What new trends and new growth drivers are bringing productivity gains to printers and value to their businesses today? This question is at the heart of our partner Konica Minolta's strategy, which is based on five strong convictions.
Like the consumer market, printing is a low-cost market with standardised and ultra-automated products. It is a market that also responds to the requirements of the local economy, i.e. to favour short circuits, reactivity and agility. But printers must also be able to offer a premium product with value-added printing, innovation and creativity.
With its technologies, partners, and experts, Konica Minolta is creating relevant solutions to address the changing market and the transformation challenge facing printers.
Belief 1: Transforming print into a real object
Printing less but printing better has never been more important. Printing volumes are decreasing in favour of impactful printing. Clients are investing more than ever in effective printing that will hold the consumer's attention for as long as possible. Adding a sensory experience to print by playing on the tactile, visual and personalization aspects undeniably brings much more value to print. This is why many printers are focusing on finishing.
Belief 2: Diversify with labels and packaging
These are good times for printers to diversify their activities. It is vital to invest now in growth sectors to get ahead of the game, such as labels and packaging, which stand out with the increase in short circuits.
Belief 3: Develop team agility
The demand for short-run printing is constantly increasing and lead times are becoming shorter. To meet these demands, the automation of processes is a relevant means. The reduction in the number of manual tasks leads de facto to a reduction in lead times. However, less than 20% of printers have an automated workflow with colour management.
Automation can be used at all stages of an order:
- in the processing of the flow,
- in order taking,
- in mass preparation.
It offers more flexibility to link various and varied jobs (in support and finishing) with a minimum of preparation and handling.
Belief 4: Process more formats with inkjet
Formats are changing as value drivers. In recent years, 36-52 format offset presses have almost disappeared, to the benefit of digital toner presses which are constantly progressing and capturing different volumes. Today, inkjet technology allows for new applications with 64-74 and B1 formats. Thanks to inkjet technology, digital printing can open up new horizons previously reserved for offset printing. It makes applications that were sold at a high price and had a low market value because of their high production costs profitable again.
Belief 5: Being eco-responsible to increase business opportunities
In bidding for contracts, environmental considerations are being given higher and higher marks. Konica Minolta's environmental policy complements the efforts of printers:
- eco-designed, energy-efficient and recyclable equipment,
- automation solutions that avoid paper waste,
- the ability to print on both sides of the paper in atypical formats,
- recyclable and recycled spare parts and inks,
- or the absence of dangerous and polluting products in all its equipment.
Diversification, automation, agility, eco-responsibility, value of printed matter... all themes that we will hear more often in the production printing market