While it is important to note the vitality of A3 devices as a critical component of today’s office dealer portfolio, the continued inroads being made in the A4 landscape cannot be denied. A4 devices constitute a lion’s share of placements in today’s decentralized office as its makeup skews more and more toward hybrid operations.
There’s no denying that the once-humble A4 has upped its game on many fronts. In this installment of the March State of the Industry report, a number of the nation’s leading dealers offer a glimpse into the factors that have spurred its growth in number and importance for today’s office environment.
The increasing versatility of A4 devices has been one of the biggest growth catalysts, notes Sean Sullins, vice president of sales for Prosource of Cincinnati. Many manufacturers boast a full line of A4 products, and there are lower- and higher-speed devices that can slot into any number of categories within a customer’s space. From the dealer standpoint, it enables companies like Prosource to have greater versatility and flexibility in device placements to meet customer needs.
“The other big driver of growth has been the innovation that has taken place around the ability of A4 devices to support so many applications that help customers become more efficient and effective in how they get work done,” Sullins remarked. “These applications enable organizations to customize their devices and digitize their processes right within the user interface, interacting with their existing software and systems and driving even more value.”
Josh Salkin, a partner with Atlanta-based EDGE Business Systems, recalls when A4 devices were considered inferior when stacked against the A3, particularly in terms of durability, functionality and cost per page. This is simply no longer the case.
“These days, it’s easy to offer a client who doesn’t need 11×17” capabilities a comparable A4 device to their legacy A3 and not impact their productivity,” Salkin noted. “Scanning especially has become just as durable on some of the larger A4s and they run the same operating system, so we can still use embedded software products.”
With many clients constantly searching for simple, easy-to-implement solutions, A4 certainly addresses that need from the imaging side. AJ Baggott, COO for RJ Young of Nashville, Tennessee, notes that manufacturers have also taken steps to make it easier on end-users.
“Plug-and-play manufacturers with agnostic print drivers have seen higher revenue numbers than those with brand-specific drivers,” he said. “Also, there has been an effort from manufacturers like Brother to standardize consumable inventories. Partners like Troy have developed enhanced security features in MICR ink, allowing for greater document security specifically with checks and legal paperwork.”
While HP may have gotten the jump on industry manufacturers in the rollout of the A4 MFP, Gregg Petrie, president of Copiers Northwest in Seattle, believes other OEMs have either closed the gap or exceeded the former leader. He notes Canon as one example of a manufacturer that offers A4 devices that match the A3 family for speed, quality of scanning and finishing.
Products with matching control panels on all devices, regardless of segment, add a touch of familiarity that makes it easier at the end-user level. Customers don’t care as much about the A3/A4 nuances as long as it is easy to use and hassle-free.
“This contributes to the workflow and easy adoption by the end-users,” Petrie said. “They don’t really notice a change since they all look and feel the same.”
Copiers Northwest is also doing its part to help clients from a tax perspective. “Looking at the recent changes by the IRS, Copiers Northwest’s MPS program really addresses the concerns of our customers on balance sheet exposure and have a device-as-a-service under our MPS program,” Petrie added.
Speaking of the field of A4 providers, Chip Miceli, president and CEO of Pulse Technology in Schaumburg, Illinois, believes Epson has assumed the role of disruptor and bears watching.
“They have a good product and are going about it in the marketplace the right way,” he said. “They have made an impact and will make a larger one in the future.”
