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Document Preparation Services in the US - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Donnel Villaruel Donnel Villaruel New York, United States Last Updated: April 2024 NAICS 56141

Revenue

$5.6bn

2024

$5.9bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XXX.Xm

Employees

247k

Businesses

215k

Wages

$X.Xbn

Document Preparation Services in the US industry analysis

The industry encompasses a broad range of services that includes letter or resume writing, document editing or proofreading, word processing or desktop publishing, transcription or dictation and other secretarial services. In 2023, industry revenue is expected to decrease as recent developments in automated technology solutions, such as voice recognition technology (VRT) and other artificial intelligence (AI) systems, have increased competition from other industries, posing significant threats to the industry's long-term growth.Industry operators have become increasingly reliant on computer technology to facilitate their work. Rapid advancements in VRT and AI have challenged services previously provided, specifically in the MTS segment, which has historically been the industry's primary revenue generating market. Although automated service offerings have the potential to boost profit through reducing labor costs, it has not yet been perfected. In many cases, customers still prefer traditional offerings. This has improved demand from operators in the healthcare industry that require clear and accurate document transcriptions for their practice. Industry revenue is expected to decrease at a CAGR of 0.4% to $5.6 billion while entering 2023, largely a result of poor recent performance, despite a 2.0% growth in 2023.Moving forward, as more customers adopt VRT, AI, character-recognition solutions and other types of technology, it will be easier for companies and individuals to prepare documents themselves, thus reducing demand for the industry's services. This is likely to dampen revenue growth. IBISWorld expects that, over the five years to 2027, industry revenue will grow at a CAGR of 1.9% to $6.2 billion. Industry revenue growth is expected to remain positive because some demand still exists for industry services (e.g., healthcare documents, proofreading), but growth is slower than GDP because of the existence of new technologies crowding out industry services.

Trends and Insights

  • An array of services that help clients prepare written or electronic documents are included in the industry. The rising use of mobile and software-based products has raised competition from other industries for the industry.
  • Editing and proofreading are just two of the services included in the industry, which also includes other services. Before final publication, book and magazine publishers utilize editing and proofreading services to fix grammatical and spelling issues in written materials. The education and research sectors also use these services to improve word choice in academic and technical writing.
  • Similar to how the population is spread in the US, the industry is highly concentrated. Operations in this sector are mostly driven by economic activity levels and closeness to sectors that are complementary to it, such as healthcare, banking, insurance, real estate and professional services.
  • Price, quality, production speed, and the variety of services provided are the main factors that determine industry competition. In this industry, particularly in the segments that provide transcription, proofreading, and word processing services, the capacity to effectively complete time-sensitive work is essential.In-house providers of transcription and document preparation services fight with businesses in this industry. Increased outsourcing and offshoring of some services to nations with comparably reduced labor costs, such as India and the Philippines, has presented difficulties for business owners in the healthcare market.

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  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 0.4 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $5.6bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Industry operators have increasingly relied on computer technology

  • Industry professionals have gotten more and more reliant on software and computer technologies over this time. Over the past few years, personal computers and the software that runs on them have become more affordable and potent, which originally encouraged the industry's explosive growth.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Document Preparation Services in the US
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Tech innovation presents a double-edged sword

  • IBISWorld predicts that possibilities and difficulties will coexist throughout the outlook period as an outcome of technology innovation. While new technology will speed up the document preparation process and improve accuracy and efficiency for the typing services sector, they're also anticipated to make the market for document preparation services more competitive in general.

Biggest companies in the Document Preparation Services in the US

Company
Market Share (%)
2023
Revenue ($m)
2023
Profit ($m)
2023
Profit Margin (%)
2023
Nuance Communications, Inc.
105.6
6.4
6.1
Anacomp Inc.
6.9
0.4
6.3
Planet Depos, LLC
4.2
0.0
0.9

To view the market share and analysis for all 7 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Document Preparation Services in the US
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Document preparation services , Typing services and Printing services. Document preparation services is the largest segment of the Document Preparation Services in the US.

