Copier Careers® Poll Results & Comments
Poll: Predict the Next Industry Trend
Will We Trend Towards Health Solutions?
Last month, we discussed how the pandemic is affecting the Copier Channel. We also had a more free-form discussion on the latest Cannata webinar on September 24th. So we wanted to shift our gaze to the future and hear your predictions for the next industry trend. We had a solid turnout of 15,184 votes this month!
The most predicted trend was for increased health solution services to be offered by independent dealers, taking 32% of the vote. Next was increased remote office support services with 21% of the vote. 15% of you predicted more management turnover and another 15% expect more proactive hiring. We also had a close tie between increased mergers/acquisitions and increased company/branch closures, taking 8% and 9% respectively.
These predictions line up with what we’ve observed – an industry specializing in office solutions must necessarily expand services to cover this new array of problems. Whether that means supplying sanitation products, innovating health check procedures or securing remote office flexibility, the Copier Channel is essential to helping the modern office adapt.
Here are the full results:
What trend do you predict next for the Copier Channel?
- Increased health solution services (32%, 4,914 Votes)
- Increased remote office support (21%, 3,143 Votes)
- Management turnover (15%, 2,349 Votes)
- Proactive hiring (15%, 2,271 Votes)
- Company/branch closures (9%, 1,352 Votes)
- More mergers & acquisitions (8%, 1,155 Votes)
Loading …Some Comments from y’all:
- “Our company has already pivoted into temperature kiosks and security cameras that have the ability to take temperatures and facially recognize employees. All while still selling our regular line of equipment.”
- “Inside sales and digital specialists will be the new value to an organization as field sales retract.”
- “I lost the best job I have ever had due to COVID-19. I’ve stayed close to my past manager, who owns the company. He’s sold very few copiers since my departure in April. I’ve gotten another job in a completely different industry, but I miss the copier industry. I hope to return when things change but I don’t think that challenge can be met immediately. Nearly half of America is working from home now and their printing needs will continue to shrink accordingly. I think the copier industry will have to gravitate & manufacture the A4 multi functions for home usage to make what the people of America will buy.”
- “Our company is shifting focus, moving from a printing solutions company to a digital document management solutions company. But we are still working with B&W and color production.”
- “Offices are nearly 75% empty across California with equipment sitting idle. I believe we are seeing a transformational shift where the future will be A4 devices at home and much smaller units in the office. Base charges will give way to pay-as-you-go fee structures. Amazon is the primary source for most office equipment here for now as face-to-face meeting aren’t currently possible.”
- “Employers will regret laying off qualified senior employees.”
- “COVID discount credits in light of not using the machines but being charged for minimum Maintenance Agreements. Delayed payments/grace period during COVID period.”
- “All manufacturers are down 40-80% in shipments. 80% of all office equipment was bought online last quarter which is a huge transformation to digital channels. I think face-to-face sales are pretty much done for a long time.”
- “I followed a product line that was sold to another company, switching employers right at the start of the lockdown. The deal was made before the pandemic hit, or it probably would not have happened. The old company sold a product line they had acquired a few years’ prior, selling it to another company that specialized in that sort of printing device and wanted the technology. I think there will be more of these shifts as OEMs focus on what they consider to be their ‘core competencies.’”
- “More management turnover due to cuts needed to make budgets work after all the COVID revenue losses.”
- “With thinning profit margins for some, I expect layoffs and/or closures.”