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 center of every business’ interaction with its customers. The organizers stay tuned in to what is of interest to their audience, with an example being this year’s addition of both a track and an exhibit floor pavilion for SharePoint. The narrower scope and smaller venue, as compared to the mega-events such as Graph Expo or On Demand, leads to superior interaction opportunities for both attendees and the solution providers.

The focus and size in no way limit the value and learning opportunity provided. There are six tracks and over forty-five sessions dedicated to providing information and insight. The best part of the sessions provided is that they often lead to very interactive discussions amongst the speaker and the attendees, leading to a sharing of perspectives across different functions and industries. I attended a session on Managed Print Services where I was reminded that when speaking about anything with documents, it is a good idea to set the stage by explaining whether you are referring to internal business documents, business-to-business documents, or business-to-customer documents.

The opening keynote presentation by Forrester Research, “The State of the Document Processing Services Industry 2011”, provided great background and thought provoking information for the rest of the conference. The presentation states it is time to change our process approach. We think we’ve got it all under control and we do to a certain point, but firms still struggle to manage untamed business processes: customer onboarding, claims processing and invoicing process. “1998 – 2009 marks a lost decade consumed with packaged apps and leaving enterprises stuck in cement, unable to rapidly change, compete and innovate. 48% will invest in collaborative technology to improve app performance.

Another part of the Forrester presentation described Customer Communication categories and primary applications. They defined the categories as: structured, interactive and on-demand. Key industry concerns include: enterprises trying to get rid of a big headache – aging structured output systems, the ability to quickly comply with new regulations; rapid movement to on-demand and interactive transactions and archaic fulfillment process.

Another unique take away I got from this year’s event was to remember that when talking about “multi-channel”, (and who isn’t?), we need to not only think about the broad variety of output channels with print, email, web-hosted, social media, mobile, etc., but we also need to focus on the breadth of the input information channels from multiple administrative, transactional, marketing, and yes, even customer response sources. As a process-focused individual, this suddenly seemed obvious; you need to look at the inputs, tasks, and outputs in any process to be effective, I do not think I have experienced any other time which highlighted the input side.

I believe that the focus provides superior interaction and networking opportunities. The attendees are mostly high level individuals with 45% of them holding C-level or Director/Department Head Positions. 28% of the companies represented generate 3+ million outbound transactional documents per month (and 13% of those are generating 10+ million per month). I personally have met and established ongoing relationships with many key contacts through participating over the past four years.

This event may be one of the best kept secrets in the industry, and I am looking forward to what the show organizers will do to keep improving for their 5th anniversary event in 2012.

For more information on transactional document solutions, visit Océ Production Printing – Transactional Resources.

In this week’s fold, Trish highlights another great creation from ITP in Elizabethtown, PA. This unique direct mail piece was created for New Homes Guide in Fairfax Virginia. ITP and New Homes Guide used this piece to not only tell advertisers about their new large-format magazine, but they also showed advertisers what space they can get for the same price. The piece opens into a tri-fold first, but then unexpectedly tri-folds down to show the new advertising capabilities of the magazine. This is an excellent example of using print creatively to highlight the magazine’s strengths. Check out the video below!

If you are looking for more innovative ideas like these, be sure to check out OceWow.com!

We all understand that the digital age plays an important role in marketing communications, but a unique transformation is taking place where the miniaturization of consumer-level technology is driving new types of channels of communications. So I was considering how direct mail will look in the future. The conventional method of messaging with personalization will continue, but will it change the experience for the end user?

The Smartphone is now taking on more uses then being just a phone, and it has caused the technology to become more miniaturized. Individual features are becoming more of a commodity than ever before. Do you remember when it was a big deal to have power windows or a CD player in your car? Technology is driving new innovative channels for direct messaging or even dynamic messaging.

