Did you know …….?

Offering customers managed print services helps drive results within their organizations.

Managed print services (or MPS) is the monitoring and provision of printing needs by a third-party service provider. Depending on the agreement, payment to the provider may take the form of a per-subscription or per-page payment. Any agreement places each device under a monthly maintenance or management contract that includes all consumables and parts potentially needed for repair.

A good MPS provider is more than an outside vendor. They are part of the customer’s team, being available and offering customized solutions and expert advice that frees up IT departments and management. In conclusion, they make printers basically invisible until it’s time to print.

Having a third party oversee a company’s printer ecosystem makes sense beyond freeing up time (and reducing headaches), especially when you consider these statistics:
– On average, printer repair costs are three times higher than the price of a new printer.
– Printer costs are just below rent, payroll and fixed office costs.
– Two-thirds of offices do not track their printing expenses.
– Three percent of a company’s revenue is spent on paper (at an average of 10,000 pages per office employee).

All this doesn’t even take into account the huge environmental impact of poorly managed print. Managed print services significantly improve all of these statistics. In fact, effective managed print services can reduce business costs by 20-30%, as well as potentially improve document security and an office’s environmental footprint.
With Nubeprint, through an ecosystem of data collection agents, you can offer these services for all types of customers, large, medium or small, for business or home use, on automatic replenishment subscription models or on cost-per-copy contracts.
And all this, with products for distributors that guarantee independence and autonomy from manufacturers, since Nubeprint supports printers of all types and from any manufacturer.
Undoubtedly, managed print services are not a fad, but part of the commercial success of businesses. Statistics reveal that the managed print services market is growing, and is expected to reach $58 billion in revenue worldwide by 2025.
Source: IT User, Nubeprint

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Monitoring technology allows a small business to sell a large product catalog as of the largest businesses without the need to invest in stock.

80% of start-up businesses close after five years. Increased transparency about the product, the quality and, in short, the “user experience” offered is partly to blame. This transparency has come hand in hand with technology that allows anyone with Internet access to learn about the reputation of a business through online reviews. Specialization and the appropriate use of technological tools allow a business to differentiate itself and stand out from the rest.

“Shoemaker, to your shoes”. Few sayings sum up so well the fact that you must know what you are doing. But let’s go a step further. Let’s assume that there is a previous market study, and that the owner of the new business has the knowledge to carry it out.

What are the keys to success?

Nowadays there is an excess of supply, and the customer is hardly loyal to brands, he does not marry anyone. Customer service, closeness and empathy will ensure that the business is on the right track. Now, in terms of positioning and promotion, are we different? Do we give any added value to our product? Let’s take a practical example: a computer consumables store. In these times of oversupply where manufacturers multiply without clear differences in their products (HP, Epson, Canon, etc.), what will be the differential aspect of the store?

One goes to buy a cartridge, and the store either has it or not. If they have it, they buy it, and we’ll see them come back. The main reason to buy it in that store is the availability; second is the proximity and third is the price. The store owner swims against the tide. We mean that availability being the fundamental aspect, if he takes a classic approach in which availability = stock, the entrepreneur will make a whole series of calculations in which, whatever he decides, he always loses.

Since having a stock has a cost, the retailer cannot have everything and limits the brands: “I sell this one very little, so I will remove it”, “this other one, which I sell a lot of, I will remove it too because I am fed up with the manufacturer selling directly to the end consumer and replacing the consumables, so I seldom sell twice to the same customer”; “this manufacturer’s consumables are very expensive, I am not interested”.

It is clear that “having everything” is not easy and some logical measures must be taken. But the above examples show us a common way of thinking that, unfortunately, leads to the ruin of the business. It is not necessary to limit the offer “just because”; it is necessary to look for alternative ways that allow us to keep it and to give the added value to the product to differentiate us from the others. The entrepreneur must be aware of the technology available in the market and use it to their advantage. They should stop seeing technology as a luxurious expense and see it as something necessary to protect their business and/or make it grow.

