The digitization of traditional office print

There is no doubt that today's workplace is rapidly evolving and, as a result, traditional print vendors and print service providers must also evolve to meet their customer's changing needs. Yet, just what is causing this change? A key answer lies in the shift in demographics as baby boomers — one of the largest generations in history — leave the workplace for retirement and millennials move up the ranks and take on more leadership roles as they have different values and expectations.

The future of digital printing

So, how will the role of traditional office printing change as the workplace continues to embrace digital transition? For starters, millennials (those born between 1980 and the mid-1990s) were raised at a much different time than baby boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), prompting them to have different values and ideals. They were the first generation to grow up immersed by smartphones and social media, in an always on and always connected world.

They never knew a life without digital technology and, as a result, they are very critical of technology that does not meet their standards. In addition, they are much more sustainability-conscious than their elder counterparts. According to a Sustainable Brands trends and insights study, roughly 80% of millennials are likely to pay more for responsibly made products and, in addition, expect to work for companies that care about their environmental impacts.[2] Lastly, this generation expects flexible work environments and the ability to stay connected and always on while traveling or working remotely.

The evolution of mobile print, cloud print and print usage analytics

As print retains a vital role in our workplace, traditional print will be replaced with a more "modernized" version of what we have today. Much of this change and growth will be fueled by mobile printing and cloud printing. With the drive toward our current digital and mobile workplace, it comes as no surprise that millennials see cloud printing and mobile printing as becoming increasingly important. People want to be able to print from wherever they are — and more often than not — they are on a mobile device.