MPS FOR RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY
Times are tough for businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors in the UK. Recently high-profile names such as Claire’s Accessories have disappeared from the high street, with others, such as TG Jones – better known as WH Smith – closing more than 100 stories. But underneath the headline closures, many smaller retail businesses are also closing their shutters for good. It is a similar story in the hospitality sector, with more than five venues shutting per day around the country this year. This means for those businesses remaining, whether large or small, the focus is on the bottom line and ensuring operations are as efficient as possible. With print still a core part of many operations in the retail and hospitality sectors, businesses are looking to see how it could be run better – and managed print services (MPS) is increasingly seen as a route to this. Lynne Brown, VP channel sales at Xerox UK & Ireland, says demand for MPS solutions from retail and hospitality businesses remains strong. “This is because retail and hospitality organisations continue to look for ways to reduce operational costs, improve efficiency and simplify the management of increasingly distributed technology environments,” she says. “While print remains business-critical for many retail and hospitality operations, customers are increasingly viewing managed print services as part of a wider operational technology and digital transformation strategy. They’re looking for solutions that not only improve device management, but also help streamline workflows, reduce pressure on IT teams and support broader business objectives. “As organisations continue to balance
operate more effectively.” Gary Organ, head of device technology sales (office) UK at Fujifilm Business Innovation, agrees that demand in retail and hospitality for MPS is high. “These markets continue to focus on print as a key part of their business processes,” he says.
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Many retailers and hospitality businesses know where they want to get to in terms of digital transformation, but they're often dealing with legacy systems, competing priorities and limited resources.
Trends But while demand for MPS is high, what customers want out of it are changing, and expectations on providers are increasing. Lynne notes that customer expectations have evolved significantly over the last few years. “Organisations are no longer looking for a supplier that simply manages printers; they’re looking for a partner that can help deliver measurable business outcomes,” she says. “Cost control, security and reliability remain key priorities, but customers are also looking for ways to connect physical and digital processes, make better use of operational data and simplify increasingly complex technology environments. “Many retailers and hospitality businesses know where they want to get to in terms of digital transformation, but they’re often dealing with legacy systems, competing priorities and limited resources. As a result, they’re looking for practical solutions that deliver value quickly, provide greater operational visibility and support more informed decision-making.” Gary adds that customers in hospitality want digital and printed copies of documents. “In addition, personalised and
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cost pressures with investment in technology, we’re seeing growing demand for services that combine
automation, analytics, security and cloud- based management to help businesses
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