It’s essentially pointless to ask Anthony Sci what’s new in the world of Keypoint Intelligence (KPI). In a word: everything. The president and CEO of the global data and marketing intelligence provider to the printing industry (and a growing cadre of non-print sectors) is nothing if not current. Whether it’s artificial intelligence (AI), sales enhancement tools, ecommerce, the quoting tool that bolsters HubSpot, textiles, robotics (!), embroidery (!!) or its new distinction as a TWAIN-compliant testing lab, KPI is a hip organization.
In a sense, KPI is everything the office technology dealer needs to be: diversification aggressive, forward-thinking and (above all else) able to read the business landscape and pivot when necessary. At a time when manufacturers are cutting deals with one another and tariffs are the new pandemic, relying on dated intelligence can be downright fatal. But it’s not about tossing MFPs into Boston Harbor. It’s recognizing opportunities before competitors leverage them to defeat your dealership.
While robotics and embroidery may not mesh with dealers, AI applies to everyone. Sci talks at length about the ever-burgeoning role it can play with dealers and their clients. He also charts KPI’s penchant for adjacent and off-road testing segments that illustrate the organization’s proficiency in identifying opportunities. And with forays into new geographies throughout the world, Sci & Co. are out to prove that while the company will celebrate 65 years in business come 2026, its evolution is nonstop.
How did KPI perform in the first three quarters of 2025, and what were some of the variables that shaped the year?
Sci: We got off to a strong start, and I’m pleased with our progress. We launched new sales enablement tools, including our quoting tool, and expanded into AI and robotics, which has been a real success. All of this was going very well until tariffs were announced. Once tariffs enter the conversation, uncertainty follows, and when uncertainty hits the market, businesses tend to stop spending and wait to see how things play out.
We’ve tried to guide clients through this turbulence. Every few years, it seems our industry faces a major challenge—whether it was the real estate bubble in 2008–2010, the pandemic or now tariffs. Despite that, we’re still ahead of last year’s performance, which is encouraging. Clients tell us we’re adding value, and the voice-of-customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. At the end of the day, the core challenges remain the same: reduce costs and increase revenue. That rallying cry never changes—it just becomes more urgent when costs rise and expenses don’t decline as quickly.
When you think about the highlights for KPI in 2025, what resonated the most with you?
Sci: The biggest highlight for me has been our new products and services. Reinventing ourselves keeps the organization energized and ensures we remain relevant in our clients’ eyes. Longevity brings stability, but relevance is key. Our work with AI, robotics, sales enablement tools and now TWAIN compliance are strong examples of this evolution.
There wasn’t one single defining moment, but rather the satisfaction of entering areas where many people didn’t even know we had a presence. That ongoing transformation has been refreshing for our team and shows that we’re committed to growing alongside client needs and market trends.
Tariffs seem to have stifled (or paused) major equipment purchasing to a degree, and OEMs have walked a fine line between absorbing costs and passing them on to dealers/end-users. What are some of the short- and long-term ramifications, in your estimation?
Sci: There isn’t a simple short-term solution. No manufacturer can absorb the full financial impact, so everyone is trying to pass along as little pain as possible. Dealers, meanwhile, are stuck with three- and five-year leases on CPC contracts. When their costs rise, they’re forced to pass them along to clients, which is never easy. It’s a difficult balancing act that risks market share and client retention.
Tariffs further compress already declining margins, which intensifies the pain across the industry. This is why so many dealers are exploring new recurring revenue opportunities beyond print. Managed print, managed IT, water services—dealers are diversifying however they can. The key is execution: how quickly and effectively they can bring those new revenue streams online.
Question: At the risk of stumbling into the political conversation, it seems like there wasn’t much forethought in negotiating tariffs with other countries. That uncertainty has fueled hesitation and unwillingness to move forward. What’s your perspective?
Sci: The pandemic taught us how quickly everything can change—service revenues vanished overnight, people weren’t in offices and copy volumes plummeted. Yet this industry has always been resilient. There’s only so much adversity it can absorb, but I still believe it’s possible to succeed.
There are niche areas that remain profitable, and dealers need to identify those opportunities that best fit their markets. The key is leveraging those niches to build sustainable, long-term success.
There have been varying degrees of partnerships forged among manufacturers in the past 24 months, most of which transpired prior to the onset of tariffs. What do you expect to see on that front over the next 12–24 months?
Sci: If you look at earnings since tariffs, manufacturers are clearly struggling. Partnerships such as those between Ricoh, Toshiba and Okidata are smart ways to reduce manufacturing costs, which remain the largest expense. More companies will need to take this approach. Konica Minolta has done it with Fuji, Xerox is working with Kyocera on production and Xerox acquired Lexmark to boost manufacturing capacity.
In my opinion, consolidation is inevitable. We may see three or four manufacturers combine to restore profitability and ensure survival. I’ve been in this industry my whole life—it’s been good to me and many others—but watching the current struggles is difficult. Consolidation could provide much-needed clarity about the industry’s direction. People have been predicting consolidation for at least 10–15 years, yet it hasn’t materialized. The dominoes are difficult to tip. But as earnings continue to slide and tariffs apply additional pressure, I believe we’ll finally see meaningful consolidation within the next year.
AI has been on everyone’s mind, with many dealers finding internal applications from sales to marketing and administration, while others are exploring client-facing opportunities. What have you found most noteworthy about the AI evolution?
Sci: We conduct AI readiness assessments for both manufacturers and dealers. These involve 30- to 40-page reports covering sales, where organizations want to grow revenue, and operations, where they seek efficiency. We interview not only the executive team but also two layers down to uncover bottlenecks and inefficiencies. It’s essentially a 360-degree view for leadership to fully understand where issues lie.
From there, we deliver 15–20 recommendations for how AI can benefit the business. Since most companies don’t have an AI specialist, we often stay on with them, alongside our partner West McDonald of Go West, to guide implementation. We focus on low-hanging fruit—quick wins in cost savings and efficiency—and gradually expand.
Two trends stand out. First, people are far less fearful of AI than when it first emerged; they’re embracing it. Second, 80% of businesses we assess lack a formal AI policy, which is surprising. Without one, they risk liability if an employee shares inaccurate or misleading AI-generated information. We always begin with creating a policy, then move to recommendations.
Importantly, we don’t view AI as a tool to eliminate jobs. Every employee at KPI uses AI, and it’s saved us significant time and money. But instead of cutting staff, we’ve redirected that saved time into new initiatives. This industry is built on relationships, and people remain its core value. Once you get away from that, it lessens your value to the customer. We won’t compromise that by using AI to reduce headcount.
Dealers and manufacturers are always seeking new revenue streams. Increasingly, clients are asking about AI, and some dealers have approached us about reselling AI services. We’re working with a select group to pilot this idea, which could create recurring revenue for them. It’s an exciting opportunity that helps dealers enter the AI arena without reducing their workforce.
Have the readiness assessments yielded any surprising insights?
Sci: Early on, everyone assumed AI would only be a marketing tool—better scripts, stronger campaigns. But we’ve seen a surge in AI use for sales, and that’s been eye-opening. Dealers are realizing how AI can streamline workflows and improve efficiency. Custom GPTs are being used to generate vertical-market playbooks, gather company and individual insights, and deliver information in seconds that used to take hours.
This speed enables dealers to sequence outreach, stay fresh in front of clients and pursue new business more effectively. In today’s environment, new business is essential, and AI provides a powerful way to drive it. Dealers are beginning to recognize that in a big way.
From the dealer perspective, is there a need to pump the brakes on AI, or should we accelerate?
Sci: We started cautiously, but now AI is part of our culture. Once a month, we hold an all-employee meeting dedicated to AI. Each department shares new ways they’ve applied AI since the last meeting, and the results are incredible. Every month, there are fresh innovations and best practices. I do very little talking in those meetings—it’s all about employees sharing and learning from one another. We also emphasize checks and balances because AI can hallucinate or produce errors. AI should be a starting point, not the final word. Expertise and verification are essential to ensure accuracy and value.
What have been the early results for the Q2 HubSpot tool?
Sci: It’s been on the market for just under a year, and the feedback has been outstanding. Many people view HubSpot as simply a CRM, but it’s much more. Beyond managing databases and client information, it integrates sales and marketing to directly drive leads and revenue. That’s the ultimate purpose of any CRM.
We’ve partnered with Quantum, whose HubSpot expertise is unmatched, and combined it with our quoting (CPQ) tool. The result is a powerful CRM and quoting solution—the best in the industry, in my opinion. I’m a little biased, obviously. Our tool is platform-agnostic, so it works with any CRM or ERP. Interestingly, we’re now being approached by businesses outside the print industry who want to use our quoting tool.
What’s new on the testing front for KPI?
Sci: This has been an exciting year. For decades, testing was limited to copiers, printers, wide-format devices and software. Now we’re expanding into robotics. We’re one of the few independent labs conducting robotics testing, including SCAR products and six-axis systems, which we use to validate manufacturer claims for accuracy and speed. Watching robotics in action is fascinating.
We’re also heavily engaged in textiles, with multiple testing trips to China this year, and it’s proven to be a booming market. Additionally, we hired a specialist from TWAIN, positioning us as a TWAIN-compliant testing lab with global scanning compliance capabilities. We’ve also begun embroidery testing, tapping into the expanding ETSY-driven market.
None of this growth would be possible without our incredible team. Constant change isn’t easy, but our employees have embraced it wholeheartedly. They’re excited to explore new areas, which keeps the work fresh and dynamic. It’s not the same old, same old.
What do you think is in store for the office dealer industry in 2026?
Sci: AI will dominate the conversation—it’s the number one factor shaping the future. Production is another area to watch as more manufacturers with deep expertise are making strong moves there. Robotics will also play a growing role, particularly in production environments. I don’t foresee a flood of “wow factor” innovations, but rather a focus on who adopts these technologies and how effectively they leverage them. AI and robotics will be the key growth drivers in the years ahead.
What are your goals and expectations for KPI heading into next year?
Sci: Our top priority is continuing to build expertise in AI and helping dealers and manufacturers adopt sales enablement tools—e-commerce, quoting, AI solutions—that drive revenue. On the research side, it’s no longer about delivering a 50- to 70-page report; it’s about combining concise insights with meaningful expert consultation. Clients value our personal touch—face-to-face conversations about their business challenges, trends and forecasts—far more than a generic AI-generated document.
We’re also expanding consulting services into new markets, including China, India and other global territories. Clients rely on us to help them penetrate new markets, understand customer needs and position their products effectively. Our consulting has grown far beyond print into adjacent industries, giving us a diverse and robust portfolio to support our clients’ growth. The future is really exciting for us.
