REVIEW OF 2022
CONTINUED
Jonathan Rogerson , commercial solution consultant, ECI Software Solutions
While there’s no denying that 2022 has continued to challenge businesses across a range of sectors, the MPS and office product supplies industries have, largely, had a more positive year. We’ve certainly seen print volumes recovering to pre-pandemic levels throughout the year, with our customers seeking to implement solutions designed to better manage hybrid teams. Similarly, on the office products side of the business, we’ve had many conversations with businesses looking to branch out into new markets. Workwear is one example, and our Horizon solution is continually being developed to cater to this increasing demand. Overall, it’s certainly not been plain sailing for any business but the outlook is certainly more positive than it was this time last year. The two major trends we’ve seen are diversification and an increased focus on cost-saving energy cost crisis and skyrocketing operating costs are very real threats. The introduction of cloud-based business management technology should be a key feature of any cost reduction strategy and we are seeing more SMEs exploring this option. By automating day-to-day processes and reducing the time employees spend on administrative tasks and data input, resources can be freed up and focused toward more value add activity. Similarly, many companies are implementing print management systems to help reduce waste and the costs associated with printer and copier usage. Diversification is likely to continue well into 2023, as the industry looks to overcome the challenges of the global economic downturn and energy crisis.
Looking specifically at office technology and MPS, the demand for home worker printers is steadily growing and this has had an impact on trading. In fact, a survey of UK and US-based workers showed that 63% of people were printing more at home than they were a year ago, however only 14% of small businesses provided employees with a printer to support home working. These stats indicate that there’s a gap in the market and demand for specialist software that can help businesses navigate hybrid working environments. The same research found that 43% of home workers who don’t currently have a toner subscription service in place would be interested in having one, while 54% of respondents said that the device they use at home is not recommended or approved by their employer. Through the deployment of specialist technology, dealers can adapt their MPS agreements and leverage the toner subscription models currently offered by some manufacturers, while also adding a wrap-around next-day exchange service, should a home printer develop a fault or problem. We are confident about 2023. The team at ECI is committed to innovation and we want to ensure we continue to provide customers with the technology and solutions that they need to thrive. We continue to be inspired by our SME customer base, and their entrepreneurial spirit continues to shine through, even in the most challenging times. As we head into 2023 there’s several exciting product developments in the works that can help our customers continue to serve the end user.
Jonathan Rogerson ECI Software Solutions
ecisolutions.com
David Watts , MD and senior vice president, TD SYNNEX UK and Ireland
of the pandemic, global economic and political matters and the skills shortage are all having a big influence, digital transformation continues to be the common theme. That’s an IT-centric trend that has been accelerated and driven by external and global factors. It’s impossible to ignore the wider economic changes taking place and all these factors have an influence on the channel. But the transformational impact of technology solutions has a major part to play in addressing the challenges we all face and that’s why customers continue to invest. Going into 2023, we are confident about business in the channel, but that must be qualified with some caution since, as we’ve seen in recent years, wider external influences can easily impact the market. It’s perhaps a time where we need to work together and support each other even more through our channel partnerships.
While it has been easier in 2022 in terms of getting back to something like a normal pattern of work, the issues around product supply, the economic and political uncertainty, and the skills shortage have made it just as difficult in many ways. The level of trading has increased in some areas and stayed more or less flat in others. The market is, to some degree, still re-adjusting after the pandemic but the further external challenges have extended the recovery period. Over the course of the year, we’ve seen continued migration to the cloud, rapid growth in security and in areas such as analytics and IoT. We have also seen strong growth in services and partnering, as partners and their customers look to move the burden of non-core activity out of house and meet the challenge of the skills crisis. There have been some big influences on trading in the past year. While the challenges
David Watts TD SYNNEX
uk.tdsynnex.com
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