Discussion

By Michael Josefowicz on Oct 15, 2008

Maybe this points to the fact that at base print is a manufacturing business with a complicated supply chain. "Solution provider", and "communication adviser" is ok for some, for many more print manufacturer might be a more useful way to look at it.

Perhaps local printers could see themselves more like car dealers, selling a commodity product, working to build a community of customers, and earning their profit as much through the undercoating, financing and after sales service as selling the product itself.

By Greg Imhoff on Oct 15, 2008

Interesting thread to place printers with less value added car "dealers" who are essentially resellers of mass manufactured line goods.
Printers do create value added in each step of the custom job process by manufacturing color for end results for their client needs.

The view of globalization impacting the print industry as less is perhaps taking consolidation a bit too far.
Brand Owners and Print Buyers do require custom color job results with improved quality service and savings. This means faithful reproduction and the possible efficient re purposing of the same files so target clients see and respond to finished goods be it Commercial, Publication or Packaging for sales sheets, car brochures or Quaker Oatmeal boxes...

With GRACoL this works across all printing segments be it Offset, Digital, Flexo or Gravure. No buyer seeks lesser quality so each job is custom run for improved results from industry specific standards. Custom quality work begets more work so each job is run more profitably when manufactured with SWOP or G7 guidelines. Some leading printers add to their niche market segments such as DAM and or fulfillment services to improve client services, after the quality is assured.

Printers may now afforably upgrade existing presses to the new improved manufacturing Brand Owner driven guidelines, to most efficiently match color with our patent pending solutions. See our new true press closed loop systems automating SWOP or G7 gray balance controls "In Line On Line and All the Time."

Quality doesn't cost - it pays.

By Michael Josefowicz on Oct 16, 2008

The thing is that it's exactly the standards implied by GraCol's very important work that accelerates the move to "commodity" printing.

The denial that print manufacturing is inevitably becoming a commodity, through the increased use of standards and better machinery, short circuits the useful discussion about how to best sell commodities in the 21st century.

Car dealers, still in business, also "add value". It's most often in the after market and service contracts, which is actually the primary source of profit.

The print industry, like the automobile industry, has manufacturing centers and sales centers. The growth of Business Process Outsource business is evidence of the maturation of the sales network. Donnelly, after all, paid lots of money to buy a UK based, "logistics" outfit. (Actually a print brokerage on steroids, IMHO)

Meanwhile, 30 years of Just-it-Time production for autos, and the ability of buyers to specify what they want in their car, have pushed car makers into a version of mass customization for autos.

My take is that Print is moving from a dispersed custom manufacturing industry to standards based networks of print manufacturers connected to standards based sales networks.

For local printers, both functions are in the same organization or more likely the sales function is disorganized and not standards based.

For national and global printers they may be different divisions or even separate companies.

The most successful car dealers have become outlets for different manufacturers. Their competitive advantage is in making it pleasurable and easy to purchase the car, their ability to nurture their clients, and seeing every customer in terms of their life time value.

I think printers could be well served to do the same.