Digitalisation – digital transformation – is the next business accelerator in the office print industry, affecting how service management systems are used and how products and services are delivered. The majority of our European-based customers acknowledge that digitalisation is already impacting their business model and will continue to do so, as end customers demand convenience, speed and high service levels at increasingly competitive rates. Do you see digitalisation as a threat, challenge or opportunity?
We believe it can be all of these, but the challenge is how you can adapt your business model to deliver the most successful outcome for your business.
As you’ll be aware, print has evolved from printing data on paper into a digitised workflow and process where data is accessible and presentable in real-time on almost any device. Digital transformation projects are underway across multiple industries in businesses of all sizes. The printing industry is primed to deliver value through advanced technology and related services including data security management and scanning solutions.
Embrace digital transformation with a new business model
It’s fair to say that some industry predictions take longer to materialise than others. As we are sure you know people have been talking about the paperless office since the late 1970s! Many believe it will never happen and that a paper-light office is more likely, where online and offline co-exist. The point is, the print sector has been moving towards a smarter print environment for decades and now it’s accelerating at pace. Xerox Director UK, Carlo Longhi, stated in an interview that SMB end customers are outsourcing their print infrastructure to third-party MPS providers under a SaaS business model giving them greater efficiencies at a lower cost. Xerox even call their equipment “workplace assistants” capable of collecting, processing (digitising) and storing data in the hyper-connected workplace.
A shift towards subscription-based servicing is accelerating whereas owning printing devices is diminishing. Therefore, business models that guide customers through their digital journey will be a necessity to stay competitive in the print industry. Interesting trends include early signs of a potential move towards Printing as a Service (PRaaS), ‘flat-rate’ and/or ‘per-seat’ billing which several leading industry players consider has the potential to both disrupt and reinvigorate the market. To deliver this will require a shift in both operational/financial models and appropriate systems and tools to manage this change.
How Asolvi can help you respond to digital transformation?
By adapting, extending or integrating our service management software solutions with third-party products, we provide the right tools to delight your end customers.
As a result, some of our clients have taken the route towards digital transformation by offering complementary or additional products and services including data security solutions, workflow management systems and cloud services. Enhancing their knowledge of the digitalised workplace, they are using their expertise to plan a sustainable strategy for the future. Just some of our recent developments are explained further here.
With our API’s we have been able to interface with many of the most popular fleet management systems and process the collected data from the connected devices for automated billing of meter readings, automated consumable ordering and shipment, and automated service ticket generation.
Recently we integrated Platform as a Service (PAAS) technology in our Evatic solution with a link to Zendesk, the world’s leading specialist customer service and helpdesk solution. We can now offer the Zendesk plug-in to our Evatic customers, providing them with a sophisticated smart helpdesk system to service their end customers. Our clients using the Zendesk system themselves log support requests and are kept informed on the status, latest versions, bug fixes and availability of user manuals and training material.
Another exciting development in the digital transformation journey is the capture of workflow and content management services. The implementation and usage of workflow management systems across multi-application and multi-platform environments brings organisations automation, efficiency and greater time-to-value. Several Asolvi customers are using a workflow management system themselves and also install and implement a workflow management system for their end-customers to provide a fully integrated data processing environment.
To serve the German market, we are working closely together with a supplier of an intelligent workflow management system and have integrated it with our Evatic service software solution. Many successful cases have been implemented which provide our Evatic customers with a powerful automated workflow environment.
Digitalisation is a threat if you are unwilling to adapt
Digitalisation present threats to many industries, including the print industry, but it’s your organisations response that gives you the competitive edge. You can proactively embrace change, adapt your business model and succeed, or do nothing and risk losing customers rapidly. As a leading developer and supplier of service management systems with a dedicated focus on the European Managed Print market, Asolvi is here to help you. Take a proactive approach to implementing our innovative digital tools, technology and solutions to provide the service your customers increasingly demand.
