As a new participating columnist for eXpert Row, Raine Consulting Inc. looks forward to providing readers with up-to-date information in this ever-changing world of Graphic Media. Our daily job is to aggregate intellectual capital cheaper, better, faster than our clients can do in-house. We plan to share new insights and deliver to you the wisdom (i.e. information backed by experience) that shapes the landscapes of tomorrow.

Who is Raine?
Raine Consulting Inc. is a management and technology consulting services firm helping companies redefine and restructure their business activities in graphic media, manufacturing, publishing, document management, and content management. Raine has worked with leading industries and clients in understanding how technology-enabled systems can best benefit their organization in areas such as Network Publishing, eProcurement initiatives, Demand and Supply Chain optimization, and CRM platforms.

Raine has completed three whitepapers available free of charge by downloading from our website at www.RaineConsulting.com. We first introduced macroeconomic perspectives about the trends and impacts on the graphic arts industry in a whitepaper called: "Transition of the Printing Industry to the Internet: The First Wave" released in Fall 1999.

This primer focused on the mass infusion of technology capital that quickly heightened awareness of the huge B2B (business-to-business) technology gap between print buyers and printers. The industry was deluged with hundreds of new entrants called the "eCommerce Providers". The confusion that ensued was mind-boggling but cautioned readers about the long road to success.

Webifying the Industry
Raine's Fall 2000 whitepaper, "The Second Wave: Webifying the Printing Industry" was a continuation of the series.

This report introduced the seven warning signals about the changing times in the printing industry. New perspectives were explored and urgent messages delivered to those interested in how long it will really take for mass adoption to online print transactions.

This whitepaper also introduced a new category of competitors. The second wave of new entrants to the printing industry are what we called the "eCommerce Gorillas". These behemoths come with trusted brands, deep pockets, generations of market experience and instant scalability.

The Third Wave: An Iron Tale
The story continues to a Third Wave. Despite the rise and fall of eCommerce Providers, and the slowness of eCommerce Gorillas to come out of the jungle, there are other industries and other players very much interested in the lessons learned by printers. In an attempt to solve customer problems, these Third Wave companies are colliding into the printer’s domain. These new entrants try to marginalize the business of print.

The Printing Press, affectionately called the heavy iron, is now the tail and not the dog when it comes to the business of print. Print must flip on its head and get outside of itself in order to grow. In other words, the printer’s technology infrastructure has become the dog. Raine believes those who come to grips with what the print business is, and more importantly, what it is not will be the leaders of tomorrow.

We at Raine Consulting are excited about our relationship with WhatTheyThink.com and its readers. We look forward to your comments as both readers and key influencers in this changing industry. Your input and opinions are important. Should you have any questions, or wish to contact us, please visit www.RaineConsulting.com.