My experience in digital electronics drove me to investigate what science is around the corner that will change Marketing Services. What would it be like if you could distribute your message using video inside a direct Mail piece? Sounds like a cell phone stripped down to play a video message for a limited time with some interactivity. This concept is not new but the packaging and the price is critical for the success.

Still not convinced…

Click here.

I attended a presentation with top talent from MIT, and upcoming advancements in products will include a sensor that will communicate conditions and receive updates. For example, your medical prescription will electronically notify you that you missed a day of taking your medicine. This will not be some large box with an antenna on top of it, but a normal-sized medicine package that you will buy from your drug store.

Going back to the direct mail piece – After some additional investigation I decided to check into product pricing of a media-playing direct mail piece. You can obtain this technology for as little as $15. Now all you need is a small power source and you have the ability to play video for a short period of time. Add in some personalization and you now have a marketing channel.

If products have sensors embedded in them to transmit and receive information, the media messaging can change dynamically depending on the user’s habits or surroundings. Would this be considered intelligent Direct mail? We are just getting started on what is next and working with partners that are creative is going to be more important than ever.

This post was provided by SourceLink. To learn more about strategic solutions and incorporating digital print services, please visit their website.

If you are looking for more resources and ideas for direct mail, visit OceWow.com.

I came across this great article last week in the PINE newsletter written by Dr. Ronnie H. Davis, Vice President and Chief Economist. The article offers speculation on the future of print and print markets – something we all wish we could look into a crystal ball to see.

We tend to talk a lot about marketing service providers and how they are critical to the future of print. But this article presents an idea discussed less, especially on this blog. The article states that print logistics – things like packaging, labels, wrappers, and product user manuals – is the only industry segment not susceptible to competition from digital media. Though still a relatively smaller part of total industry sales, a series of graphs illustrates how print logistics sales have increased the most over the past 10 years and the number of print establishments who specialize in logistics has decreased the least when compared to other print segments.

Perhaps this is one untapped area of opportunity for the printing industry. Could your operation capture some of the print logistics market?

 Looking for other ideas to help grow your business? Check out the only business development program created by and created for digital printers.

The cross-media market is dynamic, growth-oriented, and a major contributor to the future of the printing industry. InfoTrends recently completed a study entitled The Evolution of the Cross-Media and Marketing Services Provider. This study surveyed more than 280 print service providers (PSPs) to understand the current state of cross-media and the evolution taking place in the graphic communications market. The first key message is that service providers as a community nderstand the critical importance of getting into cross-media services. Of the 285 total respondents, over 58% are currently offering some level of cross-media services.

The second key message is that companies taking a leadership posture in cross-media are growing revenue from both cross-media as well as expanding digital print. Respondents offering cross-media services indicated that offering cross-media marketing services increased their digital printing volume by an average of 13.7%.

Participating in the More Lucrative Cross-Media Revenue Stream
The marketing executive is the key decision-maker in cross-media services. These marketers are facing a number of challenges in the transition to cross-channel marketing, from strategy to design and deployment to tracking and measurement. The sheer scope of the cross-channel marketing model, and the new innovations that continue to appear, make it difficult for marketers to keep up.

Marketers are reaching out to their traditional print service provider and agency partners for assistance. To date, they are primarily doing this selectively for specific functions. No single partner fits the bill for a wide range of services.

During an October 2010 study entitled Capturing the Cross-Media Direct Marketing Opportunity, InfoTrends surveyed more than 500 marketers. These respondents reported working with a number of different external service providers to execute cross-media marketing campaigns. Almost 42% of respondents work directly with a commercial printer. Over a third of respondents reported working with an advertising agency, a direct mailer, or a graphic design firm. Since marketers work with commercial printers and agencies the most, it would make sense that these service providers are well-positioned to offer new cross-media services to their existing clientele.

The key question is this: what selection criteria are essential to the marketer? How does that service provider move to the top of the list so they can participate in the more lucrative marketing value chain and the incremental digital print revenue associated with cross-media services?

