With the first twelve months at the helm of Openbook Howden now behind them after taking over from its original owners last year, the company’s chief operating officer, Michael Richards, and business development manager, Sarah Leo, have been able to use the resources provided by the Future Print Business Transformation Project to get greater clarity and focus for the future.
In June last year, the owners of OpenbookHowden, Ashley Richards and Keith Kemp, stepped back from their involvement and appointed Richards and Leo to take over the business, as part of a carefully planned business transition.
Both with plenty of experience in the company, the two hit the ground running but they found their involvement in the Future Print Business Transformation Project, which started nearly six months ago, has really helped them in setting goals and finding the right kind of motivation in their new roles.
Richards, who handles the operational aspects of the business, says the two were immediately impressed with what they heard at the initial Leadership Briefing meeting for the newly-launched project, and quickly recognised that it would provide them with low or no-cost access to the types of services that could be very valuable in helping them manage and grow their business.
“We have always had ambitious plans for Openbook Howden and had plenty of ideas about what we might do, but actually refining those ideas, evaluating them, and then putting them into action in an operational sense, is always a challenge. Future Print has given us information, resources and assistance which is helping us do just that,” he says.
Individual consultations with their Future Print advisor Mark Ryan, who the pair credit with much of the value they have gained from the program, have been broad ranging and have included counselling on issues from how to increase efficiency and reduce costs, to marketing and sales strategies, human resources and strategic planning.
“One of the things Mark has highlighted to us is the value of certain types of information which we really didn’t bother accessing or evaluating before,” Richards says. “Now, we know that there is information which we can use to grow our business and we are maximizing its benefit.
“When you are implementing change on any level, it’s critical that you ensure everyone knows what is happening and that you are bringing your team along with you. The Business Transformation Project has given us some great strategies and practices to ensure that happens.”
Leo, who is in charge of marketing and business development, agrees. “We were very fortunate in that we had good infrastructure and resources, and already had a good idea of the direction we wanted to head in,” she explains, “but working with Mark has helped us refine our plans and ideas and then focus on the work we need to do to achieve those results.
“It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of running a business, so having a mentor there with you, coaching, encouraging and giving you a bit of a push when you need it is extremely valuable – it has helped us put the detail into our plans, provided a sounding board for ideas and given us the motivation to put plans into action without procrastinating.”
Already, the company is working on some complementary offerings which it hopes will increase the value it offers to clients and, critically, broaden its revenue base, and as well as developing their own team of experienced professionals is also looking to bring in fresh talent to help expand these new areas.
“Clients today expect much more from us – they expect advice, they expect us to be able to deliver a wider range of services. They don’t see us as ‘just a printer’, they are looking to us as more of an adviser and partner in their communications efforts.
“The Future Print Business Transformation Project has not only given us greater clarity and focus, it has helped us develop our strategic plans, take positive action and effectively manage the changes necessary to push the boundaries of our business and set a strong course for the future.”