APTech^SM Shares First Annual Progress Report on Industry Alignment

Reston, Va. – The objective of the Association for Print Technologies (APTech) is to grow the industry through better alignment. The Alignment Progress Indicator (API) Score is a newly created index by APTech to measure progress year-over-year and reflect the current state of alignment within the printing industry value chain.

“We are what we measure,” says Thayer Long, president, Association for Print Technologies. “Our mission is to bring the value chain closer together, and we are measuring and holding ourselves accountable to that goal by sharing our progress each year with the entire industry,” he continues.

The Association’s API Score for 2017 of 27.958, compared to the year’s benchmark projection of 27, is an early indicator of forward momentum, as a score above the benchmark number denotes positive progress, while any score below 27 does not.

The Association’s annual API Score is based on two different measurements: quantitative—event participation, membership, industry growth (based on market data shipment reports), and program utilization; and, qualitative—opinions shared by the industry value chain on key areas ranging from business growth and workforce issues to the impact of industry advocacy, and more.

The index scoring methodology was based on analyzing data going back to 2012 to establish a standard deviation benchmark for each of the various metrics. The annual API Score will illustrate meaningful movement above or below the standard deviation. More importantly, the index will also provide APTech with the “drill down” results to examine each of the measured objectives to develop strategies for continuous improvement.

For more information about APTech’s first annual progress report on industry alignment, contact Associate Vice President Communications, Debbie Vieder at phone: 703/264-7200, or e-mail: [email protected].