BusinessToday speaks to Sandy Lee, Assistant Director and Head of Consumer System Products (CSP) Division at Canon Marketing (Malaysia), on her thoughts on the changes in the printing industry and how is Canon still thriving in a world that is pushing for sustainability.
- Based on your observation, do you see any changes in the printing industry now that a lot more people are back in their offices?
a. How does this change impact the industry?
● Like many other businesses, the printing industry is always evolving, innovating, and adjusting to the demand from the consumers.
● Observed a drop in printer print volume (PV) from home printing as businesses are now returning to normalcy. Hence, a surge in the office print volume.
● Targeting the right market is critical to our business success. As a venture company founded on enterprising spirit and unwavering desire to set itself apart through technology, Canon has always placed a significant emphasis on producing the best products possible. Our latest G series, it’s simple to use, low maintenance, hassle-free, low cost, and convenient to the users. We’re proud of our high-performance business printer which provides added value to customers. And we’ll continue to seek improvements in digital inkjet technology to cater the high demand and volatile market.
b. Did Canon anticipate this change?
● We began to see economic activity pick up again in the second half of last year and have anticipated the change. Demand grew sharply on the back of the resumption of economic activity. As the pandemic has accelerated digital adoption and transformation, we have observed an increasing trend in certain vertical segment industries, ie. the medical and education sectors. Surge in traction from these industries and we are optimistic with the outlook of the printing industry.
- Based on the current situation, how Canon help businesses get back on track and maximise efficiency at work?
a. What are the efforts offered by Canon to help ease the transition for employees working from the office now?
● Successful hybrid working means work is equally productive, collaborative, and secure, regardless of where it takes place. Our mobile printing solutions with our Canon PRINT Inkjet app allow users to print, scan and copy directly from the mobile device, view remaining ink levels, connect the printer to popular cloud services, and even make changes to the printer setting remotely. Coupled with advanced security features to ensure work productivity and efficiency without compromising security.
b. How can your in-app approach help navigate users to use your printers efficiently?
● Since 2012, Canon has released mobile printing applications as printing was the main use of our app. Since then, we have been making constant improvements to our app, expanding its functionality from just printing to including scanning, photo editing, printer monitoring & management, cloud printing, and many other features. For customisable graphical design, photo editing, and creative craft, users can conveniently Print, Edit, Create Business Card, Photo Layouts and Collages. Even Photo ID Printing and Calendars via Canon Easy Photo Editor App,
● All iOS, Android, and Windows Mobile users can download Canon’s app for free. They have an easy-to-use user interface. For instance, Canon PRINT Inkjet app is for wireless printing, which makes it convenient and accessible to use Canon printers. Any Canon networked printer at users’ homes or places of business will be automatically detected by the app, added, and will begin printing in less than a minute.
● The midrange and higher-end laser printers come with an application library built in. Users can preset their most frequently used features on the screen using the application library. The user can programme the printer according to their preferences, and eventually increase their productivity via simplified workflow.
c. While Canon is offering specialists to help service and guide users to use printing devices, are the product specialists equipped with the knowledge to suggest other devices that perhaps will offer better efficiency?
● Yes. Our product specialists are well equipped with knowledge of our wide range of products. They will propose the best device that meets consumers’ needs. We focus on customers’ pain points to provide the best solutions ultimately.
● Canon understands that there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution that can cut across all sectors and businesses.
● Therefore, Canon’s product specialist will consult on an extensive printer range that meets all needs, from home use to professional level.
- What is the next trend that you foresee in the printing industry now many people are adapting towards digitalisation?
a. If the pandemic is the biggest change, what has helped Canon to be ready for the surge of demand?
● At the same time, because a hybrid working style that combines office-based work with remote work has now become well entrenched at companies, we have expanded our range of products and services that can offer a printing environment free from the constraints of physical working location, whether it be at home or in the office. In this field, in particular, we intend to reinforce our development of hardware and software with the aim of providing cloud-based digital services and finding an optimal balance between lineup expansion and cost reductions with the use of platform-based product development.
● Users that need high volume printing, more in-house quality printing, variety of printing for business purposes etc, all these are offered in our printer series. Our user-replaceable maintenance cartridges allow users to maintain their printers easily without any downtime.
● We will also leverage IoT and other digital technologies to deliver services and support with a high level of customer satisfaction. This is where a product can automatically connect to other products to facilitate ease of use
● Not forgetting the focus on Green Business, Canon products are environmentally friendly, and cost-efficient. Less wastage as the ink tanks are larger, the packaging is also environmentally friendly. And we will continue our effort in cultivating users to be vigilant, especially in using Canon genuine inks/toners.
b. Do you foresee any big changes to come in the future?
● In this unprecedented time, changes happen anytime and anywhere. It’s important that we constantly be quick in adapting to the changes and agile in our ways of working to cope with the ever-changing environment.
c. What is Canon planning to face if a big change will happen?
● Canon continuously incorporates cutting-edge technologies through an open innovation approach for R&D, based on partnerships with external organisations, to ensure we develop & provide relevant solutions to meet customers’ demands proactively.
● One of Canon’s greatest strengths is its robust value creation technologies, which focus on intellectual property, quality, design, value engineering, project management, and virtual prototyping, creating the kind of value that the world needs.
