Print.IT Reseller - issue 47

PRINT IT RESELLER.UK 41 VOX POP entering these new markets. “This diversification is driving the adoption of a new generation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions that provide a single source of data on a single integrated platform, giving a clear view of every area of the business from sales and service through to accounting. One of the latest ERPs is Purpose Software’s new FORZA platform which is based on SAP Business One, a tried and tested platform used by more than 50,000 organisations worldwide. It not only offers greater functionality than the single point cloud- based versions that have started to appear but also eliminates all the integration issues that occur when trying to link disparate software applications. “In 2018, a further result of the continuing industry consolidation will be a rise in the number of ‘seedling’ start-up businesses as ambitious professionals, including ex-directors and employees, choose not to remain with businesses that have been acquired and decide to go it alone and do it for themselves. They will also be looking for cost effective ERP solutions to handle diverse product sets with the flexibility to start small and grow as their businesses expand.” www.purposesoftware.co.uk Phil Madders, Managing Director, PAe Business “At a personal level: England will win the World Cup in Russia – beating Germany 6-0 in the final. Leeds Utd will win promotion to the Premiership. Pigs will soon be airborne at a farm near you... “Business predictions are a little more difficult to make for 2018, but based on the activity and requests received from our 600+ dealers in the EMEA region I would predict the following. “The UK market will battle on despite uncertainties surrounding Brexit on exchange rates and supply chains, the continued trend of acquisition and mergers, and the small but constant migration to accessing information digitally. “The need to access the digital and in many ways the transient information we now consume, leads me to predict that the integration of data silos within organisations will continue to accelerate in 2018 and play a major part in the next twelve months. If you are wondering what I mean by transient data – things like sending a boarding pass to your phone is a great example. Ten years ago, we all printed these off, complete with the five pages of adverts and T&Cs, which were often in colour and generated click or consumed toner. Now if you are under 30, it is saved on our phone, we scan it at check in and then delete it at the end of the journey. Approaches vary according to age, but as time marches those clutching their phone in one hand and their print out in the other will inevitably diminish. “In the office equipment channel a more interesting example of this phenomenon emerged in 2017, which is the Toshiba Paper Reusing system. Undoubtedly the main benefit of this system as Toshiba advise is that the paper is reusable as the toner can be removed. This is an obvious gain, however there is another aspect to this – the data that has been printed onto the page for the meeting, the memo, or the spreadsheet is no longer required permanently and can be erased. Even the printed page has become transient in the sense that a paper-based record of that information is simply not needed after the information has been acted upon. If it is required, our DMS system or Onedrive style folder can retrieve and even print it again for temporary consumption on a piece of paper. “What does this mean for the channel in 2018? (Aside from less filing cabinets which impacts any of our partners who sell office furniture.) There are two areas affected – the back office will continue to be integrated. The aim, to create more productive and cost-effective organisations. The method automating meter readings, toner fulfilment, technical resource management, invoicing and logistics. We are involved in one or more of these requirements every day. “What is significant is the number of new entrants we are engaging with to integrate our data with. It used to be the Service Management Systems were our natural partner, but now we have full blown ERP systems, SAP providers, asset management systems, logistics and supplies providers extracting and using our information to deliver a better service to their users. “The second area is the offices our partners sell to. They too are involved in this world of integration. Looking at areas where automation can improve their productivity and reduce costs. Our dealers are embracing this exciting new opportunity, providing dashboards and business analytics tools, and workflow software. At one level simplifying and minimising the interaction required by customers to keep their output devices working, streamlining billing through seat-based billing, and proactive service arrangement. At another level integrating the same devices into the workflow processes of the organisation so they become a vital cog in the efficiency of the organisation. I predict this will continue to grow in 2018 and see the development of more project-based engagements bringing together different partners with different capabilities to deliver project- based solutions. These can be external partners or see more acquisitions by larger organisations to bring the skills in-house. You only have to look at the Konica Minolta acquisitions in the past 12 months as an example of this trend. “For us, we are in the world of connecting different areas of a business into one seamless offering. It is early days, but we have developed dashboarding as a way of harnessing the power of the data we already have to help our dealers in facing the challenges created by the evolution of the office market requirement. We have been engaged in bringing service, finance, and device management into responsive and relevant BI Dashboards for better decision making. We have now been challenged to develop a predictive modelling offering so forecasting revenues and toner consumption is more accurate. It is fair to say 2018 is going to be an exciting year for all of us.” www.paebusiness.com Phil Madders England will win the World Cup in Russia – beating Germany 6-0 in the final. Leeds Utd will win promotion to the Premiership. Pigs will soon be airborne at a farm near you…