At Connect 2003, Printcafe's user group meeting, held in Las Vegas in mid-May, Udi Arieli, Printcafe's Director of Product Management for Web and CIM Products, spoke at length about the Theory of Total Global Optimization, a theory he and his team developed over many years based, in part, upon two books by Eliyahu Goldratt , and adapted to the specific needs of the printing industry.

Arieli's presentation was clear, concise and contained a lot of common sense, reflecting an in-depth knowledge of print manufacturing processes. In light of the continued lackluster performance of the overall printing industry as a result of the economic downturn, and with no signs of a speedy recovery in sight, WhatTheyThink conducted a follow-up interview with Arieli to provide readers with a more in-depth view of this theory and Arieli's common-sense approach to the business.

According to all of the economic indicators, growth remains sluggish or non-existent for a large majority of the players in the printing industry. There are, however, a few top-tier performers who, year after year, continue to deliver growth, often in the high double digits. Could a broader discussion of Arieli's Theory of Global Optimization (TGO) help in stemming this decline? WhatTheyThink decided to find out.