01732 759725 40 VOX POP So yes, our customers are driving the demand. But I think the real commercial opportunity is for those of us in the channel who can turn that intent into tangible outcomes. The winners won’t be those solely selling print they’ll be those of us who can genuinely transform how information flows through a client’s business. Lynne Brown, VP Channel Sales, Xerox UK&I: We’re seeing a genuine shift in customer demand. Most organisations have already taken steps towards digitalisation, but many are now focused on the next stage of their transformation – connecting, automating and optimising workflows so information can move more efficiently across the business. There is still an educational element around identifying opportunities for automation and understanding what’s possible, but the conversation has evolved. Customers increasingly recognise that manual, document-based processes can create inefficiencies, compliance challenges and unnecessary costs. The focus is now less on whether to automate and more on where automation can deliver the greatest business impact. Manni Grewal, Content Services Sales Consultant, Kyocera Document Solutions UK: We are seeing customers developing a better understanding of their own processes and the potential for optimisation. There is greater awareness of opportunities to introduce AI and automation to streamline processes, with a desire to remove bottlenecks impacting performance, cost and productivity. Alongside this, organisations are placing increasing importance on handling data in more secure and controlled ways. To an extent, the conversation is now more customer‑led, but they are looking for guidance on what the right solution looks like for their business. While they recognise the need to automate, they rarely have a clear view of how best to approach it or which technologies will deliver the greatest impact. Where education is still needed is around how these technologies can be applied in a meaningful and practical way. We use customer data to quickly build tailored demonstrations, so we can clearly show how our proposed solutions address their specific challenges. This moves the conversation from concept into practical, outcome-focused discussions, giving customers the confidence to move forward with solutions that are the right fit for their organisation. Greig Millar, Chief Revenue Officer, Brother UK: Workflow automation has become a much bigger priority for organisations over the past few years. Customers are under pressure to improve efficiency, reduce manual administration and make information easier to access, which is driving stronger demand for digitisation and document workflow solutions. Businesses are typically looking to solve a business challenge, like reducing paperwork, improving compliance or supporting hybrid working. So, while workflow automation may be the solution in demand, it’s not what customers are asking for by name. The channel has an important role to play in helping customers identify these opportunities for automation and demonstrating the value it can deliver. The conversation has shifted from selling technology to improving processes, which creates a significant opportunity for partners that can connect business needs with practical solutions. Arwel Griffiths, Managing Director, Ar Graff Cymru: Customers are certainly talking to us more about scanning and document management. It’s often the younger generation that seems to be leading the way because they’re much more comfortable with automated workflows and digital processes. More and more businesses are looking for practical ways to improve their efficiency and cut down on the amount of paper they’re handling every day. While most of our customers are becoming more aware of what’s available, they still look to us for advice and guidance. A lot of our role is helping them understand the options and finding solutions that suit the way they work. John Green, Managing Director, Commerce Business Systems: We’re definitely seeing more interest from customers. Businesses are under pressure to do more with the resources they have, so they’re looking at ways to improve efficiency and make their processes more productive and cost-effective. Most customers understand that digital workflows can help, but they don’t always know what’s available or where to start. That’s where we come in. We spend a lot of time understanding how they’re working now and showing them practical ways in which technology can make life easier in the future. Daniel Gilbert, Managing Director, Key Digital: We’re absolutely seeing more customers asking about digitisation projects, but the demand is still only half‑formed. Most organisations know what they want to achieve, but they’re often not sure of the most efficient or cost‑effective way to get there. That means we’re still doing a huge amount of education around what is actually possible. A big part of the challenge is that many customers don’t realise their existing print and scan infrastructure can already do far more than they’re using it for. But unless suppliers proactively surface those possibilities, customers won’t know they exist. And if they don’t hear it from us, they’ll hear it from another supplier who’s willing to have that deeper conversation and drive real value. So, our approach is to widen the lens. When someone comes to us with a scanning enquiry, we talk about how it impacts their entire operation. We look across departments, processes, approval chains, and any upcoming IT changes to make sure we’re not missing opportunities or creating future bottlenecks. It’s easy to take a paper haystack and turn it into a digital haystack, but that doesn’t contribute to efficiency. Matt Hill, Vice President, Sales, Tungsten Automation: The demand has shifted and it’s broader than it used to be. We are not walking into rooms and telling …continued continued... Mark Asbridge Ryan Green Lynne Brown
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