What do you feel were the main trends and key industry developments in 2021?
Obviously, there was the ongoing impact of the pandemic. All businesses realised that they had to find new ways to operate and rely more heavily on e-commerce, digital processes and automation. During 2020 there were probably some still in denial, that the pandemic would be over by the summer of 2021 and things would 'go back to normal'. So they felt investing in a long-term solution to a short-term problem wasn’t necessary.

However, those that have invested in web-to-print, automated processes and developed new revenue streams have fared significantly better over the last year.

Again, not a new trend but the environmental impact of the industry is being scrutinised more than ever. So while print companies have been looking at ways to lower costs, through digitisation such as web-to-print, there is the realisation that these processes can have a significant impact in lowering businesses’ carbon footprint. And as we have been hearing from COP26, there is going to be increased scrutiny on the environmental impact of all businesses.

Do you feel that any trends have been accelerated because of the pandemic?
Undoubtedly. Obviously, e-commerce is nothing new but a host of data shows that many made their first online transaction during the pandemic. And this is behaviour that has stuck, not just for B2C but also B2B customers. B2B e-commerce, for example is expected to grow by 18% by 2028.

From a business point of view, printers that had been perhaps delaying implementing e-commerce for another few years were forced into action. We saw a number of customers bring web-to-print projects forward as a result of the pandemic, although there are still a significant number of organisations that are leaving money on the table because they don’t offer e-commerce to their customers.

What do you expect to be the main trends and key industry developments in 2022?
I think we’re going to see an increased focus on what’s known as the triple bottom line – the social and environmental impact that businesses have. So, as well as investing in technology that generates more business, lowers costs and improves productivity, printers will be using that technology to improve the societal and environmental impact of their supply chain and overall production process – from ordering to shipping. All of which, e-commerce, web-to-print and automation will be at the centre of.

What do you think will represent the single biggest opportunity for print businesses in 2022 and why?
Obviously, I’m going to say web-to-print! Not only does it enable print organisations to develop new revenue streams, have a presence anywhere in the world and improve productivity, it is going to be integral for demonstrating sustainability.

As well as being able to offer live pricing, for even the most complicated jobs, printers will be able to use the same processes to show their customers what is the most sustainable material, finishing and shipping method.

What does the industry need to do differently in 2022?
Competition is always going to be a healthy part of business. After all, it’s what drives innovation. But I think what we’ve all become aware of over the last two years is the importance of partnerships.

I think we need to see more companies working together – whether that’s printing organisations themselves (connecting with partners to grow a presence in a different region) or suppliers such as ourselves.

Infigo wouldn’t be where it is today without the support of partners such as Adobe, HP, Tharstern, Enfocus, PrintIQ and many others. It’s always been the question that prospects have asked us: “But will your platform work with my MIS or my CRM?”

We’ve always gone out of our way to integrate and partner with platforms that will ultimately improve the user experience and add value to their proposition.

Note: This prediction is taken from a special Briefing article in the new issue of Printweek featuring insights from industry suppliers, hence it does not follow the same question template as the other predictions.