Trends and Insights

Many businesses require

  • Before final publication, book and magazine publishers use editing and proofreading services to fix grammatical and spelling issues in written materials. The education and research sectors also use these services to improve word choice in academic and technical writing. Over the past couple of decades, demand for editing and proofreading services has decreased, much like it did for the desktop publishing and transcribing product areas.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

This industry encompasses several services, including letter or resume writing; document editing or proofreading; word processing or desktop publishing; transcription or dictation; and other secretarial services. This industry does not include document translation services, graphic design, court reporting, prepress and postpress services or document copying services.

What's included in this industry?

Desktop publishing servicesMedical transcriptionDictation servicesAudio or documental transcription servicesEditing and proofreading servicesLetter and resume writing servicesWord processing servicesOther secretarial services

Companies

Nuance Communications, Inc.Anacomp Inc.Planet Depos, LLC

Purchase this report to view all 7 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

VOICE-RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY (VRT)OUTSOURCINGWYSIWYGRECORDS MANAGEMENT (RM)SPELL CHECKWORD PROCESSORPAGE LAYOUT SOFTWAREELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD (EHR)OPTICAL CHARACTER RECOGNITION (OCR)

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 56141 - Document Preparation Services in the US

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

An array of services that help clients prepare written or electronic documents are included in the industry. The rising use of mobile and software-based products has raised c...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Editing and proofreading are just two of the services included in the industry, which also includes other services. Before final publication, book and magazine publishers uti...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Similar to how the population is spread in the US, the industry is highly concentrated. Operations in this sector are mostly driven by economic activity levels and closeness ...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Price, quality, production speed, and the variety of services provided are the main factors that determine industry competition. In this industry, particularly in the segment...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

The industry is highly fragmented, with a large number of small- to medium-sized companies operating in this space. But there are several large players that have a significan...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of Nuance Communications, Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Anacomp Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Planet Depos, LLC's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of revenue, market share and profit margin trend for 4 additional companies

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for Nuance Communications, Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Anacomp Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Planet Depos, LLC, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description, key data and performance trends for 4 additional companies

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Medical transcription services are part of the typing sector that's highly regulated, despite the fact that the Document Preparation Services industry as a whole has few regul...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Industry operators have different pricing structures depending on a number of variables. Small operators, for instance, frequently serve as local subcontractors for larger bu...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Industry Multiples (2017-2022)
  • Industry Tax Structure (2017-2022)
  • Income Statement (2017-2022)
  • Balance Sheet (2017-2022)
  • Liquidity Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Coverage Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2017-2022)
  • Operating Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Document Preparation Services in the US industry in United States in 2024?

The market size of the Document Preparation Services in the US industry in United States is $5.6bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Document Preparation Services in the US industry in 2024?

There are 215k businesses in the Document Preparation Services in the US industry in United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 17.2 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Document Preparation Services in the US industry in United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Document Preparation Services in the US industry in United States has been declining at a CAGR of 0.4 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Document Preparation Services in the US industry in United States over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Document Preparation Services in the US industry in United States is expected to grow.

What are the biggest companies in the Document Preparation Services in the US market in United States?

The biggest companies operating in the Document Preparation Services market in United States are Nuance Communications, Inc., Anacomp Inc. and Planet Depos, LLC

What does the Document Preparation Services in the US in United States include?

Desktop publishing services and Medical transcription are part of the Document Preparation Services in the US industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Document Preparation Services in the US in United States?

The company holding the most market share in United States is Nuance Communications, Inc..

How competitive is the Document Preparation Services in the US industry in United States?

The level of competition is high and increasing in the Document Preparation Services in the US industry in United States.

Related Industries

Widen your competitive advantage with related industries

Competitors

  • Graphic Designers in the US
  • Translation Services in the US
  • Business Service Centers in the US

Complementors

  • Paper Product Manufacturing in the US
  • Printing in the US
  • Printing Services in the US

International industries

  • Document Preparation Services in the UK

View all industries in United States

Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in the US include: 

  • US Census Bureau
  • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • US International Trade Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.