As operations look to optimize and automate their business and production processes in addition to launching new marketing services, the topic of integration is bound to come up. Since so many different software tools, systems, repositories, and technologies often exist within print businesses, defining exactly what integration entails can be challenging.

Integration requirements must be aligned with the goals of optimization and automation as well as the ability to offer new marketing services. In the end, the goal is to successfully create a logical, efficient flow of information. In approaching integration, businesses must consider scope and scale, choose between internal versus external execution, and address the associated technical issues to ensure an effective end-result.

The story is familiar: over the past few decades, businesses acquired various types of systems and technologies to accomplish different tasks, including Web-to-print, cross-media, production management. We are now at a point where software systems are present at each step of business and production processes. Links must be made between the entry and production of static and personalized communications as well as the mailing and fulfillment processes. Clients may be coming to you to create and develop solutions that are beyond the scope of your existing IT resources. While these inquiries represent a tremendous opportunity, service providers must offer data and systems integration services to ensure that information is being passed from one process to another in a quick, accurate, and automated manner.