Next month in Chicago, printers from all over the world will make their annual pilgrimage to Graph Expo. For those in-plants attending the trade show, IPG has coordinated several opportunities to get together, enjoy a free meal and hear what some of their fellow managers are doing to get ahead.
If you ever set type by hand, if you’ve ever operated a Linotype or a Ludlow, if the terms “slug” or “chase” or “foundry” or “Hell Box” bring back thoughts of “back in the day,” you may relate to this story. No, this isn’t a story of nostalgia, and I won’t try to convince you how great things used to be. In fact, if you are familiar enough with a letterpress shop to remember the heat and the noise, I don’t have to tell you how much things have improved as we evolved into today’s digital print technologies.
Is our department in the right business? Even though we are giving our customers the products they need today, are we paying attention to what they will need tomorrow? If not, what do we need to do to help them?
For the first time in its 49-year history, the Association of College and University Printers (ACUP) ventured into Minnesota last month, bringing 80 higher-ed in-plant managers together for four days of networking and education.
To understand the true cost of a print job or communications campaign, in-plants need to account for salaries, equipment leases, power use and building rent, as well as materials like ink and paper.
Why on earth do some departments in your organization not send their printing to the in-plant? Supporting your in-plant is, in effect, supporting your organization from within. An organization that is strong from within can stand on its own and support those around it.
"All printing is created equal." It's not true, of course, but this is what our customers tend to believe. They've come to expect things like fast, dependable service, a quality product and value for their money. So when they try to differentiate between printers, they often focus on price. And while price is important, the best way for an in-plant to distinguish itself is through superior customer service and satisfaction. Technology is driving our business forward but is also driving our
A chargeback system will help you build a successful, outsource-resistant in-plant, but first you must sell the idea to management. If you know the benefits and drawbacks up front, it will be an easy sell.
Merging with other departments in your parent organization is an excellent way to improve efficiency, increase business and save money.