To read the rest of this article, visit www.OceWow.com and download the September NewsLetter.

Hawaii Medical Service Association (HMSA), an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a reliable name in Hawaiian health care. Established in 1938, it is the largest and most experienced provider of health care coverage in the state. Over half of Hawaii’s population has chosen HMSA for their coverage.

HMSA’s mission is to provide quality, affordable health plans, employee benefit services, and work site wellness programs. HMSA also offers a variety of programs, services, and support to help improve the health and well-being of its members and community.

In the complex and dynamic world of health care, nothing is more important than high-quality, effective communications about subscriber benefits. Assumpta Rapoza, Director of Enterprise Risk Management for HMSA, clearly understands the importance of ensuring clear communications about benefits for subscribers. Rapoza stated, “Quality communications are essential for
customer satisfaction as well as the retention of a loyal customer base.”

Clear Messaging to Drive Loyalty
With health care on everyone’s agenda, HSMA wanted to effectively communicate the true value of the individual’s health insurance policy. The company decided to create an annual cost savings report that raised the subscriber’s awareness of the actual costs for medical procedures and
medications, the amount covered by HSMA, and the resulting financial benefit.

According to Rapoza, “If the subscriber went to the pharmacy to pick up a prescription, he or she typically didn’t know the actual costs and the HMSA benefit. We wanted an agile solution where we could customize communications based on the specific member profile. We were seeking tools that would enable us to create personalized messaging for each subscriber in the form of an annual summary report.”

Rapoza continued, “We needed to push out the messaging. We knew that we wanted to mail out customized statements. While electronic delivery is a more costefficient way to deliver information, we are cognizant that a high percentage of our membership still prefers paper.”

The Solution
HMSA leveraged Océ’s Technology & Software Support (TSS) Solution Development Manager and Systems Consultant resources, its existing investment in Océ digital print technology, upgrades to its Océ PRISMAproduction® workflow software, as well as the GMC PrintNet Variable Data Composition software to design a solution for its annual benefits summary statement. This combination enabled HMSA to design, compose, produce, present, manage, and automate printed documents with individualized targeted messaging that was HIPPAcompliant. The system design also needed to accommodate production in print and electronic formats, created by PrintNet. Rapoza noted, “The end-result was a customerfriendly communication that clearly articulated the value that HMSA was delivering to its membership.”

To read more articles like this, visit www.OceWow.com and download the September Newsletter.

I only ask because in today’s marketing strategy digital print is only one piece of the magic formula and it’s effectiveness is dependent upon many other factors. It really starts upstream with market research and understanding the audience in order to drive the desired results. Next we need to figure out how to connect the dots. For example, once we gather the data and creative pieces, how do we get them working for us?

We are often faced with the opportunity to show our clients how digital color can impact the mail campaign. For me, it’s never just about putting color on paper, it’s much more personal. Sure, we can convert projects from conventional printing to digital color by combining market cells and targeting smaller segments, which are often considered too expensive to run on their own, but there’s much more to it.

For example, it’s about working with our clients and helping them take a name and address file with a vehicle identification number, break the VIN down to isolate the year, make, model and color, and then use that information to pull in a picture of the vehicle owned by the mail recipient. The next step is to reengineer the package and allow that vehicle picture to show through the window of the outside envelope so the recipient has that immediate personal connection to the mail piece. It’s also about building a program with business rules and logic that requires minimal maintenance, yet having more flexibility than ever imagined. You end up incorporating new ways of thinking and the latest technology to create a personalized experience, meet quick turn times, minimize inventory control and enabling our clients to track their mail.

Sure, just adding color has proven to increase response rate, but when you plan and design variable color to be part of a solution it takes your mail campaign to a whole new level.

This post was provided by SourceLink. To learn more about strategic solutions and incorporating digital print services, please visit their website .

