Richard Losch is a founding Partner at R3D2 Consulting and advises commercial printers, in-plants, outsource print and mail providers, and fulfillment companies. Using a proven hands-on process optimization methodology, R3D2 client companies develop a culture of repeatable and sustainable process improvements, through assessments, training, and implementation. Richard has over 30 years of experience in the production of direct marketing and critical customer communications. He has also been involved in the design and application of ink jet printing equipment. His corporate experience ranges from venture start up operations to large multisite operations with public companies. He has been involved in leverage buyouts, sale and acquisition transactions, as well as, the consolidation and alignment of resources post transaction. Many of those years were spent running operations in companies that produced multi-channel direct marketing communications, critical mail, and transpromo communications. Richard is on the advisory board for Document Strategy Forum and is a member of Turn Around Management Association Midwest Entrepreneurs and Chicago Booth Entrepreneurial Round Table. Learn more at www.r3d2consulting.com

The March 1st issue of In-Plant Graphics had an article titled “Inkjet Summit’s Unique Format is a Win-Win.  The article talks about the upcoming invitation-only three day event for  ” for senior managers and business executives who want to understand how current and future inkjet technology trends, software, consumables and finishing solutions are and will…

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Change happens whether we take action or not, as evidenced by our country’s political gridlock. Even when people choose to stay on their own sides for whatever the reason, and do not even attempt to collaborate, change is still going to happen.  The consequence of not working together to find a compromise is usually that…

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In my previous blog, I focused on technology and inkjet.  After thinking more about this I realized that in our rush to new capabilities and new technology, we often seem to forget the people who have to work with the new technologies.  From my personal experience, if you have a great technology but do not…

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Color Inkjet print technology has great promise for the document industry.  It is all the rage in many circles direct marketing, transactional communication etc. but is it fulfilling its promise.  Companies are buying the capabilities at an increasing rate but are they a solution to a problem/need or are they a solution in search of…

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In my blog on April 26th I reflected on the WTT article In-Plants: “The Times They Are A-Changin’” by Barb Pellow.  In that blog I reflected primarily on the first part of the article on how the market is changing for In-Plants and how BPI can help adjust.  Now I want to discuss the second…

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How does a company’s internal business communication organization, often referred to as “In-Plants”, go about adjusting to “today’s new reality?”  Reading In-Plants: “The Times They Are A-Changin’” by Barb Pellow in the April 12th “What They Think?” caused me to reflect.  The article did a great job defining the market dynamics that internal business communication…

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When to use which one, and the need for flexibility! Every day we hear about tools and programs for improving operating performance. There are many of them, with more versions coming out all the time. They include TOC, Lean, Six Sigma, ISO, CMM and BPI/BPM. Some, such as Six Sigma and ISO, have rigorous training…

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What is your organization doing to improve its value for the shareholders and stakeholders? Companies in general, and specifically those in the print and communication industry, have been working hard to improve profits and increase EBITDA as the economy continues to be depressed. Our industry not only has the economy to deal with, we are…

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Two years later – have you gotten up to speed? Almost two years ago American Printer published an article titled “Get up to Speed”, written by Kenneth Rizzo at PIA.  This article contained some information that really challenged the status quo within our industry.  What have we learned over the last two years, and where…

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For the last several weeks, the Business Improvement Group on LinkedIn has had an ongoing discussion on whether the old adage, “If it ain’t broke don’t try to fix it” is still relevant in the contemporary business environment. The full range of viewpoints have been put forth, from “don’t mess with what’s working”, to “don’t…

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As we reach the end of a year, we typically take time to reflect on the past year and make plans for the New Year approaching. In reading several interesting year-end reflection articles, I observed common themes regardless of the industry or location. These themes bear consideration for us in the Printing Industry as we…

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My first reaction after listening to Dr. Joe Webb’s economic webinar last week was to go out and slit my wrists. The forecast for the economy in general continues to be poor and for print there seems to be no hope. GDP is still sluggish 2012 unemployment to “improve” – for the wrong reasons CPI…

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Two things I read last week hit me with a one-two punch: first I read about Warren Buffet’s investment in IBM, and then I read information from a Gartner report on leveraging customer loyalty. The AP article on Buffet’s investment says: Warren Buffett said Monday that his company has spent $10.7 billion to buy more…

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The Document Strategy Forum just celebrated its fourth birthday last week. This event is unique for its focus and its size. The focus on transactional documents brings together an audience with a common need: how to keep up with all the changes in regulation, technology, and customer demands surrounding transactional communication, which is at the…

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The Business Communication Industry and print in particular, continue to face challenges from many fronts. The demands and requirements placed on business communications by the end consumer have changed. People want to be able to get their information where they want and when they want it. The technologies utilized in communication are changing at a…

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