01732 759725 36 SUSTAINABILITY sustainability-led sales, with growing demand from customers. “The challenge now is how to evolve their go-to-market strategy and messaging to resonate with customers and prove their credentials in what may quickly become a very competitive market. Support from vendors with tools and data is crucial if channel businesses are to demonstrate genuinely differentiated solutions and services backed by evidence of sustainable performance.” Channel partners need vendor support to capitalise on sustainabilityled sales opportunities Two in five channel companies say that sustainability criteria feature in some or all the RFPs they respond to, and 92 per cent say that customers are prepared to pay more for solutions with stronger sustainability, at least some of the time. Despite this, only 24 per cent already hold accreditations related to sustainability (for example, BCorp, ISO14001, or CDP). A similar proportion (25 per cent) are working towards such accreditations, leaving half lagging behind on sustainability certifications. The key areas of interest for customers are energy-efficient hardware, cited by 65 per cent of respondents, followed by long-life consumables and toner (35 per cent) and minimum end-oflife waste (30 per cent). Channel partners want vendor support These priorities are largely reflected in the topics on which channel partners most want support from vendors. These include clear and detailed metrics on product lifecycle impact (38 per cent); help identifying ways to advise customers on saving energy across a print fleet (36 per cent); and carbon footprint assessment tools (35 per cent). Also important to channel partners is information from vendors to support sustainability focused deals (33 per cent), and financial deal support (31 per cent). Only 20 per cent of respondents say they are fully satisfied with the support they are receiving from vendors on sustainability. “Businesses are becoming far more mature in their approach to sustainable purchasing as regulations, standard sustainability metrics, and reporting requirements have emerged,” Louella explained. “Channel partners have a significant opportunity to add value to their customers who will be looking for advice and guidance to support their sustainability goals. Customers are increasingly looking to acquire print technology that is efficient, secure, and sustainable throughout its entire lifecycle. Partners can address these requirements with sustainability assessments to support the modernisation of the print infrastructure – such as replacing legacy, energyintensive technology with more energyefficient devices, and solutions that minimise wasteful printing. By playing their part in the drive for sustainable business, supported by vendors, channel partners can attract new customers and gain a competitive edge,” she concluded. www.quocirca.com The 2023 Channel Sustainability Study shows that the print channel is taking steps to implement sustainability strategies, with almost three quarters (71 per cent) of respondents reporting that they have some form of company sustainability strategy in place. The dominant driver for channel sustainability initiatives is to meet customer expectations (52 per cent), a quarter said that it is driven by a need to differentiate products and services and the same proportion say that their aim is to unlock new revenue opportunities. More than two-thirds (69 per cent) of channel partners say customers are showing strong or moderate interest in sustainable offerings. Resilient to challenging circumstances The survey, undertaken among 114 channel companies including MPS providers, office equipment dealers, IT resellers and distributors, found that the industry is proving resilient to challenging circumstances. 53 per cent of respondents recorded increased revenues in the last financial year. However, with more than half (51 per cent) expecting print volumes to fall in the year ahead, channel partners need to prioritise sustainability in a proactive way – both looking at their own sustainability practices and also providing support and guidance to customers. Sustainability-led sales Currently, respondents estimate that an average of 12 per cent of channel revenue derives from sustainability-led sales, but they expect this to rise to 22 per cent by 2025. Louella Fernandes, Research Director, Quocirca said: “Channel companies are clear about the potential they see in Louella Fernandes Quocirca’s latest report reveals that channel partners are making progress with internal sustainability initiatives but need more help from print vendors to support customers’ environmental goals Channel sustainability initiatives
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDUxNDM=