DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
Transform to survive Digital transformation is a journey that many SMBs are embarking on, and resellers have a key role to play in helping customers to achieve the benefits they want – and scanners are also an important factor for many.
For many small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) digital transformation is a becoming a necessity if they want to continue to compete with other businesses. By digitising elements of their business – often ones that are traditionally paper-based – it can help them become more efficient and, hopefully, profitable. This means that demand for digital transformation among SMBs is strong currently, says Ian Fox, UK channel solutions and services specialist at Xerox. “Organisations of all sizes are looking to streamline their processes and reduce operating costs, but this becomes even more critical for smaller SMBs whose operations are often dependent on key personnel, leaving their business processes exposed to the impact of staff holidays or long-term absence due to illness,” he explains. “Digital transformation is a great way to streamline some of the more labour- intensive and mundane processes, such as scanning, data processing and extraction.” David Malan, sales director, UK & Ireland at DocuWare, agrees that demand for digital transformation continues to rise among SMBs, adding that resellers have a vital role to play in guiding these businesses toward technologies that ensure a smooth and future-
solutions that offer automation, security and accessibility,” he says. “Events like DocuWorld 2025 highlight just how strong that momentum is, with clear focus areas emerging around cloud, AI, integration and usability.” Greig Millar, chief revenue officer at Brother UK, adds that small businesses are continuing to invest in digital transformation “as they recognise the tangible benefits it delivers – from improved efficiency and security to lower operational costs,” he says. “The demand among the workforce for hybrid working and the need to manage documents across dispersed teams has made digitisation a top priority too.” Trends While SMBs in general are looking towards greater digitisation of their operations, there are some distinct trends in the market currently. “Solutions that streamline operations, support collaboration and increase flexibility are in high demand, particularly if they integrate easily into companies’ existing systems, support compliance and can scale with business’ evolving needs,” says Greig. David adds that current customer trends reflect a desire for simplicity, scalability and smart automation. “SMBs are prioritising solutions that are mobile- accessible, browser-based and easy to implement without needing deep technical expertise,” he says. “Tools like DocuWare, which offer intelligent document processing and workflow automation (DocuWare IDP), are seeing
Ian Fox UK channel solutions and services specialist
www.xerox.co.uk/en-gb
Many SMBs choose to maximise their investments and use their MFDs for scanning. “ ”
Xerox C8200
proof transition. “Many SMBs are moving away
from manual, paper- based processes and adopting cloud-based document and workflow
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