There’s no doubt about it, the MPS market has evolved, catalysed by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the omnipresent digital revolution, but we’re committed to ensuring our customers maintain their lead in managing their assets and delivering outstanding service.
Operational improvements through new technologies were already taking place in the MPS industry long before coronavirus transformed our working lives exceptionally. The pandemic-imposed necessity of homeworking has, however, accelerated the pace at which these tech-driven operational improvements have been taking place. It’s a change for the better but it has come at a price for some elements of the MPS business model. Luckily for us, our personal experience as a supplier of intelligent service management software to the industry – our cutting-edge Smart MPS – has been spectacularly positive in spite of the impact of COVID-19… but more on that later. For now, let’s take a look at the key changes we’ve observed across the sector as a whole.
Whilst lockdown-easing in the UK continues apace and offices reopen, there is an abundance of evidence to support the expectation that hybrid working is here to stay. In case you’ve been living in a cave since coronavirus crashed into our lives in early 2020 (and, frankly, who could blame you if you have) hybrid working typically describes a model of working from both the office and the home. It existed pre-pandemic but has become widely accepted as the ‘new normal’ for as long as we’re at risk from COVID-19 and probably on a more permanent basis as well. The widely-held belief backed up by a wealth of personal experiences is that homeworking boosts productivity and, for this business-friendly reason alone, it’s likely here to stay.
What has this meant for MPS? Well, inevitably, this turbo-charged shift has taken its toll on traditional on-premise MPS and accelerated the step towards in-the-cloud MPS which is well-suited to remote working. Office print volumes are slowly beginning to recover but it’s doubtful whether they are ever likely to reach pre-pandemic levels given the likely permanent shift towards hybrid working. We’ve noticed that industry leaders, some of which we are lucky enough to do business with, are pioneering the evolution of traditional print services to accommodate this brave new world of centralised and decentralised working from office and home, and many have incorporated home printing within their MPS contracts. This is critical not just to mitigate the security risks presented by at-home printing but also to provide at-home MPS support in the form of printer servicing and supply replenishment, as well as to enable robust document workflow across home and office.
The hybrid workplace presents new opportunities for smart office technology as businesses seek suppliers who offer flexible solutions for the agile office. MPS is strongly placed to leverage this digitisation of the workplace with the UK market alone worth circa £1.8 billion. Cloud-based MPS is increasingly popular and we’re confident that this trend is set to continue in the years to come. Furthermore, our Smart MPS solution will help your business deliver exactly this to your clients.
At Zafire, we’ve experienced these market trends first hand. Over the last 12 to 18 months, our existing customers have been taking stock and enhancing their solutions, and new customers have also come on board spurred on by the need to innovate and adapt their operating models. Accordingly, we’ve seen massive growth in demand for streamlined, consolidated solutions which equates to a 500% increase in AUM (Assets Under Management) utilising our Smart MPS solution on a day-to-day basis. Yet further growth is anticipated as businesses seek to refresh their MPS contracts and devices, having been unable to do so for much of the previous year.
Don’t get left behind: we’re here to help! Our cutting-edge Smart MPS will ensure your business delivers an up-to-the-minute, robust service to your MPS clients. Find out more here.