Back in August, I published an article on the main WhatTheyThink site that highlighted my top five software trends to watch at Graph Expo. In general, this year’s show was an indication that solutions are just as (if not more) important as speeds and feeds, and software is top-of-mind for print businesses looking to succeed in the face of still-challenging times. Now that Graph Expo is over and I’ve had some time to reflect, I’d like to revisit the trends I outlined and see how they matched up with what was at the show.

1. Integration, Automation for Print and Beyond

As Cary Sherburne reported in her Graph Expo retrospective, production automation is a critical technology that will help drive efficiency and scalability in print businesses. Collaboration among different vendors to help their customers meet their goals is happening at a greater rate than in the past, as evidenced by many of the larger OEM vendors showcasing partner solutions and integrations at their booths. Hybrid Software, which specializes in providing software technology that integrates disparate information and production systems, had a consistently packed booth. Enfocus also generated a lot of interest with the new release of its Switch automation tool. Regarding the “beyond” part of this trend, the inaugural marketing pavilion that featured a variety of marketing-related solution vendors exhibiting also generated a significant amount of traffic despite its somewhat undesirable location toward the back of the show floor.

2. The Next Wave of Web Enablement

There were a number of developments and even some new entrants at Graph Expo related to the Web services space. As I mentioned in my original post, I was anticipating the launch of a new print eCommerce solution from Keen Systems. I was able to grab a pre-show briefing/demo, and the solution definitely has some potential; it also won a “Worth-a-look” award, which is great for a first-time exhibitor. Another company that has been around for a few years but just started exhibiting again was PrintNow, which offers three easy-to-understand software packages that service providers can leverage. Aleyant Systems, creators of the Pressero system, debuted their updated online interactive design tool, which was rebuilt on HTML5 instead of Adobe Flex/Flash for broader device support. EFI also previewed the latest version of its Digital StoreFront product, which included a revamped interface and ordering workflow. All in all, the future of Web enablement is shaping up quite nicely, and was on display at Graph Expo 2011.

3. Taking a Fresh Look at Print MIS

While production automation was one of the critical technologies outlined in Cary’s piece, MIS was the top critical technology, and there was plenty of activity related to MIS at Graph Expo this year. While EFI’s dominance in this space was certainly apparent, there were plenty of developments from other players. Heidelberg highlighted its Prinect Business Manager based on its CERM acquisition; the company plans to begin initial implementations of the solution in October or November. Technique received a great deal of attention at the show because of its new mobile application (iTechnique), which provides sales reps and managers with access to information such as customer profiles, active jobs, and the ability to submit new proposals. Avanti Systems highlighted its recent integration with Ultimate Impostrip, as well as its Customer Relationship Management capabilities. Finally, the very recent merger of vendors printLEADER and PrintPoint resulted in shared booth space and a showcase of how their products work together. With a renewed focus on operational optimization, MIS continues to be a key enabler, and printers are taking note.

4. Harnessing the Cloud

As I mentioned in my last post, utilizing the cloud results in easier implementations, reduction in software costs, and provides scalability as needs change. For print businesses to be more agile and make changes or shift directions as the market requires, flexibility and scalability are key factors. Many vendors were offering different flavors of cloud computing at Graph Expo. We already mentioned Keen, which is a true multi-tenant, cloud-based service. Many other vendors are taking the approach of leveraging virtualization, enabling customers to deploy software with less hardware footprint and greater efficiency. Kodak mentioned that it enabled virtualization with its Prinergy workflow suite earlier this year, and many customers have taken the opportunity to optimize their deployments.

5. Getting Serious About Mobile

While this trend was listed as number five on my list, I really think that mobile made a huge splash at Graph Expo and the issue of mobility will become a focal point for both vendors and service providers in the near future. I counted at least a dozen different mobile-related product announcements and features at Graph Expo, and I fully expect more to take shape between now and drupa. Some of these developments are around mobile marketing, including the ability to make print more interactive. Other developments are around the concept of mobile production management. My colleague, Barb Pellow, went into many of these announcements in further detail in one of her recent articles. It will be interesting to see how these applications are adopted by service providers and what benefits they provide.

