IDC says in their latest report, that accelerated document process transformation will reduce the print volumes of 78.4% of Asia/Pacific organisations.
The increased shift to hybrid work, coupled with digitalisation initiatives, has caused organisations to re-think their reliance on paper documents and printers while finding solutions that enable mobility, security, accessibility, and business resilience.
According to IDC’s Survey Presentation Accelerated versus Gradual Transformers in APeJ (Asia Pacific excluding Japan), over 75% of organisations expect printed page volume to decrease over the next two years. Coupled with close to half of all organisations (47.7%) expecting a reduction in print devices, these trends suggest rapid maturity and adoption of document solutions as the region looks to digitize paper processes.
Countries were divided into Accelerated or Gradual Transformers, depending on responses relating to likelihood of going completely paperless, timeline for WorkSpace transformation, and degree to which they say print volume and print devices decreasing over the next two years. Accelerated Transformers include India, Thailand Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and Korea, while Gradual Transformers include China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
“Both groups will transform the WorkSpace to address a hybrid workforce, increasing the accessibility of print services through solutions or feature upgrades to enable work from anywhere,” said Kenneth Tham, Senior Market Analyst for Imaging, Print and Document Solutions at IDC Asia/Pacific.
According to IDC, India, Thailand, and Malaysia respondents indicated they would see print volumes and devices decrease to a larger degree than digitally mature countries like Australia and Korea. This suggests their short-term investments into document solutions will be focused on transforming business process while nearly eliminating the need for paper. On the other hand, Taiwan and Hong Kong were classified as Gradual Transformer despite being digitally mature countries – it resonates the legislative value printed documents still hold in these countries. Their document transformation initiatives will address the co-existence of paper and digital documents, ensuring data from all sources is captured and fed into core business systems.
