Why Prospects are Positive for Printing in 2010

As a result, end users are increasingly focused on bringing print applications in-house and eliminating expensive outsourcing. And there will be more opportunities for resellers to be innovative in generating and delivering packaged solutions tailored to the needs of individual customers.

To take advantage, resellers need to work with vendors that have a positive long-term strategy coupled with high-quality, robust and flexible product offerings. At the same time, vendors will need to support their channel partners by providing relevant training and a consistent and reliable level of support.

In line with our own ‘Look What You Can Do’ proposition, we, at OKI, will continue to help resellers to ensure end customers are maximising their printing assets and using all relevant features as productively as possible.

Helping Users Think Before They Buy
A critical part of the reseller-vendor partnership is to help customers choose the printer most suited to their specific business requirements.

Today, too many users simply choose the cheapest available device without considering the likely lifetime cost of ownership or the additional revenue generating opportunities that the right choice of hardware may bring. Critically, they also often neglect to consider how well their chosen device integrates with the rest of their printer fleet.

Going forward, more emphasis needs to be placed on ensuring that the end user carries out a full needs analysis prior to purchase. After all, an effective print infrastructure is about much more than simply the box that sits in the middle of the office, it’s about understanding individual workflow requirements and combining the right mix of devices to fit. 

Of course, engaging closely with the end user also helps to build loyalty, which is a critical requirement - particularly in a downturn. The strength of this relationship is often dependent on the level of reassurance and peace of mind that the vendor can deliver to end users and resellers alike.

At OKI, we recently introduced a new three-year onsite warranty across the EMEA region for our product portfolio which underlines the confidence we have in our own solutions. Not only does this provide customers with another compelling reason to place their trust in OKI, it also gives our resellers another string to their bow as they reach out to end-users on our behalf.

Solutions and Sectors
The previous section gives an indication of some of the key strategic approaches vendors and resellers need to be adopting today. But what are the critical trends we are currently seeing in the marketplace?

While OKI continues to do well in both sectors, recent figures indicate that the overall market for A3 printers in the UK has declined in recent months relative to the A4 sector.

However, although some end-users may perceive A3 as a luxury item in the current downturn, they may be unaware of the sheer range of uses to which printing solutions can be put and, in particular, the ways in which they can be employed to help drive smarter, more efficient printing.  Vendors and resellers can play a key role here in educating the market about the benefits of using A3.

In contrast, the market for colour continues to hold up well – certainly in terms of corporate opportunities. End users increasingly appreciate that being able to print in colour is a key requirement in today’s business environment – particularly for marketing and promotional opportunities.  Most businesses realise that in a downturn it is more important than ever to ensure that your products and services stand out from the competition. They also understand that one way of doing this, while helping to build brand awareness, is through the creative use of colour. 

Another reason for the popularity of colour printing is that by using print management applications, businesses can exercise greater control over their output. They can track who has access to each colour device, for example, how many colour pages are printed and what the costs have been over a given period. In the past, organisations worried that if they implemented colour they wouldn’t be able to manage costs. With today’s solutions, vendors working with resellers can provide this control.

With industry estimates showing that companies spend over 3 per cent of their revenues on printing, this issue of control will become ever more important and print management solutions ever more popular. For a finance director, having access to a system that can calculate how much is spent every time a document is printed is a huge benefit.

Moving to Managed Print Services
As we approach 2010, we are also seeing growing customer interest in total managed print services. For both manufacturers and resellers, selling these kinds of services is proving to be critical to their bid to capture new revenue streams. For end users, MPS offers a means of purchasing printers, supplies, maintenance and support in one all-inclusive contract, enabling them to potentially reduce both capital investment and ongoing printing costs.

Positive Prospects
Despite the downturn, print vendors and resellers that have prepared properly for the new conditions and that work hard to capitalise on available opportunities can still look forward to the future with optimism. Businesses today are looking at how they can save money and be more productive and efficient. Increasingly, they are realising that implementing a high-quality in-house printing solution can help to achieve this.

To capitalise on these opportunities, vendors and resellers need to pool their resources and ensure that they are effectively working in tandem. By so doing, these organisations will see their sales grow not only in 2010 but also long into the future.