Overall, Graph Expo was pretty great this year, and I think many of the software trends I highlighted were fairly prominent themes at the show. These are just my own views, though. What did you see at Graph Expo that really stood out to you? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

This week’s 60 Second Super Cool Fold of the Week was designed for The Clarrett Group and printed by Cedar Graphics inRonkonkoma,NY. From the outside, it looks like a briefcase with a handle but when you use that handle to open piece… it reveals a large format poster detailing the Clarett Group’s ambitious plans. The gate into closed-gate fold first revels a quad-fold, then a tri-fold until the poster is fully unraveled. Watch the video below to find out more about the Brooklyner Briefcase Brochure!

Looking for more innovative ideas like this? Look no further! Check out OceWOW for more tips for digital print providers.

This post was generously provided by Sourcelink.

We’re all familiar with the phrase “cutting through the clutter,” particularly as it applies to direct mail marketing. But that same mind-set works with your email marketing campaigns, as well. Think about it, how many promotional emails do you get in a day and how many of those really capture your attention? And more to the point, how many do you actually respond to? So, the next time you plan to communicate with your customers via email, pay strict attention to the principals you use for your direct mail campaigns.

Subject Line: Does the subject line accurately describe your intended message? Does it make a value proposition? Think of it like the teaser copy on your carrier envelope. Chances are, if you don’t capture your audience’s attention with the subject line, your open rate is going to be disappointing.

“From” address: Similar to direct mail, email open rates go up when customers know the sender. Make sure your company’s name is conspicuously displayed (myname@mycompany.com).

Visual Layout: Is the content (copy and graphics) of your email attention grabbing? Is it easy for the recipient to peruse and get the essence of your message? Does your offer stand out and is there a clear call to action? Again, consistent with your approach to direct mail, your email should follow the same principals for effectiveness – attention, interest, desire, action (AIDA)!

Similar to direct mail, use segmentation to vary the copy and graphics in your emails to keep the message relevant and timely based on the needs of your target audience. And keep on testing. In fact, an offer test conducted through email can save you time and money in learning which offer to include in your direct mail communications. Finally, remember email communications are intended to entice a two-way dialogue. Make sure you provide an avenue for response – direct customers to a landing page or website and use links for sharing through social media channels, whenever appropriate.

Lastly, keep in mind that email and direct mail still complement one another. One feeds off the other and results are almost always better when both are employed. SourceLink recently conducted a direct marketing program for a B2B client using both mail and email to drive small business customers to a microsite to capture business intelligence. In a head-to-head test, it was interesting to learn that when using mail with an email follow-up, response was 22% higher than simply using email with an email follow-up. Food for thought – please let me know your thoughts and experiences. Thanks.

This blog was provided by Sourcelink. Check out their blog here for more posts like this!

Established in 1982 as a typesetting firm, RT Associates, Inc. has evolved into a marketing logistics provider in step with the ever-changing marketing needs of its customers. With RT Associates, the entire campaign management process is handled under one roof. The firm helps clients execute all aspects of their marketing campaigns, whether they are print, web, or mobile. RT serves as a strategic partner to its customers, opening unique channels of communication and elevating messaging to a new level of impact. Consistent messaging across multiple channels increases the likelihood of a positive response. RT’s one-stop execution makes integrated marketing fast, easy, and effective.

RT was an early innovator with digital print. In 1995, RT Associates invested in its first Agfa Chromapress (serial number 13). While some early investors of digital color struggled with market development, RT Associates was profitable within 6 months of the installation. A year later, the company purchased a second unit.

