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Controlling the Purse Strings By Noel Ward, Editor@Large What did you buy for your business last week? How about last month? How much of that was needed immediately and what went into the warehouse because you’re going to need it soon? How did you track what went where and how much it cost...

In-Plants Need Love Too Print in the eye of the buyer (Episode 3) By Noel Ward, Editor@Large Back in in the bad old days before electronic job submission I used to dive into the basement of the company where I worked to submit or retrieve jobs at the in-plant print shop. Back then it was...

Where Does Print Fit? Print in the Eye of the Buyer (Episode 2) By Noel Ward, Editor@Large My very millennial daughter’s first reaction to finding out about just about anything is to Google up information of dubious value on her iPhone or MacBook Air. But when she wants more detail or to just...

What’s in Your Warehouse? Are You Sure? Keeping tabs on all the stuff you print By Noel Ward, Editor@Large In an average week you process what, 50 jobs?100? 150? 200? Let’s say about half of each job hits the mail or goes out to the customer. The rest goes to shelves in your warehouse so it’s...

Learn what drives their purchase decisions DOWNLOAD FREE WHITE PAPER By Noel Ward, Editor@Large Do you really know what your customers want? How about what they need? Not so long ago you could probably make a few assumptions and get by okay, but the nature of print buyers and influencers...

This might be a two-step process for you. Snow Leopard is an OS that was rolled out in 2009, so it may be worthwhile upgrading the OS. A local Mac tech can usually do this for short money, maybe $100. I just did this on a couple of older Macs and it gave them new life. One (a 27" iMac) is ten...

Begin at the beginning: Estimating and order entry By Noel Ward, Editor@Large Before a new job arrives in your shop your team should be making sure it will fit your schedule and move smoothly through your system. Back in the old days, like 20 years ago, you didn’t always know about incoming...

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By Noel Ward, Editor@Large Don’t you just hate it when you know you’ll have to send part of a job out? The printing part is OK because your AccGendigoh 300i or your Moriberger Sheetmaster is ready to go, but this job needs die-cutting and scoring that you can’t do in house. So you pick up the...

By Noel Ward, Editor@Large The big job was going great until a small wrench vibrated its way off the top of a tower and dropped into your press. It did a number on the plate, put a really amazing gouge on the impression cylinder, and made an incredible sound before the operator got the thing...

Dagoof--- To what extent have you tried to escalate this with Ricoh? I know the higher end players at most of the vendors and may be able to help. ALL the vendors have assorted weaknesses in their sales and service forces (and issues like yours) that are often unknown to the right people in...

Onward! You have power. Use it. By Noel Ward, Editor@Large Back in bad old days of the Great Recession about 20% of printers went away. Some were acquired, some merged with other firms and some just pulled the plug. There are analysts who claimed the recession culled out businesses that were...

Thanks, kinni. Excellent points, although Mr. Quadracci may be something of an exception. He knew what he was getting and had the pockets to cut a deal. And the clout and brand name to make vendors pay attention. See how it works for a guy buying one Indigo 10000, a single iGen 5, or a lone...

by Noel Ward, Editor@Large When do you think we’ll see the Last Print Trade Show? I’m not talking conferences with pipe and drape booths and pop-up backdrops. I’m thinking of the “mine’s bigger than yours” extravaganzas with high-dollar machinery beneath rotating aerial displays. Places where...

Thoughts on Marketing Through an Economic Crisis by Noel Ward, Editor@Large It is fascinating how conversations in this aberrant age change directions and how points of view evolve over phone calls or emails or text messages instead of over dinners and drinks. Some recent conversations have...

by Noel Ward, Editor@Large Somewhere in the back of your head there’s stuff you probably don’t like to admit. Like some of the operations in your shop, for instance. How many require multiple steps and even multiple people? What are those extra steps and processes really costing you? You...

By Noel Ward Editor@Large Over the past few years I’ve watched a group of transactional and direct mail printers carefully and strategically shift from monochrome toner machines to full-color toner and inkjet presses. Most banished old black-only toner boxes from their operations, but kept...

I posted this in Editorials, but it seems to fit here too. I just got off a con call with some clients that sell printing equipment and supplies throughout North America. With a bunch of people in all four U.S. time zones I think we were pushing the edges of the Go To Meeting servers, but we...

No surprises, except that the drupa press release made it look as if the postponement came more from local and governmental pressure than concern for the attendees.

By Noel Ward, Editor@Large I just got off a con call with some clients that sell printing equipment and supplies throughout North America. With a bunch of people in all four U.S. time zones I think we were pushing the edges of the Go To Meeting servers, but we got it all done. But that’s not...