January 14, 2003 -- MAN Roland Inc. is hiring a new generation of customer representatives, known as Business Development Consultants. Their objective: to help the graphic arts industry make the most of its existing capital equipment and analyze how printers can invest more wisely in new technology. Once they’re put in place over the course of this year, the Business Development Consultants will call on MAN Roland customers and prospects to help them improve their companies’ bottom lines. "More like a trusted advisor than a sales representative, the Business Development Consultant will know how to implement lean, Computer Integrated Manufacturing environments. . . Be able to conduct precise ROI analyses . . . And help printers develop and execute their business plans," notes a MAN Roland recruitment ad which is appearing in the graphic arts trade press. The initiative comes at a time when other manufacturers are cutting back staff and reducing support functions. "Everyone can’t just sit back and play the waiting game during a downturn like this, " says Yves Rogivue, CEO of MAN Roland Inc. "If we don’t make positive changes now, we will not break free of this economic malaise in the months ahead." Overcapacity is contributing significantly to the industry’s doldrums, according to Rogivue. "Much of that excess capacity is in the form of obsolete equipment, presses that drag printing back to its low-tech era. It should be retired. There is a huge difference between smart capacity and capacity that basically eats up your lunch because of big overhead costs." Also feeding the level of overcapacity are the so-called sweetheart financial deals offered by some equipment manufacturers. "They provide new presses to companies that really can’t afford them by suspending payments for a year or two," Rogivue says. "That results in artificially lower print prices, and a bankrupt printer at the end of the grace period." Qualifications for the Business Development Consultant post include a minimum of a BS or BA degree and at least five years of mid-to-high level business experience, preferably in a graphic arts environment. The position does not require a sales background, however. "We’re serious when we say that this is more an executive-level support position rather than a sales spot," Rogivue adds. "We believe that if we can help a customer or a prospect improve their businesses, we will get the sale when the time is right. The performance of our technology will close the sale, particular its ability to open up a printer’s facility to the advantages of CIM." MAN Roland is the leader in bringing Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) to the graphic arts industry. Its PECOM press operating and automation system has offered printers fully integrated workflow advantages since 1995. This year, the company received a GATF InterTech Award for its new JobPilot and PressMonitor modules, which take PECOM’s Computer Integrated Manufacturing capabilities to a higher level. "We want to make our customers the most profitable in the industry," Rogivue declares. "Our Business Development Consultants will help us achieve that goal by showing each printer how the CIM paradigm will work in his particular plant. You need to go door-to-door to do that." Business Development Consultant candidates do not require printing backgrounds although management experience in the graphic arts is a plus. "That’s another way we’re taking the emphasis off sales and instead centering the process on the customer’s needs," Rogivue says. "We don’t necessary want people who believe they know it all, because someone who is too entrenched in the status quo is less likely to listen to what the customer is trying to accomplish. We want to provide open minded as well as open architecture solutions." It has yet to be determined how many Business Development Consultants will be hired by next year. MAN Roland will finalize the number once it sees the caliber of nominees it receives. Also: the company is opening up the new post to its existing employees, which may affect the size of the BDC force. Those who are selected as Business Development Consultants will undergo an extensive modular training program at MAN Rolands’ Graphics/Training Center outside of Chicago before they enter the field. There, they will get working instruction in the use of the latest CIM tools and receive hands-on training in press operation. They will also be drilled on deploying MAN Roland’s new Press Operating Profitability (POP) analysis. That computer-based guide lets press buyers compare the performance of all 40-41" sheetfed models under a wide variety of operating conditions. "All of the tools and technology are in place to help our Business Development Consultants truly live up to their job titles," Rogivue says. "It’s another aspect of our overall effort to steer the industry back into the fast lane where it belongs." Those who want to be considered for a Business Development Consultant slot should email their resumes to MAN Roland Inc. at [email protected]. An overview of the company and its products and services can be found at www.manroland.com.