KYOCERA European MDS study: 74% of businesses want more transparency

More and more companies in Europe realise that efficient document management is a necessity in the battle against rising costs. That is shown by the survey “Managed Document Services (MDS) in Europe”, which was initiated by KYOCERA Document Solutions. According to this survey, 70% of the interviewed IT managers see the main benefit of an MDS concept to be the lowering of costs. Moreover, 52% expect speedier operating procedures and 47% anticipate better cost transparency. These figures show that MDS, the optimisation of document management processes, is central to IT all over Europe. Of the interviewed IT managers 64% declared that they have optimised their print and copy processes within the last two years. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is a transnational key criterion for 88% of companies when they decide to purchase new IT solutions.

The replacement of hardware components is not the only solution for the best document processing. Of the managers interviewed, 12% indicated that the implementation of software solutions was the main reason for the change in print and document management. It follows that intelligent software solutions are becoming more and more important in the MDS business. For most of the decision makers, the automation of processes bring the biggest advantage: 38% of the interviewees declared that this factor has the largest effect on cost reduction.

Another essential finding of the KYOCERA study is that MDS is a strategic subject in European companies because a holistic approach of document processes has an effect on all other sections of the company. This is why it is usually the IT manager (65%) or the CIO (39%) who decides the implementation of an MDS concept; in every fifth company (21%), the CEO is involved in the decision-making process. “Subjects like big data, enterprise-resource-planning (ERP) and cloud technologies are becoming more and more important for the businesses’ success. Accordingly the IT department is challenged to implement appropriate concepts to optimise business processes with a holistic approach. For that, MDS is an essential, as well as effective, tool,” says Oliver Kreth, General Manager European Marketing at KYOCERA Document Solutions Europe B.V.

It is not only costs, however, that are causing companies to pay attention to MDS. Nearly all of the interviewed European companies indicated that environmental and sustainability issues also play a part in their decisions regarding IT investments. Companies would like to reduce energy consumption (87%), reduce carbon footprint (70%) and avoid waste (81%). A pleasing result for KYOCERA Document Solutions, because of its’ unique ECOSYS technology; with ECOSYS technology waste is reduced by up to 75% in comparison to other systems available, owing to the long-lasting components. Oliver Kreth: “The results of the study confirm to us that our strategic alignment as a provider of holistic document management solutions is right. That is the reason why we will expand our MDS approach; Kyocera will focus on appropriate software, hardware and service solutions. Our aim is to support companies all over Europe in the optimisation of their processes and reduction of their costs.”

You will find more information about the study here.

Kyocera Document Solutions is one of the world's leading office document solutions companies. Its range of products and services includes Ecosys printers, reliable multifunctional systems, high-quality consumables, a comprehensive portfolio of software solutions and Managed Document Services (MDS). Kyocera Document Solutions provides innovative products built on a foundation of long-life components. Its customers benefit from low total cost of ownership and high efficiency in any workplace. Its solutions portfolio and Managed Document Services division help customers to reduce costs and environmental impact at the same time as improving the efficiency and reliability of common business processes. For further information, visit: www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.eu.

Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kyocera Corporation, which marked its 50th anniversary in 2009. Ranked no. 604 on Forbes magazine’s 2011 “Global 2000” listing of the world’s largest publicly traded companies, Kyocera is a leading manufacturer of high-tech ceramics, electronic components, solar cells and electronic office equipment. Kyocera’s long-term growth strategy is to focus on business that supports telecommunications, information processing, environmental protection and the preservation of quality of life.