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technology trends
The value of office
equipment
The survey identified a gap in
communication and understanding
between those making office
IT purchasing decisions and the
needs of end-users, a division
that threatens to limit the value
organisations are able to glean from
long-term IT investments.
The research was designed to
understand in detail how working practices
across Europe are evolving, in order to
help decision-makers make more informed
choices about which office technology
best meets their end-users’ needs and
expectations. It focussed on four key areas:
•
How employees in all kinds of
workplaces use office technology for
handling documents and information
flows;
•
Determining what place such technology
has on today’s working practices;
•
Understanding current trends that impact
how workplaces handle documents and
information today and in the future; and
•
Finding out what end-users and
decision-makers need in order to work
more productively and effectively.
The end-users polled discussed their
document handling needs and pain points
at length. Some told the researchers
categorically what kinds of technology
should be implemented in their workplace
and why it is necessary. Others simply
did not know what was available, but
during the discussion began to consider
the positive implications of new ways of
document handling and how they might
make their job easier.
A pan-European study into office technology trends, commissioned
by Canon Europe, highlights the relationship between technology
buyers and end-users in offices across Europe.
Documents are key
Many organisations are being too slow to
address changes to end‑users’ working
practices. The rapid rise in the volume and
variety of electronic documents requiring
processing, the continuing need to handle
paper documents and the evolution
of remote working practices mean the
technology offered to end-users is often
outdated and no longer efficient.
One of the strongest, clearest
messages emerging from the survey is
that documents are absolutely key to
the success of an organisation and that
end-users are relying more and more on
technology to help produce and manage
their documents.
According to the survey, 30% of all
end-users surveyed would not be able
to do their job at all without access to a
printer or multifunction device.
Scanning is becoming the principal
driver of document workflow, as the
volume of electronic documents that
end-users process rises sharply. Solutions
for improving the processing of scanned
documents that save time and increase
productivity are very attractive to end-
users.
Despite the effort being made to
reduce paper use in organisations, the
survey found that printed as well as
electronic documents are still central to our
working lives.
However, the way employees want
to create and manage them is changing
due to increased flexibility of working
arrangements, with mobile connectivity
and consumerisation of IT being the key
drivers.
According to the research,
organisations across Europe struggle to
provide technology that enables seamless
work on the move. A minority equip
employees with smartphones or tablet PCs,
even though those already using them
believe they are critical in enabling them to
do their job.
...end-users
are relying
more and
more on
technology
to help
produce
and manage
their
documents