WEEK 05

IN-HOUSE PRINTING

Overview: The boundaries of the print industry are shifting.  Print is just one of a number of different communication channels and the management of print is moving closer to the source of demand. There is a need to embrace the in-house print function as a key management responsibility. This function should become part of a coordinated approach to managing all print and non print output formats.

The internet and print

The rise of the internet has distracted enterprise management from the importance of adopting a strategic approach to the management of print, in all its manifestations. In contrast to the internet, there is an air of familiarity about print.  This is problematic, because print is in transition. There is a shift occurring. Where once print was perceived as in the domain of the commercial print sector, it is now migrating inside enterprises – where production is being undertaken much closer to the source of demand. And even this internal printing is increasingly moving towards electronic distribution.

Print as a preferred format for readers

The rationale for emphasising the importance of print in a networked organisation is that readers have a preference for print. The notion of the readers as users reflects what is happening in the world. Readers as users are increasingly reliant on personal computing technologies, for creating and accessing content. There are a wide range of outputs other than print that are increasingly being accessed by readers as users. For example, CD roms, DVDs, screen based delivery solutions such as e-books, web browser delivery options, mobile telephones, e-mail, PDA devices. All these types of output options can be leveraged by large complex enterprises. But, on the other hand, when it comes to reading itself, given an option, readers prefer to read from print formats rather than from screens. Given an option, they prefer to be act as both readers and readers as users. This probably remains the case for the moment, but this situation is likely to change with the advent of new technologies such as e-ink.

Bringing different enterprise support functions together

This critical relationship between print materials and the reader needs to be taken into account when an enterprise develops a technology convergence strategy. For effective enterprise information, knowledge and marketing management, there will be a need to coordinate the workflow and service-support systems related to both print and non-print output options. Therefore, in the ideal world, it is best to bring the enterprise IT network infrastructure, enterprise-wide publishing, data management, graphic design and print functions into a closely aligned service support system for the entire organization. But, in any such approach, it is crucial that the structures of new support systems are clearly focused on servicing the interests of users.

The role of the in-house printer

Because print is moving closer to the source of demand, there is a challenge of ensuring that someone is given the responsibility of managing the cost structures between different types of print outputs as outlined in Figure 2. This responsibility should fall under the umbrella of the in-house print manager if such a position exists in an organization.

Figure 2
Managing cost structures between different print-output options

Developing a whole organisation print strategy

This challenge of managing cost structures between different print-output options is best achieved according to a whole organization print strategy. Such a whole-organisation approach to print could aim to address the following types of activities.

• Management of the business of in-house printing from the print room.
• Management and maintenance support for the enterprise-wide contract management of multi-functional device equipment across the networked enterprise.
• Provision of print management services to assist with enterprise-wide procurement of all outsourced printing requirements.
• Provision of scanning functions for multiple stakeholder groups across the networked enterprise.
• Provision of support for the manufacture of customised books, manuals and coursepack information.
• Provision of variable print management activities for the marketing and other departments as required.
• Provision of management support for the mail room and logistics functions.
• Contribution to and support for the implementation of policies and procedures for PDF file generation.
• Contribution to and support of the implementation of policies and procedures for coordinated archiving of electronic and print products.
• Management of the relationship with equipment vendors to secure on-going innovation of services.

KEY IMPLICATIONS

• A whole-organisation approach to print is required to manage all print outputs (and the cost structures between these), encompassing in-house print room printing, MFD printing and outsourced printing.
• Different service-support functions including IT, enterprise publishing, graphic design, data management and in-house printing are best bought together to create a whole enterprise support system.
• Print is likely to remain a crucial service support function because readers still have a preference for print formats, but the pressure on costs will mean that any way to reduce costs will be strenuously followed.