Since then RT expanded its digital printing capabilities by moving to HP Indigo technology, and adding offset capabilities as well as some large format capabilities. Most recently, RT Associates invested in a Canon imagePRESS® series 7010. Bob Radzis, owner of RT Associates, explains, “We have a number of clients where we provide web-to-print services for their distribution networks. This means small order quantities over the web. The unique ‘saddle press’ inline booklet-making technology on the Canon imagePRESS 7010 series streamlines our operations.”

Differentiation Through an Integrated Campaign Approach
As an early adopter of digital print, RT Associates is also a market leader in cross-media services. Radzis attributes his company’s success to its Integrated Campaign Management service offering. He notes, “RT’s Integrated Campaign Approach (ICA) uses our tools, technologies, and experiences to help companies develop marketing campaigns that will perform at their best in all critical areas. While the market has heard about a number of B2C cross-media campaigns, the majority of our customers are B2B. Our ICA approach is focused on helping clients understand how to build and cultivate their B2B clientele.”

The ICA process starts with insightful customer analysis of data and enables the client to develop accurately targeted message strategies, choose the right channels of delivery, and implement successful trigger-based campaigns. The ResponseTrack online toolbox allows B2B marketers to collect valuable, real-time data about prospects to see who is responding and when.

Radzis states, “We quickly learned that in the B2B space, analyzing data to drive the initial campaign and then leveraging our findings to drive follow-on interactions is critical. We partner with a data analytics firm and bring that firm into the process. Data analytics has become a key differentiator for RT Associates. The objective is to help the B2B customer identify the most likely prospects, develop a cross-channel strategy, and ensure that they are being reached via their preferred channel of communication. The end result for our clients is more customers and enhanced loyalty among existing customers.”

Cross-Media Success
According to Radzis, “I believe that our key to success is directly linked to our data-driven focus. We have learned how to leverage the customer’s information, continuously optimize it, and provide iterative improvement. This is the deployment of a test-and-learn, test-and-learn, test-and-learn philosophy. Today’s companies are wallowing in data, but to be successful, service providers need to learn how to combine data with digital color technology to drive action.”

Looking for more ideas? Visit OceWowFactor to watch videos highlighting i3logix, Ideal Printers, Yurchak Printing, and more!

Websites are the corporate/institutional face. Websites tell our story as we wish it to be told. The content, the presentation, the story, the wording — on a website all these are the creation of the creator.

Blogs take a small step away, but these mini-articles still tell the corporate story, in the corporate words. The point of view, the topics chosen, the spin, the selection of imagery — like websites, all these speak in the institutional voice — except for the comments, of course: occasionally, the comments argue or contend. And yet, we can moderate comments, so we retain the final say.

Twitter is pretty much in our institutional control, too. We tweet and the world’s only real option is to repeat what we’ve said, or ignore us.

But Facebook. Ah… now that’s a bit different.

With Facebook, we put our face “up there” and they “come” (or not). On our Facebook page, “they” comment (or not). They complain, provoke, endorse, applaud and “like” (or not). Our primary responsibility in the Facebook world is to be present. We’re not the coach and we’re not the referee either. We’re more like the fans in the stand, believing in our team and hoping for the outcome we want. But the game can go either way.

That’s why recent research suggests that our customers — the public, in general, if you will — are beginning to enjoy Facebook above all other corporate/institutional presentations.

Our customers are allowed to chime in, if they care enough, taking conversations in any direction they choose. This is fun for visitors. This “platform we give them” is empowering. At last, they can circumvent the telephone experience (which is increasingly impossible) and publish their disgruntled or laudatory stories right there for all the *other* “fans” to see.

Obviously, this Facebook proposition is a risky business for us. (Have you ever wondered what would happen if Facebook had a “hate” button? Because — for every ardent fan — there’s probably a hater out there?) Despite the hazards, most companies seem to think — so far — that the benefits outweigh the risks. They like us, they like us!

But it’s tenuous.

Let just one explosion shatter our corporate walls on Facebook — with genuine marketplace consequences — and then we’ll see how much corporate America really, truly wants “them” to be part of “our” conversation.

