As an industry, graphic and packaging communications have historically relied on all-encompassing one-size-fits-all business and workflow solutions to manage their front office, back office, and plant. However, as PSP customers rely more on their own digital systems and PSPs continue their journeys of transformation and convergence, these types of solutions may not provide the necessary functionality or flexibility to keep up with those changes and company growth. 

Many software and hardware manufacturers have tried to develop one-size-fits-all solutions, but according to a recently completed study, these have usually missed the mark. As a result, many of the more successful PSPs have tailored their workflow systems to their specific needs, usually using a modular Lego^®-like logic.

Interestingly, while the graphic and packaging communications industry has always felt that their workflow needs were specialized, and in all fairness that was the case at one point, today those needs are not that much different from many other enterprise and manufacturing businesses. That having been said, you still need to decide just how customized your solution needs to be, since flexibility comes with many benefits, but also comes with a cost.