01732 759725 30 RESEARCH Quocirca’s Managed Print Services Market Landscape 2023 study reveals that after a period of relative stagnation, expenditure on MPS is set to increase this year Quocirca identifies opportunity for MPS providers biggest satisfaction gap occurs around reducing environmental impact. Quocirca warns that with this a growing priority for buyers, providers should act urgently to ensure they offer solutions that deliver measurable impact reductions. “There’s an undoubted opportunity here, but MPS providers must ensure they are offering the right services and consultancy in response to rising expectations. They must also address the satisfaction gaps that are starting to appear,” Louella added. Buyer priorities Organisations are undertaking a range of initiatives in a bid to drive efficiency and control costs and their priorities vary by industry sector and organisation size. 42 per cent say they are moving to a centralised model using more A3 MFPs, while almost the same percentage (41 per cent) are taking the opposite approach and introducing more A4 printers or MFPs in a more distributed fleet model. The retail sector (with its branch-based structure) and industrial businesses lean towards a distributed A4 fleet, while public sector and professional service companies favour A3 machines. Implementing security solutions was the third most common priority in the coming year, and cybersecurity expertise is also the top supplier selection criteria. There is also evidence that inkjet technology is continuing to make inroads into the office environment, with 36 per cent of respondents planning to introduce more inkjet devices in the coming year, rising to 45 per cent among respondents in the retail sector. Louella argues that a consultative approach and tailored data-driven solutions that closely align with buyer priorities have never been more important than they are today. “Businesses are becoming increasingly diverse, even within the same sector, so it is critical that MPS providers can develop solutions – including distributed collaboration systems and data security systems – that closely align with the customer organisation’s strategic goals,” she said. Workplace services growth area As buyers continue to reconfigure their office environment, demand for related services is set to rise. Workplace services that include redesign of physical workspaces, audio-visual solutions, and workplace productivity tools are seen as a key service offering that will influence MPS supplier selection in future. Overall, 66 per cent of respondents indicate that they are interested in workplace service offerings from MPS providers. This is followed by 45 per cent that are interested in cloud print services and 42 per cent for collaboration services. “There is a real drive among businesses to optimise their print infrastructure and achieve the right balance between productivity and efficiency. At the same time, the economic climate is prompting closer focus on costs, while rising expectations around sustainability performance and growing environmental regulations are also influencing buyer priorities. “MPS providers have a major opportunity to harness this momentum and help customers transform their print and digital infrastructure through cloud-based, secure, and sustainable solutions and services.” Louella concluded. www.quocirca.com The managed print services market is on the verge of a significant phase of opportunity as businesses embark on initiatives to modernise their print environment. Lowering environmental impact, enhancing security and lowering costs, are key drivers as organisations rethink print technology needs to support the distributed, hybrid work environment. The upturn in investment is being driven by changing office footprints and technology requirements. As organisations adapt their workspaces to the new status quo, they are refreshing and rationalising their printer fleets in a bid to control costs, while also prioritising security. Louella Fernandes, Research Director, Quocirca said: “Businesses now have a better understanding of how to adapt their workplace infrastructure to support permanent post-pandemic changes. Now, they are looking to MPS providers for solutions that solve the three key challenges of cost, security, and sustainability, while also enabling the drive for digitisation.” MPS satisfaction has fallen However, the study also reveals a drop in satisfaction with MPS providers, who must focus on meeting increased customer expectations if they are to capitalise. Overall, the percentage of businesses reporting they are very satisfied with their MPS provider has dropped, from 47 per cent in 2022 to 31 per cent this year. The use of MPS to reduce environmental impact has also jumped up the agenda, with almost half of respondents now rating it a very important benefit, and 31 per cent identifying it as a key challenge related to managing their print infrastructure. It’s interesting therefore that the Louella Fernandes Director, Quocirca
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDUxNDM=