A

PROJECT REPORT
ON

ACCEPTABILITY OF LATEX TECHNOLOGY

IN ACCORDANCE WITH L25500 HEWLETT-PACKARD
PRINTER VIS--VIS WITH THE EXISTING TECHNOLOGIES
IN MUMBAI MARKET
FOR

HEWLETT-PACKARD (GLOBAL5 TECHNOLOGIESS), PUNE

SUBMITTED BY
NIKHIL ANIL RANE
(2009-11)

UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF

Dr. SHAILESH KASANDE

SUBMITTED TO

UNIVERSITY OF PUNE
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE
AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION (MBA)

THROUGH

VISHWAKARMA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT

PUNE 48

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

During the work on this project I have received generous support from a large number of people,
who have contributed to the completion of the work. First of all, I would like to express my sincere
gratitude to my Project co-coordinator, Dr. Shailesh Kasande, for his guidance and support. His
support and comments have been of inestimable value throughout my work.

I would like to express sincere gratitude to my external guide Mr. Prashant Khomne, Director
Global5 Technologiess, for his unending support and expert advice in the graphic arts industry.

Nikhil Rane

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
HP Hewlett-Packard
PSP - Print Service Providers
IPG Imaging and Printing Group
OMAS Optical Media Advance Sensor
ODD Optical Drop Detector
VOC Volatile Organic Compounds
RIP Raster Image Processing
POP Point of Purchase

LIST OF TABLES
S. No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Table Name
Type of work
Aspects of consideration while purchasing
Current machine
Ink Technology Preferred
Type of Media used
Type of clients
Preferred brand rating
Operating cost
Plans of Expansion

Page No.
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38

TABLE OF CONTENTS
.

Chapter
No.
1
2
3
4
5

Chapter Name

Page No.

Executive Summary
Company Profile
Models
Objectives of the study
Literature review
4

1
3
13
19
22

6
7
8
9
10
11

Research methodology
Data analysis
Research findings
Suggestions and Recommendations
Limitations
Conclusion
ANNEXURE: Sample Questionnaire.
BIBLIOGRAPHY

24
29
39
41
43
45
47
50

CHAPTER I
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The scenario for large format printers changes round the clock. The introduction of new
technology, new models have been on a breathtaking pace. Today a consumer has wide choice
and a large range to select from. To meet their demands effectively is the task in hand for the
PSPs. The factor considered here are price and quality. Consumers want good quality at a
reasonable price. More often than not they compromise on the quality factor than the price.
Today the market is scattered with large format printers mainly working on the eco-solvent and
inkjet technology. This research was undertaken to gauge the market potential and acceptability
of the newly launched Latex technology with the help of the L25500 designjet printer in the
Mumbai market. The report tries to find out the preferences and expectations of the PSPs. The
data has been collected through a questionnaire. The analysis provided by this research
includes analysis of the competing brands of large format printers commonly used in the
market with the newly introduced one. It tries to further analyze the findings and make
recommendations to the company. The recommendations will be helpful to the company to
successfully penetrate the over-crowded market of large format printers efficiently.

CHAPTER II
COMPANY PROFILE

Hewlett-Packard (HP) Company was founded in 1939. It is an American multinational

information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA. Mark Hurd is
the president and CEO. HP is the world's largest IT Company, with revenue totaling $114.6
billion for fiscal 2009 with approximately $40 billion coming from services. Also HP became #2
globally in IT services as reported by IDC & Gartner. HP's 2009 Fortune 500 ranking is No. 9. It
is one of the world's largest information technology companies and operates in nearly every
country. HP specializes in developing and manufacturing computing, data storage, and
networking hardware, designing software and delivering services. Major product lines include
personal computing devices, enterprise servers, related storage devices, as well as a diverse range
of printers and other imaging products. HP markets its products to households, small- to
medium-sized businesses and enterprises directly as well as via online distribution, consumerelectronics and office-supply retailers, software partners and major technology vendors.
HP is a technology company that operates in more than 170 countries around the world. They
explore how technology and services can help people and companies address their problems and
challenges, and realize their possibilities, aspirations and dreams. They apply new thinking and
ideas to create more simple, valuable and trusted experiences with technology, continuously
improving the way our customers live and work.
No other company offers as complete a technology product portfolio as HP. They provide
infrastructure and business offerings that span from handheld devices to some of the world's
most powerful supercomputer installations. They offer consumers a wide range of products and
services from digital photography to digital entertainment and from computing to home printing.
This comprehensive portfolio helps us match the right products, services and solutions to their
customers' specific needs.
9

HP has successful lines of printers, scanners, digital cameras, calculators, PDAs, servers,
workstation computers, and computers for home and small business. HP today promotes itself as
supplying not just hardware and software, but also a full range of services to design, implement,
and support IT infrastructure.
HP's Imaging and Printing Group (IPG) is "the leading imaging and printing systems provider in
the world for printer hardware, printing supplies and scanning devices, providing solutions
across customer segments from individual consumers to small and medium businesses to large
enterprises." Products and technology associated with IPG include Inkjet and LaserJet printers,
consumables and related products, Officejet all-in-one multifunction printer/scanner/faxes, Large
Format Printers, Indigo Digital Press, HP Web Jetadmin printer management software, HP
Output Management suite of software, HP Photosmart digital cameras and photo printers, HP
SPaM, and Snapfish by HP, a photo sharing and photo products service. A newly launched
feature includes iPrint Photo for iPhone a free downloadable software application that allows the
printing of 4" x 6" photos.

10

HPs Marketing Strategies:

With the merger of Compaq and Hewlett-Packard in 2002, the technology industry held its
breath and waited for the destruction of the two computer giants. Mergers are a messy business
and few observers expected these two companies to survive the union. Seven years later, how has
HP fine-tuned its marketing strategies to ensure success?
The Current Strategy:
HP's new approach was developed to deal with the 86 marketing departments in use at the time
of the merger. When the merger occurred, it created a series of internal problems. HP had to deal
with multiple platforms, legacy systems and a lack of continuity among its marketing
departments. Each department had separate budgets and resources, leaving the company with no
idea of the marketing focus or the total amount spent on marketing. The new strategy allowed the
company to focus on a results-based, data-driven model. The aim of this strategy was to give the
new company a single language that enabled parts of the marketing campaign to be integrated. In
order to create this singular approach, HP began using Seibel CRM and Marketing Resource
Management tools. The tools provided HP's top executives and department managers with the
ability to speak the same language using numbers to measure marketing success, the accuracy of
forecasted expenses and program effectiveness. With the chief financial officer and department
heads effectively communicating, the company could focus on speaking to the customer.

Focus on Customer:
HP has customers in every arena of the business world. To get the most out of its customers, the
company began using the consumer as a guide to its small business and corporate initiatives.
Their customers have shown a marked enthusiasm for this approach, which in turn has given HP
11

more qualified leads and business partners. This strategy allows the company to be led by the
customer.
Create Measurable Goals:
HP's reliance on a Customer Relationship Management program is no accident. By creating goals
that can be measured, HP has managed to cut spending by 10 percent. These goals allow the
company to funnel the marketing dollars to the strategies that show tangible results, creating a
more efficient and effective marketing strategy.
Create Major Initiatives:
HP has created two major initiatives within the company that have motivated the staff and
increased the efficiency of the company. The campaigns are called Achieve More with Less and
Operation One Voice. Achieve More with Less challenged the company to consolidate systems
and reduce redundancy. Operation One Voice was used to take all of the marketing initiatives to
the customer, raising the profile of the brand's image. HP used this initiative to reach out,
employing the methods that customers used to contact the company. By using customer-driven
communication lines, HP was able to convey its message directly to the customer.
The use of the customer-driven approach has led to a successful launch of the company's
marketing strategy. Hewlett Packard (HP) is rolling out a restructuring program of its marketing
strategy in the Asian region as part of its continuing reinvention to reflect business trends of
evaluating resource needs. HP's reinvention process began in December 1999. The goal was to
"preserve the best and reinvent the rest" of HP to bring it in line with the business imperatives of
the internet age. HP expects the marketing restructuring would reduce the number of positions in
its marketing group. In Asia-Pacific, it will be significantly less than 2 percent of the entire Asia
Pacific workforce. HP has 14,000 employees in Asia.
12

HPs Customer Social Responsibility (CSR):

Since its founding in the 1930s, HP has recognized the importance of being a responsible
member of its community, and this vision remains in place today for the company as well as its
employees, customers, and partners across the globe. HP recognizes that part of this vision is
building and bringing to market environmentally friendly products, with a key component being
environmentally friendly manufacturing. HP addresses this vision through its global citizenship
program, in which it works with suppliers and partners around the globe to introduce
environmentally responsible manufacturing processes.

HPs environmentally benign manufacturing encompasses the technologies, operational

practices, and manufacturing strategies necessary to ensure sustainable production. Its goal is to
introduce benign materials into products while reducing the amount of waste through
remanufacturing, reuse, and recycling. This approach is particularly important for IT products
because of their relatively short life spans and their expensive and complex manufacturing
processes. Additionally, the types of raw materials incorporated into IT products such as
monitors, disk drives, circuit boards, printers, and complete computer systems pose particular
challenges from an environmental perspective. For example, incorporating something as
seemingly simple as lead-free solder requires significant increases in temperatures during the
manufacturing process, which can negatively impact componentry and complicate recycling
initiatives. In 1992 HP created Design for Environment (DfE) guidelines to guide the
environmental performance of manufacturing processes of partners throughout its supply chain.
Today, HP continues to work with partners and competitors alike to ensure that alternative

13

technologies are fully evaluated when determining trade-offs between product functionality,
reliability, safety, cost, and environmental impact.

14

Social Responsibility:
Being an effective and responsible global citizen requires not only that an organization make a
commitment to effective corporate governance and business ethics but also that it put the
commitment into daily practice. For HP, social responsibility translates to a focus on three key
areas: Reducing the environmental impact of its products. HP aims to reduce the environmental
impact of its products by placing environmental considerations at the forefront of all product and
manufacturing decisions. By minimizing the impact of raw materials used in its products,
reducing energy requirements, and incorporating recycling considerations into product design,
HP has significantly increased its product reuse and recycling levels year over year. Transferring
principles to its worldwide supply chain, the sheer size of HPs supply chain, one of the largest in
the IT industry today, enables the company to broadly extend its social and environmental
standards. Through its Supply Chain Social and Environmental Responsibility (SER) Policy, HP
encourages its top 600 suppliers to develop internal management capability and build continuous
improvement into their manufacturing facilities.
HPs Complaint Handling:
Consumers can directly interact with HP in case of complaints through the following methods:
Online with HP; Chat with an online support technician after purchase , Submit &Manage a
support case (for customers with an HP service agreement), Submit &Manage a support case (for
business customers with a valid warranty). E-mail HP; Technical support after purchase,
Questions before purchase, other questions/feedback. Call HP; Telephone numbers for Technical
support after purchase, Questions before purchase, other questions. Find HP; Addresses, phone
numbers, and hours of operation for various HP and partner office locations, HP office locations,
locate HP service centers, locate HP authorized reseller partners, Worldwide sales and services
directory.
15

Customer Service:
Hewlett-Packard has been around long enough to get a large enough following of returning loyal
customers. Focusing on customer service has been Hewlett-Packards answer to competition for
the new millennium. With the new generation becoming the buyers for tomorrow there needs to
be an understating of what motivates these first time buyers to make that most important
purchase that will set their potential loyalty to that company for the long term. Customer Service
is becoming the primary distinguishers for companies today. HP helps in solving the costumers
problems in order to improve the business they provide with HP. One of the most successful
customer service aspects of HP is its willingness to share HPs research in order to help make
customers feels like they are involved in the business process.
HPs Promotional Strategies:
HP has been promoting themselves in several ways. First, HP has been offering a discount on
printers through the purchase of a computer. Sometimes HP will also offer free printers with the
purchase of a laptop. HP also offers rebates on select printers as well. Other competing
companies do not have such a promotion strategy since they do not make computers, but they do
offer mail-in rebates.

Hewlett-Packard seems to get extra promotion in the store and from direct mail catalogues.
Products can also be purchased directly from manufacturers websites. In comparing the
websites, HP seems to be the easiest to use. It is easier to navigate through and find a product.
On HPs printer page the items are neatly categorized along with an option to display more
information if needed.

16

Comparatively, websites of the other competitors just displays their items cheaply on the page
and the tabs for more information arent as easy to reach as opposed to Hewlett-Packards.
They also require a lot more steps before coming to the printers section. However, the other
websites of the other competing companies do recover some ground with downloadable for
customer projects such as scrap booking.
The imaging-and-printing business is a very critical unit for HP because in 2001 all of HewlettPackards profits were generated from this unit, which is why HP bought an online-photography
site Snapfish earlier this year and is developing a digital-photo kiosk.

17

CHAPTER III
MODELS

18

HP LATEX SERIES
HP Latex printers produce vivid, durable prints and are compatible with most low-cost, ecosolvent/ low-solvent compatible media in addition to a variety of uncoated media. HP Latex Inks
are pigmented, water-based inks designed for commercial and industrial printing applications.
The various models in the Latex series are the HP Designjet L25500, HP Scitex LX600(formerly
known as Designjet L65500), and HP Scitex LX800 Printers, ideal for wide and super wide
applications, including event banners, transit signage, and other outdoor applications as well as
high-quality indoor signage.

HP DESIGNJET L25500
HP Designjet L25500 Printers use HP Latex Inks and HP Thermal Inkjet printing technologies to
provide the best printing experience for low-volume Print Service Providers (PSPs) producing
outdoor and indoor applications on flexible substrates. It is designed as a viable alternative to
eco-solvent printers that reduce the impact of printing on the environment. The HP Designjet
L25500 Printer is a 6-color printer using HP Latex Inks to produce high-quality indoor and
durable outdoor signage. The printer is available in two sizes to accommodate 60 and 42
maximum print widths. It can print either roll-to-roll using the take up reel for long overnight
print runs or roll-to-floor to enable quick finishing or immediate use. The L25500 is ideal for
lower-volume sign & print shops looking for a single device to produce a mix of high quality
indoor and durable outdoor signage.

19

Features
User-replaceable printheads
Less intervention for changing printheads avoids delays and improves your turnaround time.
Individual printheads are user replaceable, eliminating the down-time and expense of a service
call.
Included take-up reel
Busy professionals can make the most of their time and improve productivity by printing
continuous, unattended runs even overnight and on long media rolls with the media take-up reel
that comes standard on both 42-inch and 60-inch models of this printer.
Completely dry right out of the printer
HP Latex Inks are completely dried inside the printer to form a durable film on the print medium.
Once theyre off the printer, theyre ready to laminate, use, finish, and prepare for shipping or
display.
Optical Media Advance Sensor and Optical Drop Detector
Automatically achieve high image quality and consistency with the HP Optical Media Advance
Sensor (OMAS) and the Optical Drop Detector (ODD). OMAScontrols the media as it advances
through the printer, which helps minimize banding at high speeds. The drop ejection
performance of every printhead nozzle is periodically and automatically tested with the ODD,
providing prints free of defects or errors that can result in ink and media waste.
HP Double Swath technology
Pairs of staggered printheads in the carriage double the print swath of the HP Designjet L25500
Printer series resulting in twice the performance of earlier Designjet models. The print swaths
overlap each other and the nozzles printing in the same scan line (top and bottom printheads) are
used together to eliminate swath-to-swath banding.
20

Embedded Web server

Control print settings and monitor your printers use of ink and media via the embedded Web
serverwhich is also accessible through your preferred RIP. This information will help you
better manage print jobs and prevent unnecessary ink and media waste.
Eco Friendly
HP Latex Inks produce odorless prints that emit extremely low levels of volatile organic
compounds (VOCs), thus no special workplace ventilation is required. These water-based inks
create an improved printing environment because they do not require special handling, contain
no materials requiring hazard warning labels and are non-flammable and non-combustible.

21

XEROX
Xerox Corporation is a Fortune 500 global document management company founded in 1906
that manufactures and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems,
photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies.
Xerox is headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut.

The models that compete with HP is Xerox Docucolor series with Docucolor 3535(no longer
sold new) and Docucolor 5000.

ROLAND DG
ROLAND DG is a Japanese company specializing in Color Graphics/Signmaking Devices, Vinyl
Sign Cutters Engraving/Routing Systems, Prototyping/Modeling Machines 3D Scanners, Metal
Printer etc. The company was founded in 1981.

The models that compete with HP are Roland VersaArt-RS540, Roland VersaCAMM VP540i,
SoljetproIII XJ-740,XJ640.

MIMAKI ENGINEERING CO.LTD

Mimaki is a Japanese headquartered company which develops and markets inkjet printers and
cutting plotters for professional use. The company was founded in 1975.

The models that compete with HP are JV33 series (JV33-130, JV33-160, JV33-260)

22

MUTOH
Mutoh Industries Ltd. was founded in Japan in 1952 to supply drafting machines to the
architectural and engineering industries. As a pioneer in the manufacturing and marketing of
manual drafting equipment, Mutoh achieved national and international prominence, having
exported drafting machines to more than 60 countries worldwide. Mutoh America was
established in 1963 as the distribution conduit to the U.S. market.

The models that compete with HP is ValueJet 1304, ValueJet 1614.

23

CHAPTER IV
OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

24

The research was carried out with the objective of understanding the preferences of the PSPs for
PSPs who have a low-volume need for high-quality indoor and durable outdoor prints on flexible
media.
The objectives are listed below:
1. To check the acceptability of the L25500 designjet printer as compared to the existing
eco-solvent and inkjet printer in Mumbai market.
2. To understand the market potential of L25500 machine in the wide format segment in
Mumbai market.
3. To collect information regarding various aspects considered while making a purchase of a
high-end printer by the PSPs.
4. To analyze if the PSP is ready to accept the new technology
5. To collect information regarding various problem fields (if any) among existing HP users.

The main objective of the research is check whether the recently launched latex technology is
acceptable in Mumbai which already consists PSPs using eco-solvent, inkjet printing
technologies.
To gauge the market potential of the machine for various applications and its feasibility is
another important aspect of the study.
The printers being on the higher side of cost, checking the various aspects a customer evaluates
before purchasing becomes essential.
A general trend is seen that people are resistant to changes and are unwilling to come out of their
comfort zone. To check whether the PSPs are ready to accept the new technology thus gains
importance.

25

HP being a global brand, works on customer satisfaction. Existing users of HP products give
essential feedback for the company to incorporate their views and suggestions to make the
products and service more beneficial to the customers.

26

CHAPTER V
LITERATURE REVIEW

High-end Large Format Printer: A printer that prints on large paper, which can range from two
to more than 15 feet in width. Such printers typically use inkjet technology to print on a variety
27

of output, including premium glossy-coated paper for signs and posters.

Inkjet Printer: An inkjet printer is a type of computer printer that creates a digital image by
propelling variably-sized droplets of liquid material (ink) onto a page. Inkjet printers are the
most common type of printer and range from small inexpensive consumer models to very large
and expensive professional machine. The concept of inkjet printing dates back to the 19th
century and the technology was first developed in the early 1950s. Starting in the late 1970s
inkjet printers that could reproduce digital images generated by computers were developed,
mainly by Epson, Hewlett-Packard and Canon. In the worldwide consumer market, four
manufacturers account for the majority of inkjet printer sales: Canon, Hewlett-Packard, Epson,
and Xerox.
Eco-solvent Printer: Eco-solvent inks usually contain glycol esters or glycol ether esters and are
slower drying. The resulting prints are waterproof.
Signage: A generalized word to lump together all kinds of signs.

