Manufacturers - What is required
The manufacture and sale of photo imaging equipment, software, consumables and peripherals is an expanding global business that generates hundreds of billions of pounds in sales each year. The multinational companies that manufacture most of these products and services employ many thousand people in the UK alone.
The manufacturing sector is currently experiencing an unprecedented period of innovation and change. Film and traditional photographic processing have an ever decreasing market share, while the market for digital recording and imaging devices is transforming the way we live and work. This has blurred traditional boundaries between the market for photo imaging equipment and other once distinct market sectors such as: printing, office equipment and the supply of imaging technology to the broadcast industries. All these factors make the manufacturing sector a very exciting arena to work in, particularly for those who have some training or specialist experience in Photo Imaging (or a related area such as computing), good business acumen and the drive to pursue a lucrative and rewarding career.
The main business focus for manufacturers in photo imaging covers four distinct but related market segments:
- Business and commercial imaging - this covers both the office and professional printing environments and covers a wide range of product areas and support services, including: traditional photographic processing, minilabs, kiosks, multifunctional printers, IT consultation and peripherals, photocopiers, printers, large format printers, fax machines, document management hardware & software, multimedia LCD projectors.
- Consumer Imaging - this covers equipment used for capturing images, such as film and digital SLR cameras and lenses, digital still compact cameras, DV camcorders, tripods, reflectors, scanners, binoculars and other optical devices, as well as output devices such as inkjet and laser home printers, digital picture frames, desktop multifunctional and multimedia LCD projectors.
- Healthcare and Scientific Imaging - this covers films, specialist cameras and lenses, scanners and specialist digital imaging software used for everything from radiology to remote sensing.
- Film and broadcasting - this covers the supply and servicing of digital imaging equipment and accessories to the film and television broadcasting environment.
Since this is a very competitive and lucrative area of business, salaries and benefits (holidays, pensions, insurance, healthcare, etc.) are generally very good and there is often a strong positive link between performance and pay. For photographic graduates in the UK there are great opportunities in a number of related areas:
- Product development - particularly the development of processes, imaging software and scientific applications
- Marketing - finding new gaps in the markets and coming up with promotions designed to target products at particular segments of the consumer, business or scientific customer
- Sales and distribution - turning promotional strategies into profit on a local and regional level through teams of sales staff who negotiate with and supply retailers, business and commercial users
- Service support - providing technical support via call centres, repair centres and the work of Field Service Engineers and Technicians.
In order to convey the scale and scope of this dynamic sector, we have chosen to focus in the first instance on two very distinct job profiles:
Marketing Executive
Field Service Technician
