Five predictions for 2023 – and how businesses can prepare

Hybrid working will continue its upward trend

It’s safe to assume that hybrid working will continue to play a prominent role in 2023. Recent research indicates that, according to employees surveyed, only 25% of employers do not offer regular hybrid working options – down from the 65% recorded pre-2020. This rapid increase represents a rising pressure for employers who are still yet to take the plunge, especially considering the extensive benefits that hybrid working brings to both employees and employers.

As the hybrid model continues to rise in prominence, more and more companies are reaping the benefits. 41% of respondents believe that hybrid working has increased their organisation’s overall productivity and efficiency; 43% saying that their individual employees are more productive when working from home, and 48% reported improved employee satisfaction.

With so much praise for the hybrid model among employees, it’s clear that employers should continue to demonstrate a willingness to be flexible – and make plans to integrate it if they haven’t already - if they want to preserve employee satisfaction in 2023.

Gen-Z will put greater emphasis on optimised technology

Since remote working is so prevalent nowadays, employees having access to fully functional technology has never been more important. This makes the findings of our past research highly disquieting, which reports that 45% of employees are frustrated by workplace tech – and with the tech-native Gen-Z becoming a rapidly growing presence in the modern business landscape, this is not a trend that businesses can afford to continue for much longer. 

The functionality of work tech is more crucial to an employee’s emotional wellbeing than you may think – and when deadlines are looming, recurring technical issues present an immensely frustrating obstacle for employees; which can lead to long-term work-related stress.

However, these problems can be avoided with a Managed Print Service (MPS) or Managed IT Service (MITS) – which allow companies to acquire leading technology for a reduced cost over purchasing. This not only widens the pool of devices that companies have to choose from, but these services also include ongoing support within their overall cost – meaning that technical issues can usually be resolved through your provider with minimal disruption.

Cyberattacks will increase and diversify

An increasingly digitised world gives cyber criminals more avenues to explore and exploit – and with data as valuable a resource as it is nowadays, hackers have no motivation to cease illicit activities. Therefore, businesses need to have an ongoing awareness of possible risks going forward into 2023.

One such area that still gets overlooked by businesses is print security – since many people don’t consider wireless printers as being entry points to their company networks. This effectively means that any companies going into 2023 with unprotected printers are openly inviting a potentially disastrous cyberattack – even with older, less sophisticated print devices.

A Print Management system is a good way to ensure print security; which, if you engage with a Managed Print Service (MPS), can be installed easily. Through a Print Management solution, print jobs are stored on a secure server until being physically retrieved by an authenticated user – ensuring that any sensitive information is protected from breaches in data protection, be they internal or external.

Economic crises will continue to limit budgets

It’s no secret that the economy is experiencing a period of particular turbulence – and at time of writing, there’s no clear end in sight. With money tighter than ever going into 2023, a lot of businesses simply won’t be able to justify the long-term costs of purchasing and supporting their own IT devices.

However, IT budgets can be eased exponentially by engaging with a Managed Print Service (MPS) or Managed IT Service (MITS). As well as including ongoing support within their price – saving clients the hassle and cost of arranging repairs through a third party - these solutions can be scaled up or down according to your requirements; enabling businesses to retake control of their IT budgets through manageable quarterly expenditures.

Print and mail costs can be further mitigated by making use of our Outsourced Document Services, which lets clients route their printing and distribution needs through a 24/7 high-speed production facility.

More investment into sustainability

Efforts to combat climate change won’t be letting up any time soon, which means that sustainability will represent a significant factor for businesses for years to come. As a Managed Workplace Services (MWS) provider, Apogee are keen to equip businesses with the tools to make their business operations more environmentally friendly.

PrintReleaf is one such example – giving Managed Print Service (MPS) clients the option to convert their paper output into reforested trees. By enrolling, clients enable PrintReleaf to enact positive environmental change – a worthy, and relatively easy-to-integrate component of any proactive Corporate Responsibility strategy.

Additionally, for businesses looking to pursue sustainability while keeping costs economical, another avenue to explore is refurbished devices. So long as quality and data sanitisation can be assured, investing in refurbished print and IT equipment is an excellent way to ensure parts stay in use and out of landfills, contributing to a circular economy – without requiring the same amount of capital as purchasing new equipment.

Based on current circumstances, our predictions for 2023 may point to challenging times ahead – but as ever, businesses can endure by seeking out ways to boost efficiency where they can, and by adapting their approaches accordingly.

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