What will office print look like in 2025?

Traditional office print is a thing of the past. A new world of work is here and it’s digital, connected and constantly changing. Organizations are evolving at an unprecedented rate and they need freedom; they are people-focused and dynamic, with technology at their core.

Printing has become far more intelligent — its complementary to your business and part of a much wider picture. Ultimately, it ensures that your business functions efficiently, leaving you to focus on your people, strategy and driving your organization forward.

Staying one step ahead

More than half (55%) ¹ of small business owners feel that their existing technology solutions are actually a hindrance to incorporating or adopting new technologies.

When correctly scoped and tied into your wider business objectives – office moves, the introduction of new software, new workplace policies such as flexible working – a multi-function device can not only streamline your workspace but provide a wealth of data on how your people work. It can transform and aid your decision making, strategy and planning for the future.  This means not simply looking at the benefits of an intelligent multi-function printer (MFP) in isolation, but actually understanding its place within the workspace and how it can best integrate with current and/or future technology and process requirements. As well as identifying the importance and purpose of its output, whether digital or print.

In 2025, Office Print will be at the core of business transformation.

Information, automation and communication

MFP’s are one of your key office business tools; enabling information management, automated workflow and facilitating communication throughout business from SMEs right up to large global operations. It can also give you the ability to work towards a zero-carbon footprint by utilizing the information and reporting generated from your MFP.

How else can you understand the way in which information flows through your business?  The device touches every aspect of your organization and can assist you in making informed decisions to drive profitability and efficiency, in turn, making your workplace fit for your people and the way they choose to work.

In 2025, Office Print will be a management tool for greater insight into your business processes.

Scalable intelligence

90% of customers ² would consider taking their business elsewhere if an organization used outdated technology. Failure to stay current can leave you uncompetitive.

Remaining current and keeping up with the pace of technology change can be challenging for all organizations regardless of size and industry. But it’s not just about constantly upgrading to the latest technology, it’s about understanding the requirements of your business and your people, remaining flexible and adapting to change.

Scalable intelligence is the key here – you need to know that the technology you invest in can keep up with the growth of your unique business. Applications and software including security and cloud services must be able to be selected, updated and adjusted as and when you need from your multi-function printer. To do this, connectivity to cloud services and integration with 3rd party applications is a necessity to enhance your office print.

The ability to convert paper-based information to digital by scanning to services such as Dropbox™ or Sharepoint™ or direct to your corporate network is essential. It’s also about where and how this information is used from there. You need to partner with an expert that understands the nuances and challenges with this seamless integration and workflow. The result will be an optimized document management workflow that helps your people work faster, smarter and more securely.

In 2025, Office Print will be intelligent and seamlessly integrated within your business.

The case for print

As the workplace transforms to become digital, mobile and adaptable – sustainability becomes ever more important. However, there is still a strong case for office print:

– Office print is becoming a differentiator once more, there is a resurgence in cut through for print and response rates from direct mail campaigns are on an upward trend. In fact, direct mail has a higher response rate than any digital direct mail medium. In a digital world, print is a very effective tangible way to stand out

– Legal requirements still stand, often within your organization there will be a legal or compliance related obligation to store hard copies of a document or ensure they can easily be printed. This may include payroll information, safety instructions or contracts

– Stakeholders, government and/or regulatory bodies may require hard copies of information. Depending on the industry within which you operate there will be requirements for printed copies of documents

– Hard copy proofing will also be an important requirement for some of the departments within your organization such as marketing

– Businesses will always need to display information visually and whilst this can be done to a certain extent with digital screens, print will also be needed. Perhaps to ensure a workshop runs smoothly or that information can be accessed at all times.

In 2025, Office Print will be paper-lite, not paperless.

All we know for sure is things will never stay the same. Organizations need room to move. To evolve. To become something different depending on their current needs. In short: they need freedom.