The need to embrace new technologies, increase digitization and invest in digital transformation has significantly accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a recent study from McKinsey & Co., in the last year, companies have accelerated digitization of their customer and supply chain interactions, as well as their internal operations, by three to four years, while the share of digital or digitally enabled products in their portfolios has accelerated by seven years. Yet not every area has been equally impacted by this accelerated pace.
While print infrastructure may not immediately come to mind regarding digital transformation, print remains a vital means of business communication. According to Quocirca’s Global Print 2025 survey, more than 70 percent of 18-34 year-olds and IT decision makers think office print is essential today and will continue to be important in 2025. But as digital transformation accelerates across nearly every industry and print becomes more integrated with these digital processes, it can be increasingly challenging to find effective ways to speak with customers about their print needs.
These challenges are particularly apparent in transactional print, the more complex printing that occurs during business transactions. This is partially because it is often found in high-risk scenarios, such as hospital registration, banking and insurance claims, and pharmacy prescriptions, as well as demanding environments, including retail and manufacturing. Due to the nature of transactional print, a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. Instead, an industry-targeted strategy that addresses unique and specific business needs is not only advantageous, but crucial for success.
Achieving this level of industry-specific insight isn’t easy. One must understand the print needs involved in the unique core business processes and know how solutions will address the pain points. Leaving the responsibility to collect this data to an in-house team member can not only be expensive and time consuming, but also distract that person from their day-to-day work while draining company resources. That’s why it’s essential for companies to find the right partner to step in to fill this void in expertise.
The Right Partner Looks to Empower, Not Be Relied Upon
By approaching print with a deep understanding of that specific industry, partners can help simplify communication challenges for customers and add value far beyond general printing needs. And while it’s important to find a partner who can provide this industry-specific knowledge, it’s more vital to find one who will teach your team members to work independently and empower them to demonstrate their expertise during customer-business interactions.
This deep, synergistic kind of partnership isn’t achieved overnight. Rather, it’s the result of active, ongoing interactions and knowledge sharing. A few items to look for in a sincere, knowledge-sharing partner:
- Tools and resources tailored to your specific business model and customer base;
- Structured framework for regular partner interaction and industry conversations;
- Education opportunities, such as webinars with industry experts.
Let’s take health care as an example, one of the most inundated and specialized industries of the past year. When thinking about IT infrastructure, health care organizations should use a next-generation print-infrastructure-as-a-service cloud-based platform that links to other online systems. This helps ensure effective communication, including the simple paper printout, for all patients. These devices are particularly beneficial in hospitals and clinics that cater to populations with low internet access, ensuring they’re able to access information and advice in a format that works for them.
Additionally, partners today should be well-versed in the primary challenges health care customers face with regard to print, including:
- Protecting customer information: This is a key pillar in health care providers’ daily risk assessments. The printed page has become a valuable resource to bad actors preying on vulnerable populations seeking health care.
- Growing infrastructure costs: Health care providers are becoming more digital as technology is implemented; however, print is still a core part of provider and patient engagement. Maintaining the complexity of print and digital communications results in mounting infrastructure costs that drain budgets and IT resources.
- Supporting the digital transformation: The electronic medical record has become the source of patient information. Health care organizations face a growing need to digitize business and clinical content to support the patient care cycle and to efficiently print this information with meaning for the patient.
A good partner will not only provide insight into how to tackle these challenges, but also show how leveraging industry data and insights, along with the tools to implement best practices, can help grow more trusted customer relationships.
Finding the Right Partner for You
The optimal OEM partner will speak your customers’ language and address their unique needs, and you’ll want to ensure they offer the tools and insights necessary to:
- Approach customers in a professional, industry-specific way
- Simplify communications around products, services and solutions
- Leverage proven industry expertise, no matter the size of business or industry you’re working in
- Differentiate your business as more knowledgeable than your competitors
- Identify and close more sales in targeted industries
The past year has demonstrated that the adoption of new technologies and digital transformation is accelerating, and the conversation around print is only becoming more complicated by the day. To relieve pressure on customers, OEM partners need to step up to fill critical knowledge gaps while empowering customers to enhance their own knowledge and skills.
It’s no longer enough for relationships to be centered around offering low prices. Partners must demonstrate value through understanding the industries in which they offer services, helping simplify communications and differentiating their customers’ business while also advancing internal goals such as sales and digital transformation.
Remember, the right OEM partner wants you and your business to thrive—not just survive—and will offer you the necessary tools to facilitate this growth.