It is quite common to hear about the Internet of Things and monitoring. Continuing with the earlier example, what if the entrepreneur could know in advance what the printer is going to need? With this information, could one not have an infinite catalog of products without having to keep a stock? How many customers could one build customer loyalty with? And how many new customers could one then acquire?

In line with the same example, the free Nubeprint app monitors printers and identifies what is going to be needed up to 90 days in advance. Now imagine a service based on the ability of a computer consumables retailer to monitor its customers’ printers. Let’s imagine an automatic consumables replenishment service that is activated the moment the end customer installs the app on his or her cell phone. From that moment on, the customer does not have to worry about how much ink or toner their printer has, because the store takes care of replacing the cartridges at the right time. Wouldn’t the store be providing an added and differential value? What better way to build customer loyalty, combined with the proximity and closeness that the big brands do not provide!
Fuente: expansión.com, Nubeprint

Did you know …….?

SME employees opt for a hybrid work model.

Two years ago, very few had taken part in video conferences or completed their working day without leaving home. Today, knowing the advantages of remote work and the tools needed to meet professional demands, most employees want to take advantage of its flexibility.

A survey of SME employees was conducted to find out what they think about the different working models and where they think it may be heading had shown that 56.7% of the employees believe that, in two years’ time, they will opt for a mixed model and that 62.5% of those surveyed say that their employers have returned to face-to-face work. When asked which work model they would prefer, 40.4% opted for a flexible model, followed by 34% would choose face-to-face work and 25.6% would prefer remote work.

The survey also showed that SMEs have worked to supply the necessary resources to ensure effective teleworking, although they still have room for improvement. 23% of the workers surveyed consider that their company has done its homework, while 36.8% propose to continue advancing this model with a more complete platform, with more powerful laptops and higher performance printing peripherals to perform the same work they did in the office.
Fuente: Cinco Días, Nubeprint

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An App that links you to your customers strengthens your business.

Today’s consumables sales have become more volatile, unpredictable due to the lack of loyalty because the customer does not perceive value when buying. It is quite common for the end consumer to run out of consumables for their printer and turn to online platforms (Amazon, Mercado Libre, etc..) to buy and quickly receive the consumable that their usual store may take a long time to deliver. This situation leads to more and more customers subscribing to replacement services that directly connect to the manufacturer. This service is increasingly available to consumers, professionals and SMEs. In both cases, the traditional channel or store is being pushed out of the business.

What does the distributor do to defend itself? How does it manage to fight in this fierce competition? Well, Nubeprint provides the tool the distributor needs to build customer loyalty: the Nubeprint App.

With the Nubeprint app installed on the customer’s cell phone, the dealer can monitor the printers remotely. In addition, he can connect the app to his eCommerce portal so that any consumables needed automatically generate a purchase on the portal. It is the first and only solution in the market that combines real-time monitoring with the eCommerce shopping cart.

Its operation is neophyte-proof. The customer installs the Nubeprint app on his cell phone and activates the service with a license number provided by the retailer. From that moment on, the retailer (the distributor) receives notifications every time the customer needs a cartridge. If the retailer has chosen to connect the app to its electronic sales portal, this notification is automatically converted into a purchase on behalf of that customer.

The Nubeprint app is available for Android mobiles, iPhone, for installation on Smart TVs and even for MAC. Because it is a Google and Apple verified app, it is safe and non-invasive to use. The activation of the monitoring service offered by the retailer is, thanks to the Nubeprint app, child’s play.
Source: Nubeprint

Did you know …….?

Decision-making with the Internet of Printers (IoP) reduces costs.

The convergence of artificial intelligence with the Internet of Printers (IoP) adds value to business processes, enabling companies to reduce costs and labor.
The ability to analyze data in order to make better and faster decisions is the great transformation offered by the IoT, in general, in any sector.

