Industry trends

 

While business leaders must pay close attention to sales growth, they must also focus on customer service and profitability. A big part of that is ensuring operations run effectively, and that means reducing costs, errors, and wastage while improving productivity, workload capacity, and time to market.

According to the last published FESPA Census,³ 72% of print businesses are seeing increased demand from customers for faster turnaround times, and 59% believe that customer demand for “just in time” deliveries will increase. 
 
Increased use of automation is one way to help on both fronts. In 2020, Keypoint Intelligence4 asked print businesses to compare the share of total on-site print volume that was produced in a 100% automated workflow with their expectations for the future. The survey found that while 63% of volume was produced without any automation in 2020, that figure would drop to 36% by 2022. 
 
Workflow and automation technology can make all the difference. It can help improve the way print businesses operate by helping them quote more accurately, negotiate better prices with suppliers, and see where cost efficiencies can be made. Plus, software and services can also enable businesses to grab new opportunities—building a digital presence to capture orders online, for instance.
 

MAKING SUSTAINABILITY PROFITABLE FOR YOUR PRINT BUSINESS 

 

Recent HP research⁵ reveals that 85% of PSP customers now demand sustainable products and practices. The research is supported by the Widthwise study which showed that in 2020, 81% of PSPs regarded sustainable print solutions as “more important” than two years previously. 48% of respondents said their environmental focus for 2020 was to measure and/or reduce their carbon footprint.


This is driven by a desire to be more socially responsible, but also because of the business opportunity. Indeed, there is an urgent and growing need to find alternatives to materials such as PVC, with big brands leading the charge by making a commitment to being PVC free.
 
How is your print business reacting?
 

ACCELERATING CHANGE 

 

Print businesses have been evolving for some time, and the turbulance experienced in 2020 only accelerated that change. Many are displaying resilience and creativity, and businesses that will survive and thrive will be the ones that are versatile, connected, sustainable, and safe.
 
HP can help you take the next step to ensure your print business has the best chance of success.
 
1. July 2020 Widthwise Report www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/widthwise. Widthwise also did a PSP survey pre-Covid, at the beginning of 2020
 
2. https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2019/04/23/1808076/0/en/Global-Digitally-Printed-WallpaperDPW-Market-to-Witness-a-CAGR-of-23-6-during-2019-2025.html
 
3. FESPA Print Census Report, 2018
 
4. https://postscript.psda.org/Full-Article/9-trends-for-print-distributors-in-2021
 
5. https://press.hp.com/us/en/press-releases/2021/hp-drives-versatility-sustainability-new-latex.html
 
©Copyright HP Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. c07927184, November 2021