In 1914, 1917-18 and 1925, WT faced crisis due to doctrinal reasons and power struggles, with more than half of the WT HQ directors purged, many prominent and true believers leaving the fold, branch office managers becoming apostate, etc. However, as said above, they had their business and money to fall back on. They survived that debacle because of money and not because of their members.
Now, WT may have problems with money, but they have a core group of believers who will not leave no matter what. No high level defections have happened in the recent decades. Normal JW's are not dependent on the WT for their daily financial and family needs. Hence, even if the WT stops printing and publishing altogether, publishers will still go on preaching as usual with whatever they have and whatever WT gives them. JW's dont have any problems whatsoever to simply go to the door and ask the householder to download things from jw.org.
So the WT is doing what any organization will do. If they have stopped their publishing business, it makes no sense in having huge printeries and printery staff. Cut back and downsizing is the best way. But all of this would not make much difference to a normal JW. It is just the matter of changing his presentation style during his field service. Instead of a physical book, he will have to show things from his tablet or smart phone. Most JW's have already transitioned to this style of witnessing.
