Kennesaw, Ga. – In the midst of increasing competitive pressure and rapid technological change, Heidelberg Business Consulting delivers results printing companies can rely on to boost their productivity and build their bottom lines.

"Most printers are fully occupied with the day-to-day pressures of running a printing company and have neither the time nor the resources to analyze their business in detail," said Oliver Demus, Director of Business Consulting for Heidelberg USA. "As a result, too many business leaders make critical business decisions based on intuition and personal experience rather than on intelligent information. Heidelberg Business Consulting services help companies develop a more predictive information strategy based on facts and data that will enable them to assess their profitability and productivity with a high degree of accuracy."

A Program To Root Out Waste
Heidelberg Business Consulting experts bring years of experience observing, analyzing and finding ways to improve production procedures while reducing or eliminating waste. Following an initial consultation to determine the scope of a project, Heidelberg consultants develop a comprehensive program tailored to the needs of a given customer. The elements of such a program typically include one or more of 10 core offerings, including:
- Print Manufacturer Excellence. A review of key print shop areas from financial management to production efficiency to sustainability, resulting in recommendations for improvement, if necessary.
- Equipment Operation and Performance Assessment. An analysis of operational inefficiencies in the way systems and equipment are being used. Quite often, simple recommendations result in major and lasting improvements in productivity.
- Production Flow Analysis. A study of the production flow procedures, including a proposal to optimize throughput.
- Productivity Reporting. Reporting based on actual press data showing values such as Overall Productivity, Average Run Speed, Average Makeready Time, Overall Equipment Efficiency, etc.
- Lean Implementation Workshops. Begins with a 5S workshop and progresses to next steps of lean implementation, including Kaizen or other continuous improvement systems.
- Effective Maintenance Program. Evaluates the current status of equipment maintenance and works with employees to establish an effective maintenance program.
- Press Operator Evaluation. Identifies strengths and weaknesses in regard to general printing and equipment knowledge, and makes suggestions for improvement.
- Press Productivity Performance Training. Development of a training plan tailored to the needs of a shops press crews. Includes on-site, hands-on training.
- Print Manufacturer Audit. Remote systems analysis based on data obtained directly from equipment or a printer's Management Information System (MIS). Also helps identify which customers are the most profitable.
- Equipment Simulation. No-risk cost analysis using a printer's own production data to analyze job history, capacity and business forecasts prior to making new equipment investment decisions.

Customers Weigh In
Waste savings represent a tremendous potential for the printing industry, and efforts to curtail it dovetail perfectly with a range of continuous improvement initiatives being pursued by many printers. That said, Heidelberg's practice of basing recommendations for improvement on data pulled directly from MIS avoids common pitfalls associated with the influence of subjective personal experience. Moreover, Heidelberg has found that its candid, fact-based approach sits well with appreciative customers.

"As an owner, I did not need to have another sugar-coated report," said James Schultz, CEO of Great Lakes Integrated, a 75-year-old, full-service commercial printer located in Cleveland, Ohio. "Heidelberg identified our strengths and weaknesses and did a terrific job presenting us as we are today. The results afford us a tremendous opportunity to run a profitable pressroom and prepress department by implementing appropriate process improvements. I have already shared the program with a number of my peers."

Likewise, said Dave Simons of Designer's Press, a medium-sized, full-service commercial printer in Orlando, Fla., "Heidelberg's Business Consulting team brought to the surface many opportunities we had overlooked. Frankly, I was taken aback by the time we had wasted on nonproductive activities and amazed to discover how much material we could save, just by making small changes. Most of our staff were apprehensive at the beginning of the process, but now that we've seen the value of Heidelberg's input, we're optimistic and excited to see how the changes will affect our profitability."

Heidelberg's Business Consulting Group has been established worldwide since 2001.