ATLANTA, GA and HARVARD, MA - - September 9, 2002 - - The Printing Industry Association of Georgia ("PIAG") and Point Balance, Inc. today announced that PIAG will sponsor and host an educational workshop designed to introduce activity-based costing to printing company owners and managers. This timely and important workshop is titled, "Activity-Based Costing for Printers" and will be held on October 2, 2002. The three-hour workshop will begin at 9:00 am and will be conducted at PIAG’s conference facilities at 5020 Highlands Parkway, Smyrna, Georgia. G. David Dodd, a Senior Analyst with Point Balance, Inc., will lead the workshop. Dodd is the co-author of the recently published and well-received Executive White Paper, "Driving Improved Profitability With Activity-Based Costing." This Executive White Paper is available at no charge and may be downloaded at www.pointbalance.com. Since it became available in early June, "Driving Improved Profitability With Activity-Based Costing" has been downloaded almost 500 times. During the upcoming workshop, Dodd will explain why budgeted hourly rate cost systems are inadequate for today’s printing companies and discuss how activity-based costing systems more accurately measure the profitability of individual print jobs, non-print services, print contracts and programs, and individual customers. The workshop will also include a discussion of how ABC systems support process improvement efforts and how printers can use activity-based costing to measure the cost of excess capacity and make better capacity-related decisions. Dodd contends that interest in activity-based costing is high because of changes in the competitive environment within the printing industry. "The evolution of the printing industry," he says, "has created competitive conditions that make the time right for activity-based costing to emerge as a critical management tool for printers. To meet expanding customer demands and deal with increased competition, many printers are diversifying to provide a growing array of non-print services. In these highly competitive conditions, printers must understand which customers and which services are driving their companies’ costs and profitability. Activity-based costing can enable printers to determine which customers and services are profitable, and which are not." Jim Sprouse, PIAG’s Vice President of Education, observes that providing educational opportunities is an important part of the Association’s overall mission. "PIAG is committed," he states, "to providing our members with opportunities to hear and learn about important business management practices and technological advances. If printers are to grow and prosper in the years ahead, they must constantly seek out ways to improve their operations, and education is the key to that improvement. This workshop will address a timely and significant topic, and we are pleased to make it a part of our educational program." The cost of the workshop is $95.00 for PIAG members (two or more from the same company $75.00 each) and $150.00 for nonmembers (two or more from the same company $125.00 each). Persons interested in attending the workshop may register by calling Tonya McAllister at 770-433-3050 or 800-288-1894. About PIAG PIAG represents more than 600 printing and graphic arts supply firms in Georgia. The Association is part of a nationwide network of more than 30 printing associations affiliated with Printing Industries of America (PIA), the world’s largest graphic arts trade association and Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF), the premier technical and research organization in the printing industry. In fact, PIAG is one of the fastest growing affiliates of PIA. Information regarding membership in PIAG is available by calling 770-433-3050 or 800-288-1894. About Point Balance, Inc. Point Balance, Inc. provides training and management consulting services and resources that build high-performance enterprises in the printing and publishing industries. Focusing on the critical balance of creative business strategies, appropriate technology, efficient processes, and lean organization, Point Balance offers business services that deliver pragmatic, measurable results and drive business operations to shorter cycle times, lower costs, improved asset productivity, higher quality throughput, and improved profitability.