Printer Toner Category Procurement Intelligence Report

Business practices within Printer Toner market are heavily influenced by changing trends across the category as well as within the broader Office Supplies market. As a smaller indirect spend category, has largely escaped the intense scrutiny and analysis that procurement functions extend to most direct spend categories. However, some of the suppliers have begun to offer intelligent solutions to procure and analyze expenditure on each of the items so that effective budgeting can be done. Given the trend, more vendors are expected to offer such tools to buyers.

Recent advances in information technology and online commerce have allowed buyers to increasingly utilize e-auctioning as a mechanism to reduce costs across the value chain. E-auctioning allows buyers to reduce the procurement lead times, increase their supplier base and connect with sellers and intermediaries simultaneously.

Many suppliers have begun to use various online media platforms such as social networking sites and mobile applications to expand their digital presence. It is because digital marketing helps suppliers reach target audience in a cost-effective manner. Also, as most of the leading suppliers of the market have invested in online commerce, digital marketing also helps generate online sales and create brand loyalty. Benefits of digital marketing are making suppliers invest in digital marketing solutions.

As a result, category managers need to closely monitor the Printer Toner procurement trends and identify changes required in their procurement environment for the category.

Sometimes, procurement functions are unable to timely alter their practices while responding to market conditions. Industry experts acknowledge that periodically reviewing procurement best practices and adopting learnings from across procurement categories can help procurement teams respond to market needs in a more agile way. This report combines our experience of other categories with Printer Toner procurement insights and hand picks best practices that can work for category managers delving in this market.

For example, Buyers should proactively manage relations with Printer Toner suppliers and have pre-determined intervention criteria for onboarding or replacing a supplier, changing specifications or terms and conditions.

Service bundling involves the procurement of basic services with value-adds such as analytics tools, record classification, and e-mail strategy. This helps in the reduction of management effort and procurement expenditure. Buyers should assess a service providers ability to provide bundled services and engage depending on the internal requirements.

Buyers should engage with suppliers that can offer environment-friendly solutions that help reduce the carbon footprint. Some examples are products made from natural resins, recycled plastics, and wood from managed forests which are often ignored by SMEs/unorganized suppliers.

Printer Toner procurement managers also need to proactively identify and mitigate potential risks that can arise in the supply chain or contracts for Printer Toner procurement. Some examples include: