Dr. Joe Webb, RIT's Prof. Chris Bondy, and consultant Wayne Peterson have teamed to develop and deliver a new workshop and book that features a breakthrough industry business model for commercial printers and print service providers; it premieres at Graph Expo 15. 

• Workshop, business assessment system, and book “UnSquaring The Wheel” debuts at Graph Expo 15 in Chicago for print business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams.
• “UnSquaring” is a management process designed for businesses of all sizes seeking to create durable competitive advantage, improve production and management, have a fresh approach to finance, all in a well-integrated and well-balanced process.
• Sign up now at UnSquaringTheWheel.com/register; for workshop schedule visit UnSquaringTheWheel.com/event. The workshop begins on Tuesday afternoon and concludes Wednesday morning of Graph Expo 15.
• Very limited space available; registration discounts available for multiple attendees from the same company; special discount for PIA and Epicomm members.

Professor Chris Bondy of RIT’s School of Media Sciences knows this is a crucial time for graphic communications businesses. “Many management methods are deeply ingrained in our industry. Unfortunately, many no longer apply in the current market and environment. But our research revealed some exceptional companies that go against the common wisdom and outperform their competitors in a big way.” That piqued his interest and he sought others who shared that understanding. 

In late 2012, Bondy found that Wayne Peterson of the Black Canyon Consulting Group and Dr. Joe Webb of Strategies for Management were of the same mind. Together, they began the examination of business models, technology, marketing, and management. They came to the issues from different vantage points, questioning assumptions and assessing alternative management actions. The result was a new process to assess and understand the condition of a complete business enterprise. They named it “UnSquaring The Wheel.” 

“The proof-of-concept and beta workshops affirmed that we were on target, and gave us actionable feedback,” says Dr. Webb. “UnSquaring looks at printing organizations individually. It's not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. It works for print businesses from large to small, and all in between. It considers every element of a print business as integrated, not as separate functions or departments.”

The goal of the process is for participants to develop a durable competitive advantage. This advantage maximizes a business' market differentiation and minimizes the sameness that buyers often see with competitors. Peterson says “This competitive advantage is not just about selling. It is resolutely customer-facing. But it needs to permeate business systems and culture organizational culture too. It informs and defines everything the company does and seeks to become.”

“We’ve created the tools and resources for individual business owners and companies to build business models that are understandable while comprehensive, and scalable while immediately actionable. In essence, a well-integrated, well-balanced enterprise, regardless of its size, is the result. And it works beautifully” says Peterson.

First Public Workshop at Graph Expo 15

The interactive workshop will debut at Graph Expo 15 in Chicago and is conducted in two parts. It begins Tuesday afternoon, September 15 and ends Wednesday morning, September 16.

Attending companies are encouraged to include their leadership teams; there is a discounted rate for multiple participants of the same company.

At the end of the workshop, attendees complete their individual and confidential company assessment. The results of the assessment will be communicated privately to the attendees after Graph Expo 15, with a debriefing for each participating company in a private phone conference with an UnSquaring founder. “This is the biggest value of the program,” says Peterson. Bondy continues “Companies will understand how well their functions are integrated and how to prioritize their next strategic and operational steps. The assessment tool and process make that process clear to communicate and much easier to do.”

Details of the workshop schedule can be found at www.UnSquaringTheWheel.com/event

Very Limited Space

Because the workshop is highly interactive, and because participants will have opportunity to interface with one of the principals after Graph Expo as part of their individual UnSquaring assessments, the number of participants is very limited. 

To register, go to www.UnSquaringTheWheel.com/register which links directly to the Graph Expo registration page.

PIA members can use the discount code PIA50; Epicomm members can use the code EPIC50. 

UnSquaring the Wheel: The Book

Bondy, Peterson and Webb have written a companion book to the interactive workshop, which will be published by RIT Press and is available for the first time at Graph Expo. Workshop participants will be the first to receive “UnSquaring the Wheel: Comprehensive & Scalable Transformation.” The book is included in the workshop registration fee.

About The Founding Principals of UnSquaring the Wheel

Chris Bondy is the Gannett Distinguished Professor of the School of Media Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology. His three decades of industry experience, includes extensive experience in strategy, business development, product planning, process engineering and marketing communications. Chris received a Masters of Engineering and Science in New Product Development from RIT, and has published books and a variety of articles related to the graphic communications value chain. 

Wayne Peterson is the Principal of the Black Canyon Consulting Group Inc. Wayne’s 40-year career in Graphic Communications has included CEO assignments four times, as well as C-Level roles in marketing and business development. He founded Black Canyon Consulting Group in 2008, and advises clients about brand creation and strategy, business development, and customer experience. Clients include printing and graphic communication companies, publishers, associations, and technology development firms. According to Epicomm, “No one understands strategy, effective selling, and customer retention better than Wayne.”

Dr. Joe Webb is a 37-year veteran of the graphic arts, and one of the industry's best-known consultants and forecasters. His book, “Disrupting the Future: Uncommon Wisdom for Navigating Print's Challenging Marketplace,” has been described as “the manifesto for a new generation of printers.” He is a Ph.D. graduate of the NYU Center for Graphic Communications Management and Technology, holds an MBA from Iona College, and was a magna cum laude graduate in business from Manhattan College. In 1994, he founded the influential TrendWatch information service, sold to multinational publisher Reed Elsevier in 2000.