This added value means having information, for example, in the aspect of consumption, having the data in real time to use more efficiently and sustainably, while contributing to recycling and the circular economy.

Source: Cinco Días, Nubeprint

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Telework today offers great advantages to organizations.

The Walters People Labor Market Survey shows that 72% of professionals blame their lack of productivity on interruptions and noise generated by the office itself. The stress it causes can have a negative impact on employee motivation and productivity.
The possibility of working from home is seen by professionals as an efficient way to boost their work performance, with 68% believing they could be more productive if they had this alternative.

When organizations offer the opportunity to work from home on a regular or full-remote basis, they not only reduce the possibility of this stress spreading within the organization, but also achieve greater employee well-being. Telecommuting is also a determining factor for 52% of respondents when looking for new employment opportunities, a percentage that is higher among younger generations.

In addition to the benefits mentioned above, telecommuting also contributes to the company’s goal of being environmentally neutral. It is no coincidence that most of the pollution in major cities is caused by transportation during the commute to and from the workplace. Adopting a hybrid work environment means rationalizing time and resources, dispensing with a polluting commute when it is not really necessary if the worker can do his job from home.
Thanks to the technological tools available today, working from home is not an obstacle to performing functions in an operational and effective manner.

With this new work landscape, a print service provider can manage its customers’ consumables needs with the tools provided by Nubeprint to perform automated replenishment of consumables and monitor the behavior and status of printing equipment.
Source:Robert Walters, Nubeprint

Did you know …….?

Subscription models are one of the fastest growing forms of e-commerce sales.

Subscription models are not really a novelty, they have been around for years in a more analogical format, like the ones we used to do with newspapers, gyms, etc. The same idea has been transformed into one of the fastest growing models in platform commerce.

A Gartner study indicates that by 2023, 75% of the companies that now sell to their consumers will also offer that same sale under some type of subscription (physical products, access to platforms, etc.).

E-commerce has evolved very quickly, especially in recent years, but it is interesting to know the history of e-commerce from its beginnings. Its immediate predecessor dates back to the 1920s in the USA with catalog sales. Some companies wanted to respond to customers who wanted to shop but lived in rural areas. Stores were far away. In addition, they saw potential in other customers who wanted to shop conveniently from home (without having to travel). The expansion of the telephone as a fundamental tool for sellers, and the use of credit cards, which allowed payment without the need to be present, gave rise to new ways of doing business that were no longer just physical.

Then, with the arrival of the WWW, and in the 90s with the explosion of the .coms and the creation of Ebay and Amazon, the rise of e-commerce was unstoppable.
Since then, new online sales models have emerged (not only stores but also platforms such as Marketplace or Dropshipping) and subscription models, all in response to consumer changes and technological evolution (which is becoming faster and faster).

If we are talking about replacement products, such as printer consumables, the benefit for the customer is to always have the consumable available without having to remember it, knowing that he will receive a replacement of known quality and at a price with no surprises. For the supplier, the most obvious advantage is undoubtedly the generation of recurring revenue, which reduces its cost per sales transaction and allows it to have better stock forecasting.

The subscription sales model is designed to win more loyal customers. This is well known by printer manufacturers themselves who, like HP, have decided to go all out and, without relying directly on the channel, to gain the trust of end customers (consumers and SMEs). Although the cost of acquisition is higher than in other types of e-commerce, the value provided by the customer in the long term is much higher and more than compensates for it. An example: the sales value of the consumables used by a printer for 5 years is 5 times the sales value of the printer itself. In a scenario in which, in the short and long term, the durability of the printers is prioritized for reasons of sustainability (we are talking about the circular economy), the control of the supply of consumables consumed by the end customer is the key to the survival of businesses.

Another benefit is the greater possibility of cross-selling or upselling, offering improvements to the customer on the current service or related products or services to obtain a superior experience.

For all these reasons, it is not surprising that the value of a company is increasingly measured in terms of its number of subscribers.
Source: Paradigma Digital, Nubeprint

Did you know …….?