Are we ready to face that?

Every so often a new technology arrives that may have an impact on changing a market or replacing an earlier technology. I have just attended a new product launch from Océ and Canon at which they announced a new “breakthrough” technology for digital printing. This is a technology that is the basis for their new Océ VarioPrint DP line of monochrome printers. This is an imaging technology called Océ DirectPress. This technology is a toner based printing technology that does not use light, static charge, developer or toner oils or mixtures, high temperatures or generate any ozone. There is no imaging process using laser or LED imaging and with no traditional electrophotographic approach with its inherent potential for variability in the process. The claim for the new process is to provide high consistency and quality across jobs, time and machines. Océ claim this is a true digital technology for monochrome printing where there are no variables that can affect the output of jobs.

The new VarioPrint DP line has four models with print speeds of 95, 105, 120 and 135 pages/minute. The product line is designed to fit in with the Canon sheet fed monochrome printers and the high-speed and high-quality VarioPrint 6000 product range. The product is initially only available in Europe, and the product is priced in the range of €35 -45K. Océ are targeting what they see is an increase in demand for monochrome printing as corporates look to cut their printing costs by switching away from color printing. Océ also see that corporate CRDs are upgrading older monochrome systems also wanting to link new systems into the same workflow systems as are used for high-speed transactional and other printing. The press runs using the Océ PRISMAsync workflow for printing, scanning and copying.

It is interesting however when one looks at this DirectPress technology to see that it is not new but a regeneration of the technology used in the earlier CPS range of color presses. This was a range of presses developed in the early 2000s that used seven colors for imaging and that were ideal for a range of uncoated and non-smooth substrates. The following is taken directly from a data sheet for one of these presses. “Océ Direct Imaging uses voltage and magnetism. No light is used to create an image. It is directly created on each imaging drum electronically, thereby providing highly accurate color registration and image fidelity. The image is transferred from the drum using Océ Copy Press technology that presses the image to the paper, at a low-fusing temperature. The result is highly consistent print quality without any waste of toner.” The technology is almost the same today but using only a single color. The speed of the press is roughly the same as the CPS press would run at a speed around 20 pages/min in color where there would be seven imaging passes to build up the color.

In addition to the DirectPress technology Océ is also introducing Océ HeatXchange. This is an energy saving technology that takes heat out of the fused printed sheets by cooling and transfers this to new sheets entering the printing process. It is claimed that this can reduce energy consumption by up to 30%

This technology is ideal for use in monochrome whereas it was too slow and limited for the color market. The quality is excellent for the corporate market but not as good as the quality from the latest Variostream 6000 printers. It is ideal for uninterrupted working and the press has a duty cycle that enables it to run for long periods particularly when equipped with multiple paper trays. The press is also available with a range of inline finishing configurations as well as scanning of documents for printing.

Another Offset Supplier Going Digital

“Clays in £5m digital equipment spend”

Clays is ramping up its digital book printing capability with a £5m spend on new kit, allowing the firm to offer publishers a wider range of print-on-demand options.

Clays managing director Kate McFarlan described the new system as the result of a “unique partnership” between Clays and Timsons. The high-speed integrated line will comprise a duplex monochrome press built by Timsons, feeding book blocks through to a Muller Martini binding line to provide either perfect bound paperbacks or lined book blocks, with JDF controls for full automation. The new system, which is set to be installed in spring 2012, will offer “full flexibility on reel sizes, substrates and book formats”. Details about the digital print engine technology are being kept under wraps for the time being.”

It is interesting that a Muller Martini line is being used rather than the Magnum line developed by a team that had worked for Timson in Canada.

Clays are one of the largest book printers in the UK and have recently invested in digital printing with a Kodak Versamark VL series press, in preparation for moving to a Kodak Prosper press. Recently Kodak has installed a Prosper 1000 monochrome press and it is understood that this has now gone into production. While the Timson press’s details are still under wraps one has to speculate that it is likely to be using Kodak’s Prosper print heads, however that is purely specification and we will have to wait to find out more about this. Hopefully Timson will bring their new press to drupa next year.

