The Year in Review and What’s Next in the In-Plant and Production Print and Software Segments

Another year is in the books, and what better time to look back on 2024 and ahead to 2025? After all, as a reseller of Rochester Software Associates (RSA’s) solutions and a valuable consultant to your clients, it’s critical that you are aware of what’s going on.  

Let’s review some more impactful highlights and trends from the print world during the past year, including those that will continue into 2025. Some are directly related to RSA software, while others are indirectly related.  

Current and Ongoing Highlights and Trends  

RSA introduced the latest version of ImpactVDP. Let’s get personal by starting the list with news from RSA about its variable data template design and ordering solution. The new version offers more advanced capabilities and faster template development, including remote repository integration, data selector enhancements, complex barcode formatting support, and dynamic data-driven dropdown list and date selection. 

Page volumes are trending upwards. Total pages increased by 61.1% of in-plants surveyed, according to the PRINTING United Alliance/NAPCO Research In-Plant Printing KPI Report Summer 2024. Contributing to this increase was output representing four or more pages, which increased for 64.1% of respondents. And 60.6% of all in-plants surveyed expected their total page volume to increase in 2024, with 60.9% expecting an increase in four-or-more-color volume, 41.0% an increase in one-to-three color volume, and 39.5% an increase in black-and-white volume. Could similar increases occur in 2025? We’ll soon find out.  

Budgets and revenues were on the rise. According to the In-Plant Printing KPI Report Summer 2024, budgets/revenues were expected to increase by 4.1% on average in 2024 for all in-plants surveyed. It’s not unrealistic to expect that trend to continue in 2025.  

A growing demand for workflow automation software and features. In-plant and production print environments are increasingly adopting automation tools to streamline workflows and reduce labor costs. Because of this, RSA’s WebCRD and QDirect, with their emphasis on automated job routing and print management, should continue to see increased demand as organizations look to enhance productivity. The demand for that capability was strong in 2024 and will continue in 2025. According to the In-Plant Printing KPI Report Summer 2024, 65.9% of survey respondents are interested in equipment automation features or workflow solutions.  

Production environments are more aware of the need for security. Data security should be a top priority, especially for production environments that handle sensitive information. If the demand isn’t there already, expect greater interest in stronger security protocols, like data encryption, secure release, and compliance support, particularly in sectors like education, healthcare, and government, where RSA software is widely used.  

More cloud-based and hybrid printing solutions. As remote and hybrid work environments grow, more organizations are moving their production workflows to cloud-based or hybrid platforms, which allow remote job submission, management, and tracking. The cloud also has the potential to improve communication while providing enhanced data storage and security. Don’t forget that WebCRD and QDirect can be hosted in the RSA Cloud on Amazon Web Services (AWS). This cloud hosting option provides scalability, security, and accessibility for production print workflows.  

Awareness and adoption of e-commerce is on the rise. Adopting web-to-print solutions in the in-plant space is accelerating as organizations strive to improve accessibility and user convenience. Indeed, online platforms that allow customers to design, order, and track print jobs can’t be ignored in this e-commerce era. This trend could create more opportunities for a solution like WebCRD, enabling in-plants to offer an intuitive, user-friendly online ordering experience, complete with automated job tracking and customization options. As digital transformation reshapes print management, in-plant providers equipped with robust e-commerce platforms stand to increase operational visibility and drive cost-effectiveness for their organizations. 

Moving beyond the exploration phase with AI. Solutions that leverage AI and GPT (generative pre-trained transformer) engines started emerging in 2024 and will continue in 2025. AI-enhanced capabilities like predictive maintenance, intelligent job routing, and automated quality checks will make AI technology more appealing to print environments still trying to make sense of its benefits. AI-driven software that can adapt to workflows in real time will likely see a boost in the future. By leveraging AI, printers can significantly enhance operational efficiency, improve print quality, and offer customers more personalized and innovative services. Another segment of the production print space incorporating AI into its products is digital front ends, such as Fiery’s AI-enabled DFE for job ticketing and workflows. Meanwhile, hardware vendors are embedding smarter profiling, preventative maintenance, and job-management features that leverage shop-floor data. As of November 20, 2024, AI is among the eight technologies in the U.S. Postal Service’s Integrated Technology promotion, which offers a 3% rate discount for mailers.  

Continued emphasis on integrated, multi-platform solutions. As in-plants manage diverse hardware, there will be an increased need for software that integrates seamlessly with multiple platforms and devices. RSA’s solutions, with a reputation for flexibility and integration, should continue to be positioned to support this shift toward interoperability. 

Advances in production print hardware. The production print sector has seen significant hardware developments with high-speed, high-resolution devices allowing custom print finishes and expanded media support. Additionally, inkjet technology is expanding among more vendor's production print hardware offerings. Meanwhile, vendors such as Canon, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, and others whose new equipment supports high-quality and diversified print jobs are often integrated with RSA’s solutions to streamline workflows. These advancements will continue to meet the need for on-demand and customized print projects, especially in the education, marketing, and packaging sectors. 

Outsourcing and outside work will remain strong in the in-plant segment. The In-Plant Printing KPI Report Summer 2024 revealed that 86.2% of in-plants outsource print jobs. On average, the survey revealed that outside work represents 17.3% of budget/revenue. This is an opportunity to leverage solutions such as WebCRD and QDirect to streamline workflow and better manage the orders and jobs in these organizations. 

Closing Thoughts 

For RSA’s reseller partners, understanding these highlights and trends and preparing for the shifts anticipated in 2025 can create new opportunities for growth and customer engagement. They can also provide additional talking points for RSA’s various solutions.