It’s no secret that real estate has always been a very paper-intensive industry. Paper dependency has always been the only option for brokers and sales associates because it’s been the easiest medium by which to communicate information with home buyers and sellers. The ability for a broker or associate to print a document and hand deliver or fax it to the intended party has been the tried-and-true process for decades. And, although not the most economically efficient process, it does get the job done. (more…)

As campuses across the country closed and sent students home to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, faculty members moved their classes online at an unprecedented pace. Online courses and distance education were once thought of as the opposite of what a college experience should be, with “sub-par learning experiences” or for-profit companies acting as educational institutions. But now, online learning has quickly become a necessity to keep classes going and colleges and universities alive. (more…)

Investing in technologies that improve operating efficiency, lower production costs and expand capabilities are top of mind for most print service providers (PSPs.) According to a recent NAPCO Research survey, 65 percent of PSPs report that competing against low-cost producers is a critical/moderate challenge. At the same time, more than three-quarters of these providers are expanding the print applications they offer customers. These trends have many providers investigating the benefits of a B2+ format press. (more…)

We’ve been talking about disruption for years. With technological advances accelerating at an ever-increasing pace, digital disruption has been causing companies to rethink how they run their businesses in order to maintain profitability. (more…)

I was introduced to Lean Manufacturing several years ago by my manager. When I first reviewed the information, my impression was that it’s the common sense approach to manufacturing. Why would someone go to the trouble of writing a book about it? Then my manager encouraged me to use the tools by Lean to map out workflows and manufacturing processes. At this point, I began to see how this could provide a competitive advantage. Value Stream Mapping, a Lean tool, defines each production step’s value within a manufacturing process and references it to the customer’s value perspective. Lean classifies each step in a workflow by its value, as a value-add or a non-value add step. Value-add steps are those which can be charged for as a line item on an invoice. Non-value add actions often occur to accommodate equipment restrictions, physical ability and may appear “easier” on the surface. However, studies of the printing industry have revealed that 85% to 90% of all processes deliver no value to the customer. In other words, in a ten-step manufacturing process, eight to nine of the steps provide no direct benefit to the customer. (more…)

Today’s print customers expect providers to offer them options to enhance their printed communications. According to a recent NAPCO research study Adding Value to Digital Printing, 94 percent of marketers surveyed report that when selecting print providers, it is important that they offer print enhancement ideas. Substrate selection is one method of enhancing print and over half print providers participating in the research indicate customer demand for special substrate use is increasing.

But when printing on plastic or non-porous materials, the ink and the process of drying of the ink is a vital part that needs to be taken into account for the finished result to be a high-quality print. If care isn’t taken, the resulting graphic can be smeared and lack sharpness. (more…)

Manufacturing, commercial print, legal, healthcare and education – all of these industries have diverse and unique challenges, trends and objectives, but the one commonality among them is the pathway toward digital transformation.  It is happening everywhere, and at a rapid pace, as technology continues to change the face of the modern landscape and demand for greater access to data increases.  Our customers, prospects, vendors and partners are all at some point in the continuum that spans from consideration and evaluation to decision and implementation. (more…)

When many people think of high-speed inkjet, they think about production speeds ideally suited for direct mail and transactional documents. But today’s high-speed inkjet technology is capable of a lot more than that. (more…)

Businesses use Information Technology to quickly and effectively process data every day. Employee communications via email, phone, smartphone apps and corporate social networks get faster and faster, enabling colleagues and clients near and far to get your information immediately.  All this electronic data (EDI) is critical for business operations, from transmitting purchase orders and payments to communicating policies and procedures.   Whether in-house or off-premise, you rely on your IT support systems to be up-to-date and work seamlessly to enable the transmission of data, store your information and give you access to what you need when you need it. What happens when it all stops? What happens if that back-up system and recovery solution you thought was infallible – fails your organization? Or more aptly, “Are you prepared for a natural disaster that totally destroys your location and disables all systems?” (more…)

Organizations today appreciate and understand the vital role that electronic information plays.  Systems that manage information need to be agile and should be responsive to changing business requirements. While working with our clients, we see several key drivers for enterprise digital modernization and transformation: (more…)