28

CHAPTER VI
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

29

Marketing Research:
Marketing research is defined as, the objective & formal process of systematically obtaining,
analysis and interpreting data for actionable decision making in marketing.
This definition lays stress on two aspects, namely, objectivity and systematic process in
collection and analysis of data. In fact, marketing research should not be allowed to be
influenced by personal views and considerations. Before undertaking any research study it is
essential to delimit the primary objectives of the project and define the methodology of
undertaking the project in as much details as possible. The user must be able to utilize the results
for marketing decision-making purpose. Research methodology used was survey method.

Sample Size:
The sample size in any research gives a group of individuals who represent the whole population.
As it is practically impossible to survey all the individuals in a population, the sample size gives
a representation of the data of the whole population. The sample size chosen for this research
was 50. Thus the questionnaires were administered to the representatives of 50 different printers
across Mumbai.
Primary data:
Primary data is the data that is collected to help, solve a problem or take advantage of an
opportunity on which a decision is pending. Primary data is collected directly from the PSPs
(Print Service Providers) having a low-volume need for high-quality indoor and durable outdoor
prints on flexible media in Mumbai, by using a questionnaire.

Secondary Data:
30

Secondary data is the data which is developed for some purpose other than helping to solve the
problem at hand. Secondary data has been collected from companys book and brochures.
Secondary data can be collected quickly and inexpensively, compared to primary data.
Secondary data is already available and can be obtained much faster and at a fraction of the cost
of collecting them again. Before secondary data can be used as the only source of information to
help solve a problem, they must be available, relevant, accurate, and sufficient. If one or more of
these criteria are not met, primary data may have to be used.
Research Instruments:
Questionnaire:
A questionnaire was the instrument used in this study to collect data. The questionnaire
employed a combination of fixed-response alternative questions that require the respondent to
select from a predetermined set of answers, open ended questions and questions that require the
respondents to rate the alternatives on a predetermined rating scale. This survey approach is the
most common method of primary data collection in marketing research and the advantages are
simple administration and data consistency. Street interviews have high flexibility of data
collection, high degree of diversity of questions due to interaction and high response rate,
moderate sample control, moderate quantity of data, moderate to high great potential to probe
respondents, moderate to high great potential to build rapport, moderate to high speed and cost of
data collection. These qualities were responsible for the choice of this survey technique for this
study.

31

Interview:
Interviewing is a commonly used method of collecting information from people. Any person to
person interaction between two or more individuals with a specific purpose in mind is called an
interview. The interviewer has the freedom to formulate the questions. There are two types of
interviews namely structured and unstructured interviews. During this project, the technique of
structured interviews was used to gather information from the respondents. Thus, the interviews
are the sources of primary data for the research.
According to Taylor and Bogdan, in-depth interviewing is, repeated face-to-face encounters
between the researcher and the informants directed towards understanding the informants
perspectives on their lives, experiences or situations as expressed in their own words. Thus the
in-depth interviewing technique was helpful in this research as there was a need to understand
the perspective and perceptions of the respondents.

Data Gathering:
For gathering the data in filling the questionnaires a pilot study is conducted and
the number of respondents needed is calculated. For this purpose 70 staffs/owners were
asked. Consequently data gathered from 50 questionnaires were considered for further analysis.

Research Design:
For a period of two months, everyday, data was collected with the help of these questionnaires
and interviews. The data thus collected was recorded in a database everyday. Each day, the data
of around 3 to 4 prospects was added to the database. At the end of two months, the database
was a full-fledged collection of information of more than 70 PSPs from the city.

32

The database also helped in the data analysis of this research. The data collected from the
questionnaire is tabulated in Microsoft Excel. Then the Graphs and Pie Charts are prepared based
on this tabulated data in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. These Graphs and Charts are
useful for drawing meaningful conclusion.

Research Type:
The research type is Descriptive analysis based. It is also a survey and case study, considering the
PSPs

Data Collection Tools:

Reference books, e-books, websites and Questionnaire.

33

CHAPTER VII
DATA ANALYSIS

34

6.1 Type of work

CATEGORY OF WORK

NUMBER OF PEOPLE

POP

23

Brochures

12

Self-Adhesive Vinyl

14

Flex

30

Ad-banner

TOTAL

88

Note: More than one option considered.

