Ordinarily, we’d make some corny joke about the year being so new that we’re still writing 2024 on our checks. But for the life of me, I don’t know anyone who uses paper checks anymore. I’m sure a lot of people still do, somewhere. Regardless, time is nipping along smartly—we’re already 10 days into January.
This week, our State of the Industry report shifts gears from the additional trends to watch during 2025, per the manufacturers and other to-the-industry entities, to some of the leftover thoughts from our dealer community. We’ll warn you, it’s brief, so the next time you see one of these gentlemen, you should be able to carry a conversation on the topic. And you’ll have your friends at ENX to thank.
Joe Dellaposta, Doing Better Business: The continuing shift from paper to electronic documents and the smaller cost of using electronic documents will have an impact. We all know that clicks are decreasing every year—significantly during COVID—and that clicks are still 10-15% lower than pre-pandemic numbers. This reduction in revenue, combined with the increased cost in employment and benefits, is having a troubling impact in our industry and most others. The race to the bottom where dealers are offering 0.02 and 0.002 just isn’t going to be sustainable…not that it ever was. Our industry is going to have to stop selling on price and get back to selling on value and relationships.
Dave Moorman, Novatech: As artificial intelligence continues to transform business processes, companies will recognize the importance of AI governance. In 2025, organizations will need clear, structured protocols to guide responsible AI use, ensuring data privacy and mitigating risks such as decision biases. Establishing an AI governance framework allows companies to fully leverage AI while adhering to ethical and regulatory standards.
Print security is emerging as a critical piece of comprehensive cybersecurity. Multifunction devices process sensitive information and, as networked endpoints, are vulnerable to unauthorized access. In 2025, organizations will increasingly adopt print security protocols, like secure document release and user authentication, to mitigate risks and protect data across their print environments.
Chip Miceli, Pulse Technology: Another trend, unfortunately, is some of our fellow dealers will go out of business or be bought up as consolidation continues in the industry.
Erik Braden, Braden Business Systems: One of the biggest trends reshaping the print and IT services industry in 2025 is the convergence of managed print services and managed IT services. Companies increasingly expect seamless integration between physical and digital workflows, not only to boost efficiency but also to enhance security and cut costs. Providers like Braden, with expertise across both domains, are well-positioned to deliver the unified solutions businesses will demand.
Another key trend is the growing role of AI in business operations. From predictive analytics to automating routine tasks, AI is quickly becoming a game-changer, allowing businesses to optimize workflows and address potential issues before they disrupt processes.
