Throughout this past year and in years past, THE EAGLE has analyzed the position and the directions of each sector of the industry. These analyses have included overviews of large consumable suppliers, small equipment manufacturers, independent distributors, dealers and their sales forces, bindery equipment manufacturers, technical service providers, manufacturer reps, small printers and large consolidated printers, among others.

A portrait of each serves all other industry sectors since the graphic imaging field is an integrated whole, not a series of isolated segments. The astute industry participant looks beyond his immediate peers. Sometimes one segment's conditions today are harbingers for others tomorrow.

Yet, there is one industry sector that remains largely unexamined. It is the very people who have been offering the analyses of everyone else - the industry's independent consultants involved in general business, sales and management strategies. These individuals and their firms are intimately involved in executive policy-making, in contrast to the myriad consultants whose work is highly technical or specialized and short term in focus.