"The worst thing about current circumstances is the way there ending surprises the complacent."
Regardless of one's business or industry, the challenges are immense during this time of COVID 19. The Document Imaging Channel faces its greatest challenge since 1959 when the Xerox 914 made its first plan paper copy revolutionizing the document copying industry.
Now the question for the industry is this. Why will the industry once again be revolutionized?
Those searching for why things will be different will Create Relevance, and those focused on how things can remain the same will, by default Remain Status Quo.
The document imaging channel still has not agreed to participate with an obsession to revolutionize its deliverable based on why they should.
"Innovation is a painful process and will exhaust most into complacency."
I think about the many failed attempts of dealers and manufacturers' direct operations in transitioning into Managed IT Services or even embracing the realities of the monumental shift to A4 as an examples. The leaders driving these transitions have not truly bought into the Why they need the transition. Or, are betting with total delusion that the core deliverable of print and its services will return to pre-virus levels.
If these leaders truly faced the realities in why they need to transform, they would become obsessed with their transformation. Through that obsession, these leaders would eliminate all that has held them back regardless of the pain in ripping off complancency's bandage.
"Conformity nourishes obsolescence."
Everyone knows that all businesses are based on the customers it serves, and yet in declining industries, there seems to be a denial mechanism blocking common sense. Everyone in the industry knows its customers have been decreasing in the needs of its core deliverable for at least a decade. However, still, the industry has not modified to that reality.
Many have elected to continue buying more declining market share without an obsession to increase customer spend through diversification. Those who did this and continue doing it will face severe stress through this pandemic as it continues to push print customers to new digital platforms.
The time has to be now for dealers and those manufacturers with direct operations to become obsessed with transforming their market strategies based on the, Why they should. Continuing in overselling A3 and refusing to add diversification will cripple all aspiration of continued relevance. The Document Imaging Channel has to defeat the status quo and must look past wants comfortably.
It starts by asking different questions.
It is probably safe to say that when the industry's analyst asks questions of the industry's customers, they are not seeking an answer built of imagination; they feed a question where the answer they get describes the past continuing on in the future, over being eliminated by the future.
Being Future Proof means massive readjustments towards reinvention. The reinvention of an industry starts with the reasons why then the how. Nothing new will come when everything old is more important than exploring what's new. Or, when old-mindsets fear what they do not understand and refuse to explore the unknown.
As we all witness the many challenges for not only business but all aspects of life. It is important to open one's mind to all possibilities. Remembering that possibilities are not just about improvement possibilities may also be about disasters.
The document imaging channel's future is where the leases on all the past glories more than likely were not renewed. The future should not be analyzed by looking through mirrors or memories. It seems so many analysts look at the past and present and project what they see in the future. Visions of the future require imagination and a willingness to explore what else is possible outside current circumstances.
"It is more important to look into the future in search of how things changed without the past relevance regardless of how painful those changes are."
No one has a crystal ball, but everyone has an imagination, and everyone has the ability to open their minds to the realities around them. As the pandemic continues to challenge everything, leaders must continue to challenge themselves and honestly with logic examine their business's future relevance.
"Beware of the visions of those unimaginative for they use their memories in creating them."
As a caution when you see the reports of some analyst describing a future where current circumstances remain. It is important to understand the questions on the surveys and the imagination abilities of the analyst. Unfortunately, most analysts are focused on bringing the past to the future. In contrast, nearly all visionaries focus on bringing the future to the present.
I penned this the day Sears and Kmart merged "A Company becomes obsolete when they focus on bringing the past to the future instead of bringing the future to the present."
The industry's end-users are in charge of its future. We all watched blockbuster make bad decisions. They refused to accept the value of Netflix's subscription model, and they refused to explore or, worse, ignored the realities to the momentum of Netflix's better experience.
You may have great relationships; however, your customers are searching for better experiences. Don't misjudge the value of the experience, for better experiences continue replacing many great relationships.
The document Imaging Channel must look to their end-users. It is there they will discover why they must modify; this pandemic is the catalyst to introduce the channel's customers to alternatives. Those alternatives will be based on better experiences, and those better experiences will answer Why and hopefully the answer will spark the obsession needed to transform.
In closing: You may find an article written three years ago titled "Before How there's Why" of additional value. see the link below.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/before-how-why-ray-stasieczko/
"Status quo is the killer of all that will be invented."
Ray Stasieczko
CEO/Founder TEASRA,The Innovation Channel and Host of The End of The Day With Ray! https://www.endofthedaywithray.com/
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