Phil Boatman
Phil Boatman, Lexmark International’s manager, business development for the U.S. dealer channel discusses the industry’s trends to watch in 2013 and the trends that will be affecting Lexmark’s business in the year ahead as well as what the company has in store to help their dealers be successful in the coming year.
What are some of the most significant trends that will be driving your business and the industry in 2013?
Boatman: We believe there’s going to be a continued focus on some of the trends we saw in 2012 as it relates to solutions. There’s going to be an even faster movement towards differentiation in hardware as more manufacturers bring out A4 platforms. That differentiation from a pure spec to spec comparison becomes less, so I think the focus needs to be on the total offering. What’s the total solution that evolves the multifunction device as both an on and off ramp for that natural flow of the document life cycle? For Lexmark we think there’s going to be a huge opportunity for dealers to accelerate their solutions talk tracks with customers and uncover those workflow needs. In particular, we still think there’s a big need in traditional verticals such as healthcare, education, and finance.
What are some of the challenges you expect to experience over the next 12 months?
Boatman: With this natural compression of TCO you’re seeing A4 platforms getting a stronger foothold from an output imaging perspective. Everybody has to figure out how to drive that story to a different level or flavor. There’s no longer going to be ‘I can save your lease $30 a month’. The challenges faced by manufacturers and dealers alike is getting customers to understand how much money is being wasted in paper-based processes that inundate most companies and consequently how much money they can save by streamlining to focus on their core competencies.
What do you have planned to help your dealer customers be successful in 2013?
Boatman: We just launched a whole new set of dealer unique models at the end of 2012. We’re excited about these new, performance-rich A4 platforms that are sold as the entry point to these document workflow requirements that we’re educating our dealers how to go after. That in conjunction with some of our mobility solutions that we’ve brought to market as well as some of our Perceptive Software solutions that we’ve been able to scale down to small and medium size businesses, which obviously do well at the enterprise level as well. We think there’s a big opportunity to leverage these new smart MFP platforms that Lexmark has introduced by going after that midsize customer that represents a great opportunity for dealers. We think the midsize market is a great opportunity. There are so many businesses that are more than just a one- or two-person operation, but not quite that large enterprise, which can be more difficult for a traditional dealer. That midsize market holds the keys to some real profitable days ahead for the dealer.