From the above graph it shows that maximum type of work undertaken by the PSPs is Flex
printing with 34% followed POP (Point Of Purchase) with 26 %.

35

6.2 Aspects of consideration for purchasing

ASPECTS

RATING

Speed

45

Service

37

Resolution

25

Color

27

Ink Cost

31

Demand/Type of Work

22

Price

33

Note: More than one option considered

The above rate chart shows that speed is the most preferred attribute/aspect of the printer
with service and price of the machine following closely.

36

6.3 Machine you currently operate on

BRAND
Roland
Mimaki
Xerox
HP
Mutoh
TOTAL

PREFERENCE
27
11
33
16
9
96

Note: More than one option considered

The above pie chart shows that Xerox is leading with 34% followed by Roland with 28 %
and HP by 17%. Xerox being with inkjet while Roland in the eco-solvent category.

37

6.4 Ink technology preferred

INK TECHNOLGY

PREFERENCE

Eco-Solvent

27

Latex

Inkjet

16

TOTAL

50

Out of 50 samples the eco-solvent printers lead with 27 followed by inkjet with 16. Latex
being a new technology comes third with 7 preferences.

38

6.5 Type of media used

MEDIA
Flex
Glass Paper
Matt Paper
Satin
Self-Adhesive Vinyl
Canvas
Photo paper
TOTAL

PREFERENCE
38
2
5
1
19
7
6
78

Note: More than one option considered.

Flex printing takes the major chunk in printing business in PSPs with 49% while vinyl
printing follows by 24% followed by other flexible media.

39

6.6 Type of clients

TYPES
Educational Institute
Ad-Agency
Corporate
Government
Seasonal
TOTAL

PREFERENCE
12
6
39
31
17
105

Note: More than one option considered

Most of the PSPs cater to wide range of clientele. Corporate provide with maximum
business by 37% followed by government institutions with 30%. The other major business
option is Seasonal with 16%.

40

6.7 Rate the brands according to your preference

BRANDS

RATING

Xerox

11

Mimaki

HP

24

Roland

Mutoh

HP comes out to be the clear winner considering the preference due to its superior quality
and brand image. But due to the operating costs associated with HP people are skeptical
about using HP products. Here 24 customers voted for HP with Xerox getting 11 followed
by Roland with 8.

41

6.8 Operating cost

BRANDS
Xerox
Mimaki
HP
Roland
Mutoh

Per Sq. ft.(Rs)

7
6
10
6
6

Note: The above figures are for standard print condition, that are for 2 pass print.
HP costs the highest followed by Xerox both digital printers. The eco-solvents Mimaki,
Roland & Mutoh cost more or less the same with a range of Rs 6 per square feet.

42

6.9 Plan of expansion

EXPANSION PLAN

PSP

Yes

13

No

21

Cant Say

16

TOTAL

50

The above graph shows that most of the PSPs are satisfied with their existing setups and
have no plans of expansion. Also a substantial number(16) are undecided.

43

CHAPTER VIII
RESEARCH FINDINGS

44

From the analysis and interpretation of the data the findings are listed. These may help the
company management to decide on the strategies regarding the acceptance of L25500 and to
prepare their customer base.
The findings are listed below:
1. The maximum type of work undertaken by most PSPs is Flex printing which 34% of
total.
2. In case of wide format printing the primary aspect to purchase a machine considered by
the PSPs is speed.
3. The existing machine for most of the PSPs is Xerox followed by Roland.
4. At Present Eco-solvent ink technology is commonly preferred
5. The media majorly used is flex for banner prints followed by self-adhesive vinyl.
6. The majority of clientele base of the PSPs are the corporate houses and government
institutions.
7. When it comes to most preferred brands HP leads all the way with 48% followed by
Xerox with 22%.
8. The operating cost of HP is highest as compared to Xerox, Mimaki, Roland & Mutoh,
with Mimaki, Roland, Mutoh having least cost.
9. Most of the PSPs are satisfied with their existing setups and have no plans of
expansion. Also a substantial number(16) are undecided. These can be tapped.

