Jun 17, 2008
What if you build it . . . and they don’t come?
If you believe the hype, digital color print combined with the concept of TransPromo messaging is the solution for the HVTO industry. Advocates say it can cure all that ails you.
There is no question that this exciting and rapidly proliferating technology offers real benefits. It can:
- Help lower messaging costs by merging mailings;
- Boost readership via more visually appealing graphics;
- Increase revenues via more highly targeted offers;
- Improve overall ROI by a near flawless capability to monitor and track the effectiveness of the entire message; and
- Easily integrate with other messaging channels to create a stronger bond with customers.
However, these extremely valuable benefits don’t just happen. They need to be attained in the reality of your organization. To assure success with digital color print, managers of print/mail finishing centers need to convert the promise of digital color print into a concrete and bottom-line reality.
Just the other day, the manager of a prominent customer-messaging center in the Midwest shared the details of his firm’s less-than-successful experience with digital color print. He confided his financial services firm had jumped too soon. It acquired costly, state-of-the-art digital color print technology before it was ready to capitalize on the new approach. And the firm never reaped the hoped-for rewards.
The problem was simple. The previous manager was something of a lone wolf. He was empowered and visionary. But he overlooked the key fundamentals of preparation and promotion. And unlike the ‘Field of Dreams,’ he built it -- and they did not come.
As a result, the firm’s new digital color print capability was woefully underutilized -- and eventually discarded. These tips may help other managers avoid the same error.
Internal selling. Managers in any organization are busy and pre-occupied with their own priorities. They usually don’t closely follow trends outside of their area of expertise. They also have a psychic investment in the accepted and proven successful way of doing business.
Don’t assume your colleagues in marketing, or product management, or customer relations are up-to-speed on the benefits of digital color print. Be prepared to spell out those benefits clearly, comprehensively and repeatedly. Use memos, meetings seminars and specific case history examples to promote and pre-sell the concept of digital color print. Determine their concerns and objections and work to satisfy or overcome them.
Education and training. Once your internal customers understand the concept and benefits of digital color print, you’ll need to help them understand how to implement the technology. This aspect can be tough. For example, your colleagues may be unfamiliar with the concept of variability and may not know how to format or extract data or use variability.
Since digital color print is new to your organization, there are likely no easily available prototypes, samples, or cost analyses for you to reference. You may also have difficulty getting good examples from the early adopters, many of who insist on Non-Disclosure Agreements, which limits the sharing of success stories. The industry in general still suffers from a secrecy syndrome.
Templates and examples. To remedy this situation, you may have to spend some time upfront creating templates or prototypes or otherwise working one-on-one with your internal customers. They need to understand how to implement and custom-tailor the technology. You need to help them. You cannot assume your customers will know to how to implement the technology.
Shop floor layout. In most cases, you will need additional floor and workspace for the digital color print device (unless you exchange an existing monochrome device) and possibly additional space for added finishing devices to aid in binding or shipping. Most internal print/mail finishing shops are already cramped.
Application compatibility. Don’t assume any new digital color print device will just drop in and plug and play. Be sure to test your key applications on the new device prior to committing to purchase. This will help assure that your applications can be adequately processed and might help you uncover the need for modifications to the equipment or additional finishing capabilities.
Document and workflow systems. Just as important, perhaps more so, insist on a thorough dry run of all your all existing applications on a sample of the new technology. This will help reveal if there are any hidden document or workflow incompatibilities. The goal is not to eliminate those difficulties. That may be impossible, given the existence of hard-to-alter legacy systems and the emergence of new technologies. But any incompatibilities should be identified and rectified upfront and not after the equipment is delivered.
Pre-sale test. Anytime you deploy new technology, you are in partnership with your vendor. Or at least you should be. Specify an in-the-factory test of your applications on the specific device you are purchasing – prior to accepting the equipment. Deficiencies should be addressed at the factory or distribution center and not on your shop floor. If any on-site programming is needed, be sure to verify in advance how much time is required for set-up and shakedown.
Post-sale support. Make sure your vendor sticks around after installation to assure the device works as promised. Any less-that-expected performance may not be the responsibility of the vendor. But your vendor has expertise and may need to coordinate with others to assure a smooth installation. Your vendor should not be so pre-occupied with the pre-sale that anything post-sale is ignored. Or costs extra.
Skilled employees. Printing color, even digital color, is far different than printing black or even shades of black. At a minimum, additional training of employees will be required. You may even need to recruit and hire employees with a color print skill set or color press background.
Quality assurance. Remember the phrase you only get one chance to make a good first impression. You are embarking on both a new process and a new product with digital color print. Make sure you have an upgraded QC process in place to detect and prevent errors from getting out. If your first attempts are marred, you’ll likely lose the confidence of the very people you need to help build volume.
Many of these issues don’t apply to service bureaus or outsourcing firms. That’s because the leading service bureaus often deploy new technologies more frequently, to stay abreast of emerging trends, and are far more experienced in helping customers capitalize on these new technologies.
In fact, if you are uncertain about how to proceed with digital color print, consider prototyping the concept with a service bureau that has already deployed the capability. However, if you are ready to bring digital color print technology in-house, follow the above tips to speed and smooth the introduction.
Comments? Contact georgelinkletter@charter.net