Ideas, observations and information logistics

Jun 1, 2005 12:00 AM, By Katherine O’Brien

Editor’s Desk

A few weeks ago, attendees at the VUE/Point conference participated in a Best Ideas roundtable. By my count, there were 23 ideas, several general observations and many points to ponder.

Some observations were controversial: "There’s plenty of work," opined one printer. "But guys like iron, so there’s too many presses. Instead of buying a new press, maybe you should go to a six-day work week."

One veteran printer bemoaned the industry’s pricing policies. "I don’t discount!" he declared.

"I upcharge!" Noting he had been a printer for almost 50 years, the speaker said the industry "hasn’t learned from previous mistakes. We still don’t have value-added."

Robert Dainton of Citiplate (Westbury, NY) had an intriguing suggestion. "Why don’t we create a JDF virus?" he asked. "That would be one way to ensure that everyone has it."

Show and sell
Although Dainton was kidding, participants did offer many practical tips. Several said hosting educational customer events has yielded excellent dividends. "We started with prepress and file prep basics," said one printer. "Now we have two-day seminars—it’s a chance to see the plant and all of our departments. It’s a nice marketing tool."

Frank McPherson, president, Custom Data Imaging Corp. (Markham, Ontario), said his company frequently conducts seminars to demonstrate the power of variable-data printing. Custom Data sent out 500 personalized invitations for a recent event that drew 75 attendees. While the seminar cost about $5,000, McPherson estimated it brought in $600,000 in new business.

Val DiGiacinto, vice president of technical sales, The Ace Group (New York City), reminded his fellow printers not to neglect existing customers. If you’re hearing a steady chorus of "We didn’t know you did that!" from customers, you might want to rethink your communication strategy. Continue to promote your company’s services to established customers, advised DiGiacinto. As part of this effort, Ace Group’s executive team frequently participates in sales calls. "Our existing clients have become even better ‘new’ clients," said DiGiacinto.

Lisa Arsenault, president, McArdle (Marlboro, MD), described a fresh sales approach. Working with Print Tec’s (Duxbury, MA) Bill Farquharson, McArdle asked its 10 sales reps to contact 15 new prospects a week. "Giving them a monthly quota of prospects was a radical change," conceded Arsenault, "but it resulted in 100 new customers the first year we did it."

Prospects were drawn from a variety of sources, including associations and Oxbury Communications’ (www.mediafinder.com) directories.

Could you repeat the question?
Mario Assadi, CEO of Tulip Graphics (Berkeley, CA), expressed his concern about what he termed 800-lb. gorillas: companies such as FedEx/Kinkos and Office Max. "They’ve identified what the market is doing and they’re eating our lunch," he said. "What’s the answer?"

I thought of Assadi’s question as I reviewed the text of a keynote speech a FedEx/Kinko’s executive gave at the OnDemand conference. FedEx, having acquired Kinko’s a year ago, intends to be in the "information logistics" business. According to the company, "Instead of pure document outsourcing or document management, information logistics manages the total flow of information that moves with every business process."

For one customer, a leading business and training coaching company, FedEx/Kinko’s teamed with FedEx Express, the company’s transportation arm, on a centralized solution for producing and distributing training materials. The goal was to move content from the United States to conferences around the world, streamline translation into multiple languages, and reduce custom and shipping time and expense. According to FedEx/Kinko’s, "Cycle times were reduced from three weeks to 10 days, overall costs were dramatically reduced and finished product was closer to where it was actually needed."

Few commercial printers can match FedEx/ Kinko’s Commercial Documents Solutions’ scope—it currently consists of 1,500 locations worldwide staffed by 475 sales professionals. And don’t forget the FedEx fleet of trucks and planes serving 375 airports in more than 200 countries. This summer the company will open a 28,500-sq.-ft. production center in Memphis, TN. In addition to document production and finishing, the center will offer kitting and fulfillment.

I don’t have an easy answer for competing with FedEx/Kinko’s or similar companies. But I do know you don’t need an airplane to move information or solve customers’ problems. Printers have been doing this for years and many, like FedEx/ Kinko’s, are doing it in ways that are faster, more flexible and more innovative than ever before.

E-mail feedback to kobrien@primediabusiness.com.

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