Untapped Opportunities… Neglected….for… Continuous Improvement

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By Sid Chadwick

My Direct Reports have a ‘Review’ with me… every Friday…they’re each expected to bring at least one suggestion for improving our productivity and workflow...every week…..We’ve been doing this since I was promoted…..and…. we’re seeing our profitability slowly improve….every month….(not too complicated…just requires relentless follow-through…)”………Rob Narron, The Print Source, Wichita, KS

INTRODUCTION:

Webinar Zoom callThis past week I listened to a consulting team from Heidelberg deliver a webinar, titled, “Industry 4.0 – Profit Matters”. The webinar I’m told was produced for Great Lakes Graphics Assoc., and sponsored locally by PICA (Printing Industry of the Carolinas). This webinar represents another example of how associations can share resources -- for better contributions -- members.

The content was solid, relevant, and well-presented.

(As a personal observation, the content was a well-developed “repurposing” of Continuous Improvement”, with multiple everyday mfg. plant examples – which made the program so relevant for their audience.)

As the Program rolled forward, I found myself asking two questions:

  1. Will anyone follow up on this webinar’s content and put its profound principles into practice…? (Principles that Ray Prince and I used in our Pressroom Workshop series – over 5 years – generating additional multiple-six figures/yr. -- for attendees.)
  2. Will the Heidelberg team also present principles -- For continuously improving your revenue margins - By identifying preferred, target customer markets –through targeted new account development – including -- how to “identify” and “find” those target prospects -- through “disciplined analysis” – and use of Databases – as is being taught at the U. of Houston’s Digital Media School….?

SUMMARY:

There’s so much more to developing a company – so that it can stand the challenges of changing times……that too often today look like “Quote & Hope”.

Invest in your futureOur great industry once supported a Program known as EDP – Executive Development Program – where young executives were educated on “Improved Print Company Management Principles”.

I ask our various Associations,  “What are you doing, what are you planning and developing – for sustaining our industry’s future…..?  Where’s the leadership for developing renewed organizations…customers…and profitability….?  

Seems Suppliers also have a huge stake in those questions…

“Peter Drucker, the business guru, criticized business executives for devoting too much time to planning, rather than understanding the nature of the corporation itself.  As he put it, ‘Culture eats strategy for lunch’.”….General Jim Mattis, Call Sign Chaos, p.179.

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