By Brenda Kai, Executive Director, EDSF

EDSF, the international non-profit organization dedicated to the document management and graphic communications industries, could not be effective without the outstanding leadership of its Board of Directors—all volunteers who support EDSF in its mission. EDSF grants scholarships to students in support of their academic careers, provides research grants to colleges and universities, builds awareness about industry careers, and recognizes innovative educators and educational programs.

To bring more insight into EDSF’s efforts, Franchise Services President and COO, Richard Lowe, the new EDSF chairman, shares his thoughts on EDSF happenings as they relate to helping students.

As an industry leader, Lowe joined the Franchise Services in 1989, and today the company’s print management group operates the brands of Sir Speedy, PIP, Signal Graphics and MultiCopy—all well-known and highly successful brands in the quick printing industry.

DN: Congratulations on your new position as Chairman of the Board of EDSF. How long has Franchise Services been involved with EDSF?

RL:We are proud to say that Franchise Services has been a supporter since EDSF was founded in 1996. Their primary focus has been, and continues to be making positive changes in the lives of students, and we share that dedication. I personally joined the Board in 2008 and served on the Development Committee prior to becoming Chairman.

DN: What benefits does EDSF provide to the industry?

RL:It’s hard to imagine a more challenging business environment than we have experienced this past year. Despite all the turmoil, there remains within the increasingly complex world of document management, graphic communications and printing a critical need to attract and foster the development of the next generation of business professionals.

However, also during this same time, financial assistance programs for students have been drastically reduced while the costs of an education have continued to rise. EDSF programs help fill these needs by providing  scholarships to students attending two-year and four-year college/university and postgraduate programs worldwide. To date 306 scholarships have been awarded in ten countries.

DN: What is the biggest challenge EDSF is facing?

RL:Fundraising remains a critical issue and it is no surprise that the Wall Street Journal reported that contributions to non-profit organizations focusing on education were down 24 percent in 2009 due to the economy. To overcome this shortfall requires a different approach to fundraising and a willingness to investigate new initiatives. This year, we developed several campaigns and programs designed to attract a higher number of individual contributions in addition to our corporate sponsorships.

One of my personal favorite’s, is the Adopt-a-Scholar program designed for donors interested in a more personal approach to providing educational support. Participation in this program provides each donor with a thank you letter from the student receiving support along with their photo and a short profile.  Other new programs also include:

• eBay Giving Works
• Continuing education partnership with AIIM Certificate Program

In addition, there are many different ways to establish or contribute to an existing scholarship award.

Information about all donation opportunities is available on the Web site at: www.edsf.org.

DN: What other thoughts would you like to share with our readers?

RL: I would like to thank everyone who supported EDSF’s “The Future is Bright” campaign in December, and ask for your continued support.

With the recent disaster in Haiti, we’ve seen the difference the “Power of Many” can make. Everything we give today, no matter the size, has more meaning, more power, more importance and for our students, more hope.  Every dollar donated has a greater impact than it did just a year ago. We ask for your help in working to make a difference for a student pursuing their dream of continued education.

In closing, I want to share a quote from one scholarship recipient from 2009:

“Knowing the industry is behind me and willing to support me financially means so much. This generous scholarship encourages me in preparing for a bright future and allows me to put a stronger focus on my education rather than how to pay for it.”

- Jason Landrum

Editor’s Note.  Andrew Leung a 4th year Graphic Communication student at Ryerson University recently wrote this essay on JDF. The use of JDF-enabled system are becoming widely adopted within the industry. This essay provides a concise review of the technology.

By Andrew Leung

To those who use it, JDF is considered one of the most innovative technologies in the printing industry. It allows workflow to become much more automated and help streamline some of the more cumbersome and repetitive tasks that often can cost printers a substantial amount of money; it was built to help eliminate waste. It costs nothing for printers to use the specifications for JDF, but the systems that incorporates its ability is where the cost lies. JDF is still relatively new, and while there are those in the printing and graphics art industry that have adopted its potential and capabilities, others are still skeptical about it, in the long run, JDF is here to stay.

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By Brenda Kai, Executive Director, EDSF

We know that everyone is very busy this time of the year and has more than a few things to do. However, we would like you to take just a minute to think about a very important search. . .the search for the “next you.”

Think about that for a few seconds. You are successful, creative and influential, but where will the “next you” come from? That person who will lead the industry you love and work hard to keep the stock price in your 401K up; where are they? At EDSF, we know that the answer lies in young minds, all over the world, that are just beginning their journey to the place you now occupy. They are the ones that will ultimately be your legacy – the “next you.”

But many of them need help to realize their ambitions.

Over the last several weeks, during EDSF’s “The Future Is Bright” Awareness Campaign, you’ve been introduced to several EDSF Board members, met the volunteers that support the scholarship program and The EDSF Report, heard about the new Adopt -A-Scholar and Holiday giving programs, and met many of the wonderful students that received support.

We hope that in becoming more familiar with EDSF that you will want to become involved in making a bright future for these students needing financial assistance. Please remember that EDSF is not a membership-based organization, but relies on generous contributions from corporations and individuals to fund the scholarship programs.

The truth is, it really is all about “you.” The current “you” that provides your generous support to EDSF and the “next you” that needs all of us to help them reach their dream. Every gift, whatever the size, is valuable. Please visit www.edsf.org to make a tax deductible donation online.

Andy and Julie Plata are well-known pioneers in the document and high volume transaction output (HVTO) industry. Over the past quarter-century, the Plata’s have contributed greatly to its continuing evolution. Andy was the third president (now called chairman) of Xplor International, where he traveled extensively to help establish chapters in Canada, Europe and Australia. Julie was the developer of the Laser Training Institute and a consultant to Kodak during the development of its initial high-volume products. Both Andy and Julie have served as advisors to many of the major HVTO companies; and the couple’s business achievements have been lauded in the business and technology press.

Today, the Platas, owners and publishers of OutputLinks and Graphic Communications World, talk about their involvement with EDSF, the international non-profit organization dedicated to the document management and graphic communications industries. Visit EDSF at www.EDSF.org.

DN:
How long have you been involved with EDSF?

A&JP:
Eight years. We attended the Foundation’s Inaugural dinner and started funding scholarships in 2002.

DN:
How many scholarships have you funded to date, and what type of scholarships are they?

A&JP:
The first scholarship we established was an endowment to fund in perpetuity the John Lopiano Endowed Scholarship. To date, we have funded approximately 30+ annual scholarships including an annual $5,000 scholarship honoring the 50+ OutputLinks Women of Distinction. Other scholarships honor Lifetime Achievements, Stewardship and Sustainability contributions by industry leaders. By partnering with EDSF to manage our scholarships, we do what we enjoy, fund the scholarships, while EDSF manages the day to day work and selection process to make it all work smoothly.

DN:
With the difficult economy and contributions to non-profits in a significant decline, your support for scholarships has increased. Can you share your philosophy on this?

A&JP:
Yes, these are challenging times and a recent report in the WSJ indicates a dramatic decline in charitable giving with one of the hardest hit being education. We see stewardship as an opportunity to be of service and, when times are tough, the need for stewardship is greater than ever. We have have steadily increased our donations and will continue to do so despite the economy. It may mean we have to work harder to find the available funds, but if those of us in business are being hammered by the economy, just imagine what those who are trying to complete an education must be going through. Hence, we simply feel that financial support for education is more important than ever before.

DN:
Have you met any of the scholarship students?

A&JP:
Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to meet many of the scholarship recipients and they are wonderful people. Their great and enthusiastic aspirations inspire us. Funding an EDSF Scholarship is a super opportunity to play a small role in helping them achieve their dreams. They are so appreciative of the financial support they received from our industry. They are the spark our industry needs to prosper. Every young person needs to know that others believe in them.

DN:
What message would you like to share about EDSF?

A&JP:
We all know the need is out there. We all know we need to keep new blood coming into our industry. We all know it is an exciting time in our industry and a great place to start a career. So, let’s all do what we all know – allocate the finds to fill the pipeline of s new generation of output professionals. EDSF makes it easy.

EDSF has several new programs: Adopt-a-Scholar and the Holiday Giving program that provide new ways to contribute at whatever level is comfortable for you or your company. All the donations are tax deductible and can go directly to supporting much needed scholarship funding. To learn more, visit www.edsf.org.

EDSF Scholar of the Day

Carolina Modenessy, New York University -
John Lopiano Scholarship 2008
EDSF Board of Directors Scholarship 2007

“The scholarship that EDSF has awarded me is such a wonderful help for my academic and future professional careers. I am very excited about fulfilling my career goals as a graphic designer/manager and, with help from organizations like EDSF, I can continue to reach for my dreams. Thank you!”

By Brenda Kai, executive director, EDSF

“I want to thank and pay tribute to all of our volunteers – those dedicated people who believe in all work and no pay”.
–Robert Orben, humorist, writer and editor

Without our volunteers, who give selflessly of their time and expertise, EDSF — the international non-profit organization dedicated to the document management and graphic communications industries — would not be able to accomplish all that it does. Our volunteers tell us repeatedly that they choose to get involved because they consider it a pleasure to improve the lives of others and give back to the industry.

Last week, during EDSF’s “The Future is Bright” Awareness Campaign — a chance for you to get to know more about EDSF — we introduced our Scholarship Selection Committee. This week, we would like to recognize the volunteers that make the EDSF REPORT possible. The EDSF REPORT provides input on current trends and serves to promote research, and thanks to our volunteers, we’re able to deliver this valuable industry resource. Our hats are off to:

Editor-in-chief: The one and only, Frank Romano, EDP, professor emeritus, RIT

Editors: Toby Cobrin, EDP, INTERQUEST, Roberta McKee-Jackson, EDP, RSM Consulting, UK, and Sidney F. Huttner, University of Iowa Libraries

Printing: Sir Speedy and PIP Printing

Printing Coordinator: Lisa Wallingford, Franchise Services

Finish and Mail: Anthony Sarno, InfoPrint Solutions

The EDSF REPORT is published six times a year and is funded by individual and corporate contributions. To download copies of all EDSF REPORTS or to make a donation, please visit the Web site at www.edsf.org.

EDSF Scholar of the Day

Chiara Bertato, Scuola Superiore, Internazionale di Scienze dalla Formazione, Italy
EDSF’s OutputLinks Sponsors Scholarship 2009

“I have learned that if you have a big passion inside of you, only your mind and your willpower can help you achieve dreams you thought were too big even to be dreamt. So I would like to use this scholarship to cherish my passion for the graphic and communication field, led by my curiosity to know and learn more and more about the world around me.”

By Brenda Kai, executive director, EDSF

There is a popular holiday story in which a character named Scrooge is visited by three ghosts. Scrooge asks one of the ghosts, “Are these the shadows of the things that will be, or are they shadows of things that may be, only?”

Can we change the future? A certain Ebenezer Scrooge asked this question and, to his everlasting relief, he found that good deeds and giving could, indeed, change the future. Giving has its rewards not only in the present but in the future – just ask any of EDSF’s scholarship recipients how much your contributions mean to them and their college education. EDSF is the international non-profit organization dedicated to the document management and graphic communications industries, and its scholarship program is benefiting hundreds of students worldwide.
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By Brenda Kai, executive director, EDSF

The future is bright for students studying and preparing for careers in the document management and graphic communications industry, and EDSF scholarships are making a big difference. EDSF is the international non-profit organization dedicated to the document management and graphic communications industries, and its scholarship program is benefiting hundreds of students worldwide. Today, EDSF offers donors the opportunity to establish three basic types of scholarships, which support our industry’s future workforce. The three types of scholarships that donors may establish are
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By Brenda Kai, executive director, EDSF

We are pleased to announce a new program designed to support EDSF scholarships. Effective today, donations of any size can be made directly into the EDSF Adopt-a-Scholar program. When the scholarships are awarded in July 2010, each donor participating in the program will receive:

• a thank you letter from the student receiving their specific donation
• copy of the student’s photo
• a short profile about the student.