It is interesting to see a number of offset press suppliers moving in the digital direction, but at this time we are only seeing European offset press suppliers moving in this direction. One has to wonder what is happening in companies like Komori, Goss and Mitsubishi and whether we can expect to see announcements from them before next year’s drupa.

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 very rapid pace.

Print itself has gone from mass production and distribution of the same information to all, to communication targeted to a market segment sharing a specific characteristic, to highly personalized one-to-one communications. Production has gone from high speed web litho print with lots of offline finishing, to digital print and inline finishing, and “onserts”, (even our language is changing).

New channels for communication have emerged and are being adopted at very high rates, from e-presentment of documents to social media and mobile applications.

Competition has increased among the providers of communication services with consolidations and companies going out of business, and yet still there is a lot of underused capacity.

How are companies in the industry going to survive and even thrive?

One possible answer comes in the form of an old and proven education technique, “Cycles of Learning.” Jack Welch used the cycles of learning principle in building GE. Jack Welch and GE went through three cycles of learning for the improvement of the business. In the first cycle, he focused on the elimination of variety in GE’s portfolio of businesses by reducing the non-performing business units. During a subsequent learning cycle Welch focused the company on simplifying and eliminating non-value-added activities. The third phase of discovery focused on the elimination of variation. This business approach would be valuable for today’s print businesses.

I also think a more tactical day-to-day approach and process can provide results and accelerate business improvements. At the core of this approach is to begin every project or quality improvement with the idea that you are going to teach others about your experience and results at the end. Educational research has proven that performing a task or learning experience knowing that you will need to teach it will improve your understanding and memory of key principles.

Cycles of learning means being able to apply what was learned from one activity or project to the next or similar ones. The progression is depicted in the following graphic.

Looking for new information and ways to learn about Production Printing for your business?

We all know that marketing is about the strategies and tactics you use to identify and cultivate the market for your products/services. The degree of importance can vary based on the industry, but it’s hard to think of any businesses that can survive without at least thinking about how to grow demand for what they’re selling.

Firms that are successfully delivering cross-media marketing services are investing time and resources to marketing and business development. Savvy executives are pursuing radical new approaches to change up their organizations. They are getting their companies to concentrate on developing new revenue streams from new products and services, while optimizing income from existing lines through innovative marketing and the rapid exploitation of changing customer needs and tastes.

The Facts

InfoTrends just completed a study entitled The Evolution of the Cross-Media and Marketing Services Provider. The study surveyed more than 280 print service providers to understand the current state of cross-media and the evolution taking place in the graphic communications market. The first key message is that service providers as a community understand the critical importance of getting into cross-media services. Of the 285 total respondents, 58% are currently offering some level of cross-media services.

Furthermore, nearly 87% of print-for-pay respondents were either offering services today or had plans to start offering them within the next 24 months.

These print service providers understand that print is still a very relevant medium, but they have also acknowledged that the communications channel has changed dramatically and altered the role of print. In turn, print service providers must transform. Print used to be the only tool in the box, but now it’s just one of many integrated services in the marketing solutions mix. There is clearly a good understanding of the technologies available today to connect print with new media options, so printers can take advantage of all cross-media channels and help customers market smarter with relevant 1:1 content.

Getting There Takes Marketing Focus
Marketing needs to be a core concern in any business. When it comes to running a successful business, marketing is often the cornerstone for driving results. Firms that offer cross-media marketing services were more likely to cite a focus on sales, marketing, and business development when asked to describe their primary area of responsibility. The critical message is that success in cross-media requires leadership with a focus on marketing and new business development.

Want more? Visit www.OceWow.com to download the InfoTrends white paper The New Value Add Equation!