Business transformation is necessary for today’s book, direct mail and commercial printer
Through this paper, Ricoh has set out to provoke thought. We are speaking to our customers every day, so we know that the challenges of running a modern printing business are many and significant, and that seeing your path to continued success with clarity is just one of those challenges made even harder by the day-to-day obstacles that business throws your way.
What we hope to have made clear is that business transformation is necessary for today’s book, direct mail and commercial printer: they simply cannot continue to fall back on outdated modes of “improvement”, given the complexity of the multi-channel marketing mix that print is a still significant part of.
So, we have stressed that technology and infrastructure are vital; that these underpin the changes that are required now as well as being the future priorities for tomorrow’s successful print business. We encourage readers to think differently, to think less about the print itself, since today’s technology is so good that this almost takes care of itself. The phrase we have coined to sum up our philosophy, and which runs throughout this report, is Thinking Beyond the Printed Page. This concept is about the infrastructure that supports a successful digital printing strategy, and it is critical, we believe, to your future as a printer.
Armed with such a philosophy, and using it to shape their next technological investments, printing businesses can become the more dynamic operators that the market requires them to be. They will become more efficient, more proactive and responsive, and more able to engage clients in a suite of increasingly advanced solutions to their marketing and communications needs.
As we have said, the business transformation will be a technological, cultural and organisational undertaking that will present significant challenges for most print companies. They should not seek to overcome all of these challenges alone, but should lean upon suppliers that have expertise in systems integration and that can shape the most effective methods of document and process management within manufacturing environments.
The future for the printing industry is a bright one, and a fresh take on efficiency and innovation through thinking beyond the printed page, will help ensure every company has a strong prospect of sharing that bright future.
How to judge you are on a pathway to sustainable business change.
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If you are interested in speaking to Ricoh about any of the issues and challenges discussed in this document, we will be delighted to make a dedicated appointment for you with one of our highly experienced specialists or arrange a unique visit our European Customer Experience Centre. Here you can see a full production centre in operation, understand how a manufacturing plant operates with a lean methodology and speak with professionals with decades of experience in printing.
