It is survival of the fittest in the tumultuous financial market today. Proper planning, current knowledge, and ability to make timely decisions are more important than ever. Printing Industries of America hosts the annual Printing Industry Financial Executives (PIFE) Conference April 1–3, 2012, in St. Louis, MO in conjunction with the Continuous Improvement Conference. The PIFE Conference is a roadmap that allows you to assess your priorities, create an effective plan for your future, and monitor your improvement. It also provides you the unique chance to network with your peers.  As a V.P. of Finance, Controller, COO, or CFO, you will hear speakers from some of the top financial firms in the country provide you with the tools and resources to not only survive in today’s financial market, but to thrive. Here is a sampling of what these leaders will be presenting at the 2012 PIFE Conference: Learn new tax law and compliance so you can receive the benefits and credits available to make the best business decisions. (Amelia Beckmann, CPA, Principal, LarsonAllen LLP and Timothy O’Shaughnessy, Principal, Tax, LarsonAllen LLP) Execute initiatives with effective performance management and accountability standards using sound benchmarking and key economic metrics to improve the likelihood of success. (Mel Enger, President, Carlson Advisors) Gain an insight into your employer fiduciary responsibilities as they pertain to your 401(k) plan. (John J. Moynihan, President, Diversified Financial Advosors, LLC) One of the most beneficial aspects of the PIFE Conference is networking with other industry professionals. Past participants of the conference, like Gregory J. Dooley, Chief Financial Officer, HM Graphics, Inc., have not only learned many cost-saving strategies but also made valuable connections with their peers.  “It is helpful to get to know people in similar financial situations. When you run into an issue in the future, you can call on them to see how they overcame it and apply [the same method] to your own business.” “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Benjamin Franklin knew a lot about financial success. Plan now for tomorrow’s financial success. Seize the opportunity to learn from the experts and from your peers. Use this knowledge to achieve your own financial prosperit Leave a commen below or join the discussion on LinkedIn to start networking before the conference! PIA Blog Opt-Out: ...

Granted, it is an honor just to be nominated. But winning a coveted “Benny” Award at the Premier Print Awards is an undeniable accomplishment both professionally and personally. Not merely a statue to keep on your desk, the “Benny” can be a tool to propel your business, attract new clients, and motivate your employees.  We have been bestowing this award for more than 60 years, and this year can be your year to take your place among the elite. We have a sneak peek at winners’ success stories where they share their proven ways to capitalize on winning a Premier Print Award. In addition to receiving the “Benny” statuette at the Premier Print Awards and InterTechTM Technology Awards Gala in Chicago, Printing Industries of America will: Provide winners with a self-promotion kit that include a press release template, Premier Print Awards image, and complimentary ticket to the Gala. Announce the winners to the trade press. Publish the winners list in the Premier Print Awards Annual and on our website, www.printing.org You may think the party ends here, but the key to prolonging the afterglow of winning a “Benny” is to utilize promotion and benefits. 2011 Premier Print Award winner, Jim Mayes, owner of ColorCraft of Virginia in Sterling, VA says his customers “are pleased when their piece wins an award.” Additionally, his team is, “proud of their work, and an award on something that they produced gives them a sense of pride.”  Their win has enabled them to “promote ColorCraft as a high-end digital and ink jet printer.” Ms. Tonya Spiers of Knight Abby Printing and Direct Mail in Biloxi, MS, earned a “Benny” in the 2011 Premier Print Awards and has seen her sales grow as a direct result. She told us how she profited from her accomplishment: What has winning a “Benny” meant to you and your business? We are so proud and honored to be recognized as part of such an elite group. Our sales professionals have a photo of the “Benny” in with their brochures. It really opens up a dialog with customers.  Has the way customers and your competitors view your business changed since your win? We have never been recognized like that before, and we are now able to have that level of conversation with our customers. We stand out among some of the best people in the U.S. and the world. In the suffering economy, we can still create great digital work and great pieces. How did you utilize the press kit from Printing Industries of America? The press kit was very helpful. We published the press release in articles we send out to companies and to customers. It was also seen...

You may have heard that QR Codes are dead. But, like print, QR codes must evolve to meet demands. Many companies are incorporating QR codes in their marketing mix (along with similar tools like Google Goggles, a “visual search application for Android phones”). They are a valuable use for direct mail because they integrate print with the Internet.  Used effectively, they can be powerful tools that yield successful results in your marketing campaign and link your customers from printed material to the Web. What Is a QR Code? If you have not used QR codes, this Quick Response code is a URL that is converted into a specific matrix (or two-dimensional) barcode using QR code generators like Kawa or QR Stuff. Using a smart phone, customers download a barcode scanner application for Android, iPhone, or other smart phones, scan this barcode, and reach a website, a YouTube video, company home page, or a discount offer like USPS recently promoted. Are They Successful? QR codes can work in favor of the printing industry if they are used effectively.  A recent promotion from USPS is a great example. To help boost direct mail marketing, they offered a 3% discount off bulk mail shipping in July and August of 2011 to companies that incorporated QR codes into their direct mail. This smart move was not only a momentous push for mainstream QR code use, but also an encouragement for businesses to send printed mail. The USPS plans on offering a similar discount program in the summer of 2012. In a recent study from comScore, 6.2% of all mobile phone users, or over 14,000 people, used QR code scanners. The highest users were males between the ages of 18–34 with an annual income over $100,000. Printed magazines and newspapers and product packages were the items most frequently scanned by these users.  There are still some drawbacks, however, as many consumers are still not using QR codes because they are 1) unaware of how to use them or 2) do not have a smart phone or the application required to read them.  Further issues with QR code usage include location of the code and the destination site. If a customer cannot access a code either because it is on the side of a moving bus or another inconvenient location, he or she is not very likely to scan it. Seventy-two percent of consumers say they have seen a QR code, but nearly 30% do not know what it is according to an October 2011 survey from strategic marketing firm Russell Herder (from Marketing Charts.com). Also, if a customer does scan the code but does not find the desired or useful information, the use is...

