NEWS
Corporate sustainability goals influence print supplier selection
the solutions – and suppliers – they select. “However, they are not always able to get the data they need from vendors. There is a clear need for vendors to offer more clarity around the sustainability credentials of their products; demand for relevant data and analysis will only increase in the future and vendors that can’t offer it will lose their competitive position.” The study found that the most common strategies implemented to reduce environmental impact around the print infrastructure are focused on reducing paper consumption, including adopting digital workflows (44% of respondents) and using paper from certified sources (40%). Only 31% of companies are using remanufactured or refurbished hardware or leveraging environmental analytics. Companies view digitisation of paper-based processes as a central pillar of sustainability – 70% say it is important to achieving their objectives, second only to the adoption of a cloud platform, rated important by 75%. “The pursuit of a less-paper workplace is nothing new, and limiting consumption through pull printing and process digitisation is a logical focus area,” said Louella. “However, companies should explore the entire range of options for reducing the impact of the print infrastructure from cradle to grave. With many businesses embarking on significant investment in workplace technology to meet hybrid, distributed working requirements, now is a great time to modernise the print infrastructure with a view to meeting sustainability goals, as well as improving efficiency, security and reducing costs.” While there is consensus around speeding up sustainability initiatives, companies are starting from different levels of maturity. Most organisations are still developing their strategies: 42% report they are just starting their sustainability strategy and a further 34% have several initiatives in place. Just 19% of organisations report they have a fully implemented company-wide sustainability strategy, dropping to 11% among SMBs. A company’s level of sustainability maturity is evident in its responsiveness to broader issues such as ESG legislation. The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, for example, has impacted 60% of surveyed companies overall, rising to 86% among those that have fully implemented a sustainability strategy. “Whatever their level of sustainability maturity, companies should explore print infrastructure modernisation as a win-win for meeting sustainability goals,” said Louella.
There is growing urgency among companies to implement sustainability strategies and it is increasingly influencing print infrastructure buying decisions, according to Quocirca’s Sustainability Market Trends Study 2023 . Seven in 10 decision makers say it is important that suppliers demonstrate that they are reducing their own environmental impact, and the same percentage say it is important their supplier provides a range of sustainable products and services. Notably, 69% of businesses say they formally track the environmental performance of their print supplier. But despite the rising focus on sustainability, decision makers say a lack of data from vendors about the environmental impact of printers and MFPs is a barrier to achieving their corporate sustainability goals. Also, while 80% say they are willing to pay a premium for products with environmental features, the cost of such products is still cited among the top three challenges faced by organisations attempting to reduce their environmental impact. Key findings also include: l 46% say their sustainability goals influence their choice of supplier to a great extent, and a further 49% say it influences choices to a moderate extent l 77% are accelerating their sustainability strategies l 62% say sustainability is important to business performance now, and 85% believe it will be important by 2025 l Improving operational efficiency, saving money and meeting industry standards are the top three drivers for implementing sustainability initiatives l Sustainable consumables, device energy efficiency and product longevity are the leading product selection criteria l 31% of organisations are extremely satisfied with sustainability information provided by suppliers. “A combination of stakeholder expectations and the implementation of legislation such as the corporate sustainability reporting directive are prompting organisations to speed up their sustainability initiatives,” said Louella Fernandes, CEO, Quocirca. “This is driving a broader cohort of decision makers to put more emphasis on the sustainability performance of
Louella Fernandes director
quocirca.com
10
Powered by FlippingBook