A4 Manufacturer Ratings: Office Technology Dealer Survey

The Cannata Report asks office technology dealers to rate their primary A3 MFP suppliers as “Excellent,” “Very Good,” “Good,” “Fair,” or “Poor.” Five points are then awarded for “Excellent,” four points for “Very Good,” three points for “Good,” two points for “Fair,” and one point for “Poor.” We then divide the total by the number of dealers participating from that manufacturer to determine the rating.

While 95% of this year’s dealer survey universe (394 of 415) rated their primary A4 MFP supplier, 75% (312 of 415) qualified their primary A4 manufacturer ratings with comments. As dealers further shift their emphasis and focus to A4, our survey underscores how the A4 segment is rapidly gaining momentum across the office technology industry. Our survey provides valuable insight as to where this segment is headed and the increasing impact it is poised to make.

Dealer sentiment for their primary A4 manufacturers is strong, given 78% of dealer ratings were “Excellent” or “Very Good.” Yet even with such positive ratings, concern is growing as the average A4 device continues to produce fewer prints, putting pressure on traditional revenue streams.

As we have in years past, our survey again asked dealers this year to qualify their ratings with an open-ended question. However, this year we provided a more substantive analysis of this data. We organized the data (open-ended responses) into five top categories to better qualify what the dealer Survey universe overall values regarding their primary A4 manufacturer. We also have included select comments across the overall dealer universe that that anchor, define, and align with these top five categories:

Office Technology Product Quality and Reliability

“The copier printers are reliable and have been for many years our primary A4 manufacturer.”
“Product quality is very good, and their reputation is great with IT professionals.”
“The product is good and aways sells itself.”
“Reliable and easy-to-use devices.”

Support and Partnership

“There is almost nothing Brother will not do to help us on a deal. They are truly customer first.”
“They want us to succeed and will assist us in every way they can to help us do so.”
“Attentive, caring and quality people that match the quality of the product.”
“They support our company when we ask and need them for help.”
“Work with us—a true partner.”
“Excellent relationship, responsive, and cares about our success.”

Competitive Pricing

“Strong quality product at an aggressive price.”
“Team is fantastic and helps build solutions and recommendations; pricing is great, and cap rate is competitive.”
“Fair pricing: transparent and fair.”
“Always will collaborate with us on pricing and service.”

Reputation, Brand, and Trust

“No IT director ever got fred for buying HP.”
“The HP name opens doors to IT.”
“Kyocera is a great vendor to have, the machines are strong, and we have been with them for 30+ years.”

“There are no significant issues with the A4 product. The concern is the shift from A3 to A4 and, more importantly, how dealers are responding,” said CJ Cannata, president and CEO. “Many are trying to minimize the shift even as they face reductions in print and demands for a lower price.”

One solution is to sell inkjet printers instead of toner printers, thus reducing costs and, if managed properly, yielding greater profits. However, the degree of impact inkjet can and will ultimately have on A4 going forward largely depends on how manufacturers continue to develop these products.

*Note these are not necessarily ranked in order of importance, though The Cannata Report can procure that data and corresponding insights upon request.

2024 RATINGS OF PRIMARY A4 SUPPLIERS BY COMPANY

The chart at top includes Brother, Canon, HP, Konica Minolta, Kyocera, Ricoh, Sharp, Toshiba, and Xerox/Lexmark. Note: Fewer than .02% (or eight dealers) indicated any other primary A4 supplier: Epson, hence their omission from this chart.

(Companies appear in order of rating, from highest to lowest.)

780 Nov Charts A4Toshiba