data on customer print consumption, IT infrastructure needs, and supply usage trends.
RMM tools help MSPs monitor networks and device performance, offering insights that OPDs can leverage for smarter procurement strategies.
By combining these insights, OPDs can tailor their product and service offerings, ensuring stronger customer retention and mitigating the risk of customers migrating to e-commerce competitors.
1. Recurring Revenue for OPDs
OPDs move beyond one-time product sales into commission-based earnings on IT services.
Commissions are structured to provide a predictable, recurring revenue stream.
Bundled solutions increase customer retention, reducing churn.
2. Lower Customer Acquisition Costs for MSPs
MSPs gain access to warm leads from OPD customer relationships.
Reduced sales friction leads to faster deal closures.
Joint marketing efforts enhance brand trust and visibility.
3. Increased Customer Retention for OPDs
By embedding IT services into procurement cycles, OPDs strengthen customer loyalty.
Customers who rely on bundled IT and office product solutions are far less likely to switch vendors.
4. Competitive Differentiation Against Online Marketplaces
Unlike Amazon and Staples, which operate as high-volume, low-service platforms, OPDs can now offer a full-service procurement solution.
Business intelligence from DCAs and RMM ensures OPDs can make proactive, data-driven recommendations to customers.
Are OPDs Becoming MSPs?
No. The partnership model ensures that OPDs remain focused on their core competencies—procurement, office products, and supply management. OPDs are not expected to sell or support IT services, only to introduce their customers to a trusted MSP partner.
Why Would MSPs Work with OPDs?
MSPs benefit from the relationship by reducing lead generation costs and increasing their revenue potential. Instead of investing heavily in outbound sales and marketing, MSPs can tap into OPDs’ established customer relationships.
How Does This Partnership Protect OPDs from E-commerce Disruption?
By offering a consultative, technology-driven approach, OPDs create a higher-value service experience that Amazon and other online retailers cannot replicate. The ability to provide data-driven recommendations and IT-backed automation makes OPDs indispensable to their customers.
The OPD-MSP partnership represents a strategic shift that benefits both industries. OPDs gain new revenue streams, improved customer retention, and a stronger market position, while MSPs achieve scalable growth and lower customer acquisition costs.
By working together, OPDs and MSPs create a future-proof business model—one that integrates technology, enhances service value, and ensures long-term sustainability in an evolving marketplace.
For OPDs looking to break free from shrinking margins and commoditization, this partnership is the gateway to a more profitable and resilient future. And for MSPs seeking a consistent stream of new customers, OPDs provide the warm introductions needed to accelerate their growth.
The time to act is now—OPDs and MSPs that embrace this collaboration will be best positioned for success in the modern business landscape.
Related Reading:
Strategic Alliances: OPDs & MSPs Thrive Together: OPDs and MSPs can overcome growth challenges by partnering to integrate IT services, boost client value, and shift to a service-based model.
Challenges Reshaping Office Product Dealers: Office Products Dealers face rising challenges from e-commerce, declining paper demand, and outdated systems—making modernization key to survival.
MSP Growth Through OPD Partnerships: MSPs face challenges in lead generation despite rising IT demand. Partnering with OPDs offers a smart path to growth through trusted customer access.
Structuring a Successful OPD-MSP Partnership: A well-structured OPD-MSP partnership boosts revenue and service value through clear roles, lead handovers, and shared financial incentives.
Winning Over Resistant Sales Teams: OPDs must overcome sales team resistance to MSP partnerships by aligning incentives, simplifying the sales process, and providing strong support.
Strengthening OPDs Through MSP Services: Office products dealers can boost revenue and retention by partnering with MSPs, offering IT services, and shifting to a service-based business model.
Empowering OPDs with a Strategy Champion: The Strategy Champion helps OPDs align sales teams, ease MSP adoption, and drive referrals—ensuring a smooth shift to service-focused partnerships.
Long-Term Gains: OPD-MSP Partnership: OPDs are boosting growth and stability by partnering with MSPs, shifting from transactional sales to recurring revenue and long-term client value.
Strategic OPD-MSP Partnerships for Growth: OPDs can boost retention and revenue by partnering with MSPs—leveraging IT services without becoming providers themselves. Here's how it works.
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