This is a great opportunity to connect in a very personal way and see how your contribution is making a difference in the life of a student.
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By Brenda Kai, EDSF executive director

If you have ever been to a NASCAR race or watched one on TV, it seems that nothing in NASCAR is without a sponsor. Cars are covered in logos and stickers, drivers have patches from shoulder to shoulder, and every race is brought to you by one company or another.

For companies shelling out $350,000 – $500,000 for each race, calculating the return on their investment becomes critical but complicated (some companies will count the number of seconds their logo is clearly visible on the screen, and then multiply that time by the going ad rate to get an idea of how far their NASCAR dollars are getting them).

Just like NASCAR, EDSF, the international non-profit organization dedicated to the document management and graphic communications industries, needs sponsors to invest in helping students stay on course with their education, however, unlike NASCAR, it’s easy to track the returns.
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By Nicholas Barzelay

One of the problems in training for VDP is the issue of not providing an adequate understanding of the fundamental technologies involved. In football for example, a player needs to know how to run, block, and tackle before being able to adequately perform play patterns. In the military there is a step called “basic training”.

In VDP (and I have experienced this) the approach seems to be navigating the graphical user interface and pushing the right buttons in the proper sequence. After a couple of sessions, you are considered “trained”. Just follow the demonstrated sequence of windows and buttons each time, and you will be able to do VDP – at least mail merge.

This provides no preparation on the basic processes. When it comes to the menus, windows, and buttons, there is not an adequate explanation of what is going on under the hood or how it all relates to the basic processes. Finally the graphical user interface becomes the workflow. The workflow is narrowed and necessary activities outside the user interface tend to be ignored. The user interface does not comprehend the full VDP workflow, leaving a disconnected string of dots.

Some time later when the operation is only doing mail merge (something that can be done with most capable word processing applications), the question comes up: “Why can’t we get more out of our digital press?” The answer is that nobody understands VDP basics. The same holds true for DAM, except that the question is: “Why did we pay so much for this software and only use it as a Web portal?” The answer to that question is similar — nobody comprehends its basic functionality either.

The question frequently comes up: “What can I read to understand some basic technologies involved in VDP?” The reading list below can provide a good start, however it is not necessarily going to supplant some good basic training.

Reading List

XML problem-design-solution by Amiano, M., D’Cruz, C., Ethier, K., & Thomas, M.

This book explores the use of XML to produce a range of documents by repurposing content. Discussion starts with simple documents and then progresses into more complex documents.

FileMaker Pro: the missing manual by Coffey, G. & Prosser, S

The manual provides a good reference for learning and then using the FileMaker Pro desktop database. It also provides a hands-on explanation of database basics in the form of tutorial exercises.

A designer’s guide to Adobe InDesign and XML by Maivald, J. & Palmer, C.

This is an excellent hands-on window on variable data publishing. The authors have addressed several kinds of documents in text and in tutorial examples. They take the reader through building each kind of document step by step.

Instant InDesign: designing templates for fast and efficient page layout by Powell, G.

This book is a good companion to Maivald and Palmer (above). It addresses the key corollaries in VDP: document structural standardization and document content variation.

XML all-in-one desk reference for dummies by Wagner, R. & Mansfield, R.

For anyone with a desire or need to learn XML basics, this book provides a simple explanation of key XML technologies using easily understood and consistent examples. The examples can be downloaded for experimentation and learning.