(This is the first of a five-part series that will be published over the next five weeks.) 

The history of email spans more than 50 years—it was first made available for public use in the 1970s! I’m starting with this statement because we as an industry have been ignoring the front office areas of the print business for a long time. Most traditional printers (excluding primarily online printers) are using email as their primary tool to engage with customers (take orders, provide quotes, collaborate, get artwork approval, etc.). It’s time to modernize, streamline, and evolve the front office of your print business.

Print manufacturing companies tend to focus on the manufacturing part of their business, which makes a lot of sense because it’s been the core value proposition forever. But there is another area of your business that is in need of your attention: everything that happens before a job hits the press. The attention this area needs isn’t just for your benefit. This area is unique in your business because it is the area of direct connection to your customers. I’ve been saying this for a long time: the most precious thing you spend is your customer’s time. When you invest in the front office of your business, you should consider how you can save your customer’s time and build customer convenience as a differentiator.