Today, faster cycle time is becoming the new lowest bid. Customers still care about price, but price is no longer the only thing shaping the buying decision. More often now, the first real question is, "How fast can I get it?"
When a shop wants to improve turnaround, the first instinct is usually to look at production. That makes sense. Faster devices, shorter makereadies, tighter schedules, and better throughput all sound like the obvious path to faster delivery. But if you have ever looked closely at how work actually moves through a print operation, you already know that the biggest delays often are not happening on the floor. In many shops, the real drag on cycle time happens before the press ever has a chance to become the bottleneck.
Once you accept that faster cycle time is the new lowest bid, the next question becomes practical: how do you actually build for speed? It is one thing to say customers value faster turnaround. It is another thing entirely to make that turnaround real inside the workflow. If speed is going to become part of the product you sell, then it has to be engineered into the process from the very beginning.
For many office technology resellers, selling solutions is the most challenging part of scaling their business. Hardware is familiar. Software is abstract. When quotas, comp plans, and leadership attention remain focused on devices, solutions are pushed to the margins, even though they are essential for long-term growth.
Sustainable printing goes beyond greener presses. Learn how RSA software helps resellers reduce waste, improve workflows, and support in-plant sustainability goals.
This blog post is the first of two stories illustrating common KPI/data problems and fixes.
This blog post is the second of two stories - Metrics That Drive Action, Story 2 Finding the Hidden Bottleneck. Here read about how QDirect software turned the "invisible queue" into actionable data.
Positioning RSA workflow software alongside production hardware shifts the conversation from equipment performance to operational profitability. When hardware data is integrated with RSA workflow software, print providers gain visibility that extends well beyond device performance to cost control, labor efficiency, and smarter job routing. The result is fewer surprises, lower costs, better equipment utilization, and more confident decision-making.
In 2026, resellers who win more and retain more accounts aren't just selling hardware. They're providing integrated, automated, end-to-end production environments. January is the perfect time to introduce RSA software as the key to transforming a standard device refresh into a strategic workflow overhaul.
Potential tariffs, supply-chain disruptions, and waning demand for traditional print have created sustained margin pressure and operational uncertainty. This article builds on Part 1, "2026 Print Production Trends," which explored how technology and market shifts are reshaping print production.
As we approach the end of the year, the print industry stands at a pivotal turning point. Technology continues to accelerate—driven by automation, AI, and production inkjet—while economic, supply-chain, and labor challenges pressure every business model. Rather than viewing these forces as disruptions, leading printers are using them as catalysts for modernization, diversification, and sustainable growth. Learn more about what this means for printers and the recommended actions you can take.