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CHAPTER IX
SUGGESTIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS

46

Based on the data analysis and findings of this research, suggestions and recommendations can
be made to the company. Following are the suggestions

1. The customers catered to are the PSPs with existing eco-solvent printers as well as inkjet
printers. New entrants must also be given preference as existing PSPs are obdurate to
change.
2. The latex machine should be promoted as the machine for future. The latex technology
with its environmental friendly inks must be marketed aggressively. Quality with safety
should be the motto of promotion.
3. Maximum PSPs use eco-solvent machines. Eco-solvent machines cost less (about 20%)
compared to latex but is hazardous to the environment. The PSPs should be encouraged
to go for environment friendly inks.
4. Reduction in latex ink by about 20% cost can be an option to increase sale. The PSPs use
inks which are cheap & have acceptable quality (me too inks) which are none other than
refilled inks.
5. A PSP considers the consumables cost before buying the machine and HP consumables
cost more as compared to its counterparts. Lowering the cost of consumables to a
competitive level can be a feasible option.
6. A financial support system can be developed with the help of the dealers for smooth
financing as the printers are on higher side of cost.

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CHAPTER X
LIMITATIONS

48

The proposed methodology is only conducted in particular areas of Mumbai. Only selected PSPs
are taken into account for the purpose of this study. The scope of the study proved to be a major
drawback. Out of the total considered fewer were shortlisted for the final data interpretation and
analysis. From this point of view, the generality of the investigation is questionable. Most of the
PSPs were unwilling to provide trade data. Data gathered from the questionnaire is subjective and
maybe ambiguous; data analysis might be affected and hard to interpret.

49

CHAPTER XI
CONCLUSION

50

The research helps towards understanding the market response for the Latex technology and
L25500 machine as a whole. The technology though superior to the existing technologies has
constraints from the cost point of view, the operating costs, the ink costs and the consumables.
The Indian market still is cost conscious and not quality conscious. For complete acceptance of
the product the costs must be lowered. The eco-friendly factor of the Latex inks must be
marketed as the USP which can lead to increased sales.

51

ANNEXURE

52

QUESTIONNAIRE
Name of the PSP: ________________________________________________________
Contact Person: _______________________________________________________________
Address: _____________________________________________________________________
Mobile no. /Landline no.: _______________________________________________________
Email/website: ________________________________________________________________
1. What type of work do you undertake?

POP
Brochures
Self-adhesive vinyl
Flex
Ad-banners

2. What aspects do you consider for purchasing a high-end printer?

Speed
Service
Resolution
Price

Color
Demand/Type of work
Ink Cost

3. What machine(s) do you currently operate on?

Roland
HP
Mutoh

Mimaki
Xerox

4. Which Ink Technology do you prefer?

Inkjet
Latex

Eco-solvent

53

5. Which types of Media do you use?

Flex
Matt Paper
Self-adhesive vinyl
Photo paper

Glass paper
Satin
Canvas

6. What are your prospective clients?

Educational Institute
Corporate
Seasonal

Ad Agency
Government

7. Rate the following brands as per your preference

Xerox
HP
Mutoh

Mimaki
Roland

8. What is the operating cost that you incur on your current machine?
Xerox
Mimaki
HP
Roland
Mutoh
9. Do you have any plans of expansion?
Yes
No

May be

10. What is your opinion about HP printers?

THANK YOU.

54

BIBLIOGRAPHY

55

REFERENCES

Hewlett-Packard (HP) brochures

Books:

Dr. Kasande Shailesh, Research Methodology, NiraliPrakashan, Pune, 2009.

Ranjit Kumar, Second Edition Research Methodology, Pearson Education, Delhi, 2008
Polonski Jay Michael and Waller S David, Designing and Managing Research Project- A

Business Students Guide, Sage Publications, California, 2005

Websites
www.hp.com
www.xerox.com
www.rolanddg.com
www.mimaki.co.jp/english
www.mutoh.com
www.large-format-printers.org

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