Since 1997, the number of Printing Industry companies has reduced by over 15%. Inefficient, uneconomic printers are closing each month. 

For the remaining it brings some short term growth by simple client acquisition. But it's an unwanted, not a structural change in the industry.

Industry gurus like Dr Joe Webb and Analysts like Heidi Tolliver-Nigro (right) have long talked of the need for a change in mindset. Says Heidi. "We've been writing to printers about the need to switch from manufacturing to marketing models for a long time, but it's getting to the point where it's not funny anymore"

Is still more restructuring needed for our industry to survive and prosper? If printers don't pick up the marketing baton, who will?

What's different in 2007 is that pressroom advances are becoming much less important. I'm sure most of the equipment suppliers will disagree. (Reality is often a hard pill to swallow). Instead we need to keep up with changing customer trends and other media. Unless you've very old, labour-intensive equipment, new production tools simply won't help that much. There's many examples where grand equipment or technology investment has buried, not revived a company.

It's the Printshops focus on better management, sales and marketing systems will more likely rejuvenate a struggling company. What's nice, is that the investment needed is often quite small.

There's ample real-world case studies to prove our point. Successful, super-growth operations like Vistaprint, PrintingForLess, Expresscopy, MMPrint etc in the US are typical of proactive, innovative printers. They have changed their selling model, embraced the Internet and Information Technologies which dramatically grew their market share, cashflow and margins. 

These companies constantly focus upon the customer in ways others don't. They provide them a suite of slick online and desktop toolsets to accelerate the print buying cycle, reducing errors, costs and delays. They communicate better. They also offer a range of value-added or cross-media services too.

Most have a clear market focus or niche. e.g. Take on markets others consider unprofitable, like low-value orders in the $50-$500 bracket. Good margins are maintained by utilising super-efficient workflows that save immense amounts of transaction time and costs (for both buyer and seller). This allows them to efficiently, flawlessly process hundreds of orders a day, with little additional labour or admin overhead.

The big questions industry analysts and commentators keep asking, if this modern online, more automated printing model is so good, why isn't the wider industry rapidly adopting it?

Change is difficult for printers when moving into areas they don't fully understand. Most Printshop owners here readily admit they have little budget set aside for IT, Workflows or Internet presence. With such attitudes (and no budget), it's little wonder information technology has had a slow uptake, and our end-to-end sales processes still grossly inefficient.

Sadly, Printers, like most manufacturers, tend to look inward, not outward. The factory and it's own processes take centre stage. A quick glance through our trade magazines and shows provides ample proof. When it comes to using technology to improve customer service and track jobs minute by minute, I'd say my local garage has a better IT system than most printshops I visit.

So, What's needed?

An entrepreneurial spirit is essential, together with a clear vision of the opportunity and a real determination to get there. Today, it isn't even overly expensive, difficult or of high risk, since the business blueprints and toolsets are readily available.

Heidi first alerted us to these opportunities in an article back in 2002  

  ".... for Printers, just having a static Web site and email capabilities isn’t enough. The Internet is a tool for conducting business, for developing and implementing larger applications like online pick-n-pack; online, on-demand customization; and online, template-based design that are driving the document world today. You may think that this world isn’t affecting you, but it’s a case of 'what you don’t know [or don’t see] can hurt you.' It is affecting you, whether you know it or not. It’s not about being 'on' the Net. It’s about using the Net."

A handful of entrepreneurs then took up the challenge and succeeded beyond expectations. Let's hope it's not too late for the rest of us. Certainly interest in web-to-print, online ordering and cross-media systems here is on the rise. Remember too, it's the early bird that catches the most worms...

To learn more phone me on (03) 669 0181 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

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