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Why information flows around print matter to executives
Print sits within a wider information process: documents are created, shared, approved, captured, stored and acted on across physical and digital environments. Hybrid work has made those handoffs more visible. A paper document may need to enter a cloud workflow; a digital file may need secure printing at a shared office; staff may move between home and office systems that were not designed to interoperate.
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When those processes are disconnected, employees may re-enter information, move files manually or use workarounds that are hard to monitor. The consequences can reach beyond the print room: slower work, less reliable decisions, weaker visibility into where information goes, and more difficulty applying consistent security and retention controls. Rowan Jeffreys-Hoar, director of partner sales at Ricoh UK, described the shift this way: The discussion is becoming less about individual products and more about how different technologies work together to support the wider business.
His article appeared on ChannelPro/ITPro on 26 August 2026; it reflects a vendor-side channel perspective, not evidence that every company has elevated print decisions to its board. Read the ChannelPro article.
Why the issue reaches the boardroom
Executives are accountable for organization-wide priorities, and information workflows can touch several at once:
- Productivity: repeated handling and disconnected applications can consume staff time and delay work.
- Security and governance: document access, routing, retention and auditability matter when sensitive information moves between people, devices and systems.
- Resilience: dependable workflows matter when employees work in different locations or existing processes are disrupted.
- Investment value: leaders need to know whether technology spending improves a measurable process rather than simply adding another device or service.
- Sustainability: organizations may need to understand resource use and the role of print alongside digital alternatives.
This does not mean every print purchase belongs on a board agenda. The strategic conversation is more likely when a workflow affects multiple departments, carries meaningful risk or cost, or requires investment and coordination across systems.
What the latest surveys say—and what they do not
Industry findings support a more nuanced case than “print is back.” They point to pressure on print volumes and costs, while also showing demand for mixed print-and-digital communications and services that address document workflows.
| Evidence | Finding | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| PRINTING United Alliance, May 2026 | Among 258 participating companies across commercial printing, wide-format graphics, package and label production, and apparel decoration, average 2025 sales grew 0.4%, while operating costs rose 4.8%. After inflation, average sales fell 2.4%. | A survey of participating firms, not a census of the print industry. The report was produced for Alliance members and sponsored by Canon U.S.A. |
| PRINTING United Alliance, May 2026 | 49.0% of respondents said clients were integrating print and electronic alternatives in multimedia communications and marketing; 58.9% said rising costs were encouraging clients to reduce print use. | Print and digital are often being combined, but cost pressure is also driving selectivity. |
| Quocirca State of the Channel 2026, as reported 7 October 2026 | In a survey of 144 channel partners conducted in June and July 2026, 72% expected customer print volumes to decline over the following year, by an average 7.5%; 57% expected scan volumes to rise, by an average 6.2%. | Partner expectations and forecasts, not measured future outcomes. The trade report summarizes Quocirca’s study rather than providing its full report. |
| Quocirca State of the Channel 2026, as reported 7 October 2026 | Partners cited cloud print management and services (52%), digital workflow automation (46%), secure products (44%) and print security solutions (43%) as leading customer requirements. | These are survey-reported demand indicators; requirements vary by customer. |
The Alliance survey also found that 56.3% of respondents said clients requested more guidance planning print projects, and 47.3% said print was becoming a more important part of clients’ communication mix. At the same time, 64.7% reported requests for faster job turns, 61.3% reported greater price sensitivity, and 64.6% said their own pre-tax profitability was flat or lower. Those results describe participating firms, but help explain why providers are under pressure to offer more advice while controlling costs. See PRINTING United Alliance.
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Quocirca’s channel survey also found that 50% of partners expected revenue to rise in 2026 and 27% expected it to remain stable; the average forecast growth was 3.5%. Those expectations are not guarantees. The study’s reported challenges included expanding digital and software services (41%) and integrating and applying AI (40%). Read the Print in the Channel report.
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How the print channel’s role is changing
The traditional transaction centered on selecting, supplying and maintaining equipment. The emerging conversation is broader: understand a document-intensive process, identify where it breaks down, connect the relevant systems and provide support and measurement over time. That can involve a document scanner or multifunction device, but the device is only one part of the service.
Quocirca’s reported survey points to a shift in activity as well as technology: more partners expect scanning to grow even as print volumes fall. Only 27% said they currently monetize scanning activity, suggesting a service capability that many respondents have not yet turned into revenue. This is a partner-reported figure, not proof that any particular scanning service will be profitable.
For customers, useful offerings may combine cloud print management, secure release, document capture, workflow automation, application integration, analytics and ongoing support. The right mix depends on the process and existing systems; AI is not a substitute for clear ownership, access controls or a well-designed workflow.
How to assess a proposed print or workflow service
A board-level proposal should make the business case legible before it leads with features. Ask the provider to set out:
Best Value
- The business outcome: Which specific delay, cost, risk or service problem is the project meant to address?
- Workflow coverage: How will paper capture, applications, cloud platforms and existing systems connect? Which handoffs remain manual?
- Security and governance: Where does information travel and reside? What controls govern access, retention and audit records?
- Evidence of value: What baseline will be measured, which outcomes will count, and over what review period? Include implementation and ongoing costs.
- Service capability: What support, analytics, staff expertise and continuing optimization are included?
- Sustainability evidence: What usable data supports claims about energy, lifecycle and resource use?
These questions help separate an integrated process improvement from a collection of loosely connected products. There is no universal scoring model: priorities and measures should reflect the organization’s own workflow and risks.
What this means for print providers
For channel partners, the opportunity is to earn a place in the conversation by demonstrating an understanding of the customer’s information processes—not by asserting that print demand is rising everywhere. The evidence points to a mixed market: print remains part of many communication plans, while cost pressures and expected volume declines make selective use more likely. Partners that can support scanning, cloud services, workflow integration and security may be better placed to address that reality, but forecasts do not assure growth.
Louella Fernandes, CEO of Quocirca, summarized the execution challenge in the report: “The challenge is no longer one of strategy but one of execution.” The practical test is whether a provider can deliver the skills, commercial approach and vendor support needed to turn a workflow proposal into measurable, maintained improvement—not simply present a transformation pitch.
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