Mobile commerce (m-commerce) is becoming increasingly popular.

The increase in the use of mobile devices has meant that mobile commerce is currently playing a greater role than e-commerce. The bases are exactly the same as those of e-commerce but online purchases are made from smartphones or tablets. Many users make use of m-commerce, either through the browser or an application. In this way they can shop anytime, anywhere without any limitations.

Shopping behavior and habits are changing thanks to the advent of new technologies, including machine learning (ML) and business intelligence. Consumers have more relevant information at their fingertips. ML analyzes the preferences of each user to present the products that best suit their tastes and needs. In turn, the shopping portal offers more possibilities in a more intuitive way. The consumer can and prefers to obtain and compare products or information online, thus being able to make better decisions.

In the consumables market, the Nubeprint app allows consumers to activate the monitoring of their printer from their mobile, and thus have a direct channel with the store of their choice to enjoy services such as automatic reservation of consumables, purchase with automatic replenishment, or even technical service of their equipment with a single click. Any e-commerce or m-commerce platform can activate this service that guarantees a direct and recurrent contact with your smallest customers.
Source:Technology for Business, Nubeprint

Did you know …….?

Digitalization and sustainability have become an indivisible binomial.

To obtain sustainable printing, it is not enough to raise awareness in business and industry; society must also be aware of the importance of the term ‘sustainable brand’, which implies knowing under what conditions the product has been manufactured and with what materials. To this end, public administrations must be responsible for informing society and taking measures in this regard, so that society finds other motivations apart from the quality/price ratio of a product. Certain NGOs and citizens’ groups are already making efforts at the educational level, but there is still a long way to go before people are aware of and can become adequately involved in the maintenance of the environment. We must reach the point where consumers, before buying a product and looking at the price, look more closely at whether its manufacture avoids the emission of hazardous substances, and that it has been assessed and approved by experts and independent institutions.

The so-called digital transition and ecological transition are practically omnipresent on institutional and legislative agendas, and the main industrial players at national and international level take it for granted that one revolution cannot take place without the other. Analyses made during the confinement confirm that the most sustainable mobility is that which is not produced, recommending taking advantage of the benefits offered by technologies to foster teleworking and increase remote management and service delivery models.

Automation, driven by artificial intelligence and IoT connectivity, is one element that opens the door to much more efficient mobility models in this sector.
Source:Nubeprint

Did you know …….?

Managed print services will see a recovery in the next few years.

The market was negatively impacted with the emergence of COVID-19, but strict regulations imposed to reduce plastic waste and efforts to reduce operating costs are expected to drive growth in such services. Large enterprises have been the primary demand for managed print services, and demand is growing among small businesses and consumers.

The global managed print services (MPS) market generated $30.91 billion in revenue in 2019, and is projected to witness a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2% from 2020 to 2027, according to Grand View Research. Meanwhile, the SME segment is expected to register the fastest CAGR from 2020 to 2027. This may be associated with the changing trend of smaller organizations towards subscribing to managed print services, as well as the increased ease of access to such services, such as with the Nubeprint app that allows the end customer to activate the subscription service for consumables replenishment from mobile.

In 2019, the BFSI (banking, financial services and insurance) segment dominated the global managed print services market. Increasing demand for MPS systems in government, IT, telecom, education, and retail organizations is expected to drive market growth.

Adoption of MPS can help reduce local printer requirements, analyze printing needs, replace inefficient devices, extend the life of efficient ones, automate supply delivery, reduce or even eliminate single-use cartridges, and enable remote operations. In addition, the growing need to reduce energy consumption and provide customizable solutions is expected to generate demand for such services. These services have access to email, ERP systems, and cloud-based repositories. In addition, features such as higher performance, lower prices, reduced physical footprint, and increased productivity are expected to fuel the growth of such services.
Source: Grand View Research, Nubeprint