The following post was written by Chuck Gehman of Mimeo.com. It’s hard to say “there’s something for everything” about the TAGA Annual Technical Conference, the global graphics arts industries’ most elite technical conference. It’s specifically NOT for everyone—unless you are an academic, engineer, scientist, or technical practitioner of printing. But if that happens to be the case, you will certainly find things that you need to know being discussed at this year’s 64th annual event, to be held in Jacksonville, Florida, on March 18–21. If you are a CEO, COO, or owner of a printing company or industry equipment or software manufacturer, I would strongly advise that you send a couple of your key technical people. I’ll explain why. My personal involvement in the industry is in the creation of software for printing applications, and there are always a few great talks on this topic. But for me, what I find incredibly invigorating about TAGA is the fact that there are so many topics discussed that I am not directly engaged in as a professional. These topics are as far ranging as ink, paper, mechanical engineering, chemistry, physics, photography, light—but not limited to these. In fact, there are almost no limits. The result for me has been broadened horizons—I learn what I don’t know, and approach problems I face in my work with a new perspective.  The keynotes this year include some of the most interesting leaders from some of the most exciting companies in the graphic communications business today. They start with Marc Olin of EFI, who has been travelling the world buying up printing-related software companies while other former industry leaders are suffering, and move on to Mike Puyot from Memjet, a company which is finally shipping product via OEMs and is poised to dramatically change everyone’s business, after existing as a virtual “urban legend” for almost 10 years! These are followed by the most complete, robust technical program available this year at any conference in the industry. One of the coolest things about TAGA is the questions from the audience after the presentations. As you can imagine with a group of this makeup, there are many opinions, and TAGA encourages an intellectually charged environment. There are no assumptions, and this is not a love-in where PR rules—people are often challenged on the statements they make from the dais. It’s exciting! Another really important aspect of the event is the student chapter participation, and the annual student competitions. To the printing company owner: here is the most important reason for you to send your top technical stakeholder or two to TAGA: recruiting. Plug your company into the top printing schools in the WORLD—Cal Poly SLO, Clemson, RIT,...

Register for the Continuous Improvement Conference April 1- April 4, 2012. The success that printing companies have in using Lean manufacturing concepts depends, largely, on the effectiveness of their managers.  Here are six steps your managers can take to speed the pace of your company’s improvement:    Key 1.  Understand what is meant by improvement.  Most managers seek competitive advantage through operational improvement when the better approach is to seek Lean improvement. Lean improvement is not about the work, but, rather, about eliminating wastes—things that get in the way of efficient work. These wastes—such as waiting—add time and cost and no customer value. You should become familiar with the eight common wastes. Over 95% of the elapsed time between paying and getting paid is attributable to these wastes. Unless managers are trained in what to look for, these wastes may be invisible.  Managers should first  visit the work area with an open mind to identify improvement opportunities.  It is also a good idea to visit a few organizations that have well-developed improvement systems, speak to your peers,  and  learn from their experiences.   Key 2.  Demonstrate Passionate Commitment. Passion for your work will not only drive you forward, but it is also conveyed to your employees.  For managers who see and understand the opportunity for improvement, it’s easy to be passionate. Employees respond to your example of passionate commitment.  Remember—your passion can’t be delegated. If you are a no-show on the floor, don’t expect a commitment from employees.     Key 3.  Learn the Tools. When both managers and employees understand the meaning of  improvement, it creates an opportunity to apply the “how-to” or the tools of Lean Manufacturing.  These are the means to improvement that will work in any organization. Before attempting the know-how, be sure you know and can articulate why these tools are needed.  An employee may initially respond to a tool like 5S with objections. Most objections are just cautionary—that is, employees need to know more before accepting a new idea.    As management is learning the tools, they  are creating a favorable environment for learning and practice and keeping everyone practiced. Provide training at the point of need and allocate time as part of the training for practice with a real, if small, project. Don’t penalize for mistakes but do praise small victories. Lean is learned by doing—and, the best learning occurs in small increments; twenty minutes per day is better than a day once per month.   Key 4.  Make the job easier, better, faster and then cheaper. Use the above order for successful improvement. Open the issue by addressing job strain as the main reason for change, which shows respect for employees while...