(From Yesterday: With today’s emphasis on powerful applications like e-commerce; online, on-demand customization; variable data printing; and Internet-based pick-n-pack solutions, getting on the bandwagon can seem overwhelming. Particularly for many small and mid-sized printers, "getting there" can seem a bit like trying to climb Mt. Everest. How do you even get started? See Part One)

There are many similar incremental steps that can be taken to gradually ramp up technology, skill sets, and customer education so that the leap to more complex technologies doesn’t have to be so great.

Start by doing an assessment of your current customer base. The best applications for most of the DAM solutions, as in the example we are discussing, start with your current clientele. Look at the process from the perspective of having discussion on additional services, tweaking workflows and applications to fit specific needs. Do an in-house assessment to see if you have most — or many — of the necessary capabilities so that you only have to "shore up" your infrastructure rather than investing in a whole new one.

When you are talking about very basic applications, this can be a matter of bridging a gap, not making a complete overall of systems and technology. You don't have to be an IT guru to make them happen. Start by finding out what the delta is between what you currently provide and where your customers are moving their businesses. Then fill in the gaps. Look into ASP solutions. Make use of the vendor and dealer expertise and consultative services before you get started. Consider offering very short-run variable data applications on devices you already have, like your digital color copier or desktop printer (yes, printers actually do this). Ask how you might be able to provide these services at a basic level that is affordable for you.

If you start off with entry-level applications, then, when and if you do feel comfortable adding the more complex solutions, it’s a smaller leap. You are already talking to the right person. You’ve already done the groundwork. Remember, even the "heavy hitters" grew their solutions over time. Although it might look like rocket science now, that’s not where the big players got started. And neither should you.

Ask Questions

Get to know your customers better. Ask a lot of questions. What do they ask you to print? Where else might they want to direct those applications? How can those applications be customized at a basic level (like versioning) to better target their customer base? Maybe they have dealerships, distributors, or others who might want the ability to get involved with online, on-demand customization (like DAM-driven ASP solutions). Open the discussions. Get the ideas flowing. And then talk with your vendors and incremental steps to get you there. Use trade magazine articles and seminar presentations as a springboard for ideas.

Especially if you are looking to get into variable data printing, don’t discount the DAM-driven customization as a springboard (check out TWGA’s most recent study on digital asset management called "Who’s Buying This Stuff?", a collection of 76 user stories from 11 vertical markets). When it comes to customization and personalization, too often it’s all variable data and all glory. Other methods of customization aren’t being talked about as much. VDP printing is what’s in. It’s hype. It’s now. But DAM-driven applications, which can be much less expensive, work too.

I’m not saying that, if want to be a player in the customization and personalization marketplace for the long term, you won’t have to ramp up with a more sophisticated infrastructure and more sophisticated skill sets eventually. You will. But not upfront.

Technology is moving fast, and these applications and technologies are getting more and more complex, and many companies are reluctant to take the leap because they don’t know where to start. But the first step to wider market adoption is more customer education and acceptance. And that requires baby steps that any printer, of any size, can take. Once your customers are on the bandwagon, where you go from there is up to you.

See Part One