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What print shops can expect throughout the year
Although dealing exclusively with physical materials, contemporary print shops are increasingly relying on digital innovations, like print management information systems, to help manage and organize complex workflows. Acknowledging shifts in the market, the International Data Corporation released a set of predictions for the 2014 imaging, printing and document solutions market.
Sales equal growth
When Frank Gens, chief research officer at IDC, presented the company's annual forecast, his first prediction was that 2014 would see industry organizations returning to a focus on growth, saying that sales execution was the key to sustainability. Currently, the printing industry is extremely fragmented, resting on the shoulders of a large pool of smaller firms rather than a few major companies, a recent IBISWorld research report confirmed.
IBISWorld found that while four industry leaders account for nearly 20 percent of the market, the overwhelming majority is divided amongst a slew of privately owned shops, most generating less than $35 million annually. Businesses are no longer relying on the ambitious, large-scale print orders of the pre-Internet era, but instead staying viable by capturing a number of smaller orders. With increased job numbers rather print volume, shops are finding organization to be exceedingly difficult and are leveraging technologies like comprehensive print MIS and Web to print storefronts to handle the excess.
New emphasis on customer service
The importance of customer service cannot be underestimated in any industry, and in 2014 printing solutions are likely to place a bigger emphasis on connecting print shops with their patrons, the IDC report claims. Already, print MIS offers organizations significant advantages in regards to customer interaction. The system automatically sends email notifications to clients as each shipment is completed, including package tracking links and a PDF invoice. Customers will appreciate the diligence and find it easy to remain engaged in the ordering process, while shops benefit from an expedited billing cycle and sharp increases to productivity. Using the features of print MIS and a Web to print storefront, a single employee can accurately process more than 100 shipments per hour.
The core themes of the forecast, Keith Kmetz, IDC program vice president for imaging, printing and document solutions research practice, said, are an increased intimacy with customers, assisting clients with optimizing workflow and a need to understand sales trends in the legacy market. The latter is a matter of in-house research. However, the first two trends can be addressed by adopting a comprehensive print MIS system and leveraging the platform for better overall business outcomes.
