What do you want to gain at GRAPH EXPO 14? If it’s strategies you can apply to your business, consider attending one or more GRAPH EXPO seminars presented by several Printing Industries of America experts while you’re there! To get the most out of your experience at the biggest trade show in our industry, come pencils in hand and ready with your most vital questions—What are the smartest new technologies to invest in, and how can we apply them to our business? How can we survive in a changing market? What best practices can we use to produce the optimum output for our customers? For eager professionals like you, there are plenty of opportunities to learn at GRAPH EXPO 14. Unfortunately, there’s just not enough time to experience it all. To help you decide which seminars are right for you, take this four-question quiz. We’ll give you your recommended GRAPH EXPO seminar, and you can learn which sessions will be the best investment of your valuable time at the show!   1. What do I most want to learn at GRAPH EXPO 14 and take back to my company? A. How to stay at the forefront of new growth industries as a commercial printer. B. How to keep up to date with evolving markets. C. How the changing economy will impact my business. D. How to get better quality digital files in prepress.   2. If I could get insight into one aspect about my competitors’ business and strategies, it would be: A. What do they know about some of the most out-there technologies that we don’t? B. How are they creating new business opportunities in areas like packaging and short-run markets? C. What strategies are different size companies using to survive in the current economy? D. How do they consistently create color-managed, output-ready files and deliver to their customers on time?   3. My ideal learning environment includes A. Learning the ins and outs of new technologies. B. Hearing actual industry case studies based on other companies’ experiences. C. Focusing on the big picture data then honing down to the micro-details. D. Hands on instruction!   4. At my facility my primarily responsibilities include A. Finding and assessing the newest technologies and business avenues for potential investments for sales and marketing opportunities. B. Keeping up with industry trends so that my company doesn’t miss a profitable opportunity, whether it be for operations or sales. C. Continuously assessing the economy and how it’s affecting our industry, our firm, and our competitors. D. Learning the latest prepress techniques to keep my company competitive and profitable.   Your Results Mostly As Your GRAPH EXPO Seminar—3D Printing: NEW Profit Pathway for Commercial...

The following is a guest blog post from Malcolm Keif, Cal Poly, coauthor of Lean Printing: Pathway to Success and Setup Reduction for Printers.   Recently a great video has been circulating around social media showing a Formula 1 pit stop from the 1950s in contrast to a pit stop from 2013. (If you haven’t seen it, check it out here) In this two minute video you’ll see how radically pit stops have evolved in sixty years. It is fascinating how the sport has changed in technologies, processes, personnel, tools, metrics, and attitudes. We have seen similar changes in the printing industry over as many decades. Printing technology has improved tremendously, especially from the standpoint of process control. Even with makereadies, equipment manufacturers have done a great job of focusing on quick-changeover improvements. CIP4, servo technology, inline register and color control, and many other improvements have brought printing into a science. However, in some ways the entire printing system (all interdependent processes working together), including our material staging, methodology for changing plates and inks, use of strategic personnel, as well as our sense of urgency about the makeready, are more similar to the 1950s version than the 2013 version. How often do we rehearse a makeready…or even discuss a strategic approach, for that matter? Those of us who are lean proponents liken the pit stop to a press or bindery makeready, mostly because it speaks to where crucial seconds can be picked up in a competition. We acknowledge that no progress is being made to reaching the finish line when the car is in the pits. It is not a value-add process, though it is necessary to keep the car running. Isn’t that true of a makeready? It is not a value-add process…but it is necessary to complete the job. So, why not approach a makeready with the same strategy and urgency as a Formula 1 pit stop? The best way to improve makereadies in a company is through an intentional human development approach (education and training). It should also be part of a larger lean thinking initiative. You are really teaching your employees how to think lean. It involves reiterating your vision about value-add and providing the tools your employees need to rethink the makeready. It is simple, but not easy. Our tendencies are to do things the way we have always done them, even when we get new equipment – it may be faster on the racetrack but just as slow in the pits. Let’s face it, if a Formula 1 team came to a race with 1950s pit stop strategies, they couldn’t possibly finish anything but last. Why then do we sometimes approach makereadies with those...

The following is a guest blog post from Malcolm Keif, Cal Poly, coauthor of Lean Printing: Pathway to Success and Setup Reduction for Printers.   Recently a great video has been circulating around social media showing a Formula 1 pit stop from the 1950s in contrast to a pit stop from 2013. (If you haven’t seen it, check it out here) In this two minute video you’ll see how radically pit stops have evolved in sixty years. It is fascinating how the sport has changed in technologies, processes, personnel, tools, metrics, and attitudes. We have seen similar changes in the printing industry over as many decades. Printing technology has improved tremendously, especially from the standpoint of process control. Even with makereadies, equipment manufacturers have done a great job of focusing on quick-changeover improvements. CIP4, servo technology, inline register and color control, and many other improvements have brought printing into a science. However, in some ways the entire printing system (all interdependent processes working together), including our material staging, methodology for changing plates and inks, use of strategic personnel, as well as our sense of urgency about the makeready, are more similar to the 1950s version than the 2013 version. How often do we rehearse a makeready…or even discuss a strategic approach, for that matter? Those of us who are lean proponents liken the pit stop to a press or bindery makeready, mostly because it speaks to where crucial seconds can be picked up in a competition. We acknowledge that no progress is being made to reaching the finish line when the car is in the pits. It is not a value-add process, though it is necessary to keep the car running. Isn’t that true of a makeready? It is not a value-add process…but it is necessary to complete the job. So, why not approach a makeready with the same strategy and urgency as a Formula 1 pit stop? The best way to improve makereadies in a company is through an intentional human development approach (education and training). It should also be part of a larger lean thinking initiative. You are really teaching your employees how to think lean. It involves reiterating your vision about value-add and providing the tools your employees need to rethink the makeready. It is simple, but not easy. Our tendencies are to do things the way we have always done them, even when we get new equipment – it may be faster on the racetrack but just as slow in the pits. Let’s face it, if a Formula 1 team came to a race with 1950s pit stop strategies, they couldn’t possibly finish anything but last. Why then do we sometimes approach makereadies with those...

As printing companies expand, sooner or later, they outgrow their Management Information System (MIS). Software must meet current needs by providing e-commerce, file submission, and more end-to-end solutions. If you’ve ever had to purchase a new MIS, you know it can be a daunting task. There is a lot riding on this one integral software solution that must integrate seamlessly into many different parts of the production process. Plus it’s extremely challenging to calculate the ROI, because of the fact that it is a software solution. How would you like to be able to compare and analyze a variety of different MIS?  A new Technology Bulletin just released from the Center for Technology and Research, the 2014 Printing Industries of America Survey of Management Information Systems,  profiles 49 different software programs. We asked each vendor to dish all of the details on their software so you can compare them side by side. The result is more than 300 pages of invaluable data to help you choose the right MIS to gain new efficiencies and a greater ROI. Solutions You Need to Know Section one lets you see the actual survey results from all 49 vendors. From accounting and estimating functions to real-time data collection, this feedback is especially helpful in getting a comprehensive understanding of each vendor’s capabilities. Then, in section two, all that data is collated into a convenient overview of all of the companies. Break It Down Many printers have specific needs that their new MIS must meet, whether it’s cost, specific functionality, operating system compatibility, and so forth. Each MIS is broken down based on these different criteria to allow you to directly compare based on the needs of your operation. Case Studies and User Feedback Before making this important purchase decision, become a better-informed buyer. New for 2014, the MIS Survey also provides additional resources with company case studies and customer testimonials. You can also read vendor white papers and press releases on the software.                 The 2014 MIS Survey is available free for Printing Industries of America members at www.printing.org/free(you must be logged in to our website as a...

As printing companies expand, sooner or later, they outgrow their Management Information System (MIS). Software must meet current needs by providing e-commerce, file submission, and more end-to-end solutions. If you’ve ever had to purchase a new MIS, you know it can be a daunting task. There is a lot riding on this one integral software solution that must integrate seamlessly into many different parts of the production process. Plus it’s extremely challenging to calculate the ROI, because of the fact that it is a software solution. How would you like to be able to compare and analyze a variety of different MIS?  A new Technology Bulletin just released from the Center for Technology and Research, the 2014 Printing Industries of America Survey of Management Information Systems,  profiles 49 different software programs. We asked each vendor to dish all of the details on their software so you can compare them side by side. The result is more than 300 pages of invaluable data to help you choose the right MIS to gain new efficiencies and a greater ROI. Solutions You Need to Know Section one lets you see the actual survey results from all 49 vendors. From accounting and estimating functions to real-time data collection, this feedback is especially helpful in getting a comprehensive understanding of each vendor’s capabilities. Then, in section two, all that data is collated into a convenient overview of all of the companies. Break It Down Many printers have specific needs that their new MIS must meet, whether it’s cost, specific functionality, operating system compatibility, and so forth. Each MIS is broken down based on these different criteria to allow you to directly compare based on the needs of your operation. Case Studies and User Feedback Before making this important purchase decision, become a better-informed buyer. New for 2014, the MIS Survey also provides additional resources with company case studies and customer testimonials. You can also read vendor white papers and press releases on the software.                 The 2014 MIS Survey is available free for Printing Industries of America members at www.printing.org/free(you must be logged in to our website as a...

From solid management practices to financial security to work-life balance, there are considerable elements that go into creating a successful, profitable workplace environment. Although each company is different, the industry’s Best Workplaces do share distinctive commonalities. The parallels allow these companies to recruit and retain qualified workers—people who are more satisfied with their jobs and, therefore, more productive and efficient. Greater efficiency leads to increased profitability and a greater competitive edge.  What if you could get behind the scenes and see what these leading companies are doing? How competitive are their wages and benefits? How do they handle health care issues? What employee training methods do they use? What incentive programs are working for them? Each year the Best Workplace in the Americas (BWA) program judges companies based on eight main areas: management practices, work environment, training and development opportunities, recognition and rewards, workplace health and safety, health and well-being programs, financial security, and work-life balance. The practices of winning firms—the top HR programs in the industry—are compiled in the Key HR Metrics report.  Enter the 2014 Best Workplace in the Americas program to showcase your company’s superior HR program.) Here’s your chance to go behind the curtain of the printing industry’s top companies. Take a look at these highlights from the 2013 HR Metrics Survey and see the practices of your competitors: Management practices Sexual harassment training for all staff members should be performed every 24 months, and new hires should receive training during orientation. Provide written job descriptions and annual performance reviews for all employees. (For Americans with Disabilities Act purposes, job descriptions ideally should have “essential functions” noted on job descriptions.) How many women and minorities hold management positions in your organization? Top companies have comparable numbers to the national average. (Find current averages at www.eeoc.gov.) Work environment And how about your turnover rate? Strive for 8.4% or lower. Training and development opportunities Cross-train employees. A total of 89% of BWA winners had more than 80% of their staff trained across a range of areas. Create a succession plan for an aging workforce. Seventy-four percent of BWA firms  had succession plans for senior managers, 59% for key managers, and 56% for key non-managerial employees. Recognition and rewards Incentivize employees. Well-designed plans will pay off and increase profitability and efficiency. (The 2013 Wage and Benefits Surveycompiles successful ideas from more than 500 companies.) Develop employee recognition programs. You can find customizable certificates here. Workplace health and safety To keep your injury and illness rate low, you may want to institute a Safety Committee with a mix of hourly and managerial employees. If your company has persistent injuries and illnesses, address the issues with a targeted training program....