noelward
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How Resilient Are You?
By Noel Ward, Editor@Large
If you are the proud owner of a digital press you have probably wrestled with the best way of servicing the beast that takes up an inordinate amount of floor space while pulling a monthly nut out of your checking account.
While far more reliable than some predecessors, these machines require a bit more care and feeding than did many offset presses. Some of the newest devices change the game further by increasing reliability and throughput creating the illusion of not needing much care. But neither reliability nor throughput outpace the need for service. It is service that ultimately delivers the reliability and throughput that you need.
For printing, it comes down to setting your business up to succeed by taking control of predictable costs. There are three primary ways of doing this with respect to your digital presses.
If you have low volume on these boxes, say rarely exceeding 80% of the machine’s rated monthly print volume, you are probably getting service from the vendor who may think of it as being in an office somewhere. S/he drops by once a month, runs an electronic test to see if there is anything to worry about, makes a minor adjustment or two, maybe adds some toner or paper, grabs a free cup of your coffee, and leaves. Nice work if you can get it.
Three Arrows
On the other hand, maybe you’re regularly exceeding the average monthly print volume. The tech sees this and probably knows you’re not a candidate for a more capable machine, but is beginning to worry about what your volume means for the device he services. S/he may have talked with you about your volume levels and pointed out that some components are beginning to show their age. Another worry is about how to keep you running as your machine ages. The tech knows you have about a year left on your lease. S /he raises the topic of service plans, beginning with talking about “operational resilience,” the ability to keep running even when a factory-trained tech is not available. There are three arrows in this quiver.
The first is the sales guy, who mostly wants to sell more iron. In your case this means another machine like you have or one a level up. But the service tech has told him all about your shop so the sales rep may not think of you as a hot prospect.
The next arrow is DIY, which leaves you and your team taking over service. All those involved would have to go through a lot of training and you’d need to buy a lot of parts. Doing all the service, your tech tells you, is not simple and the training alone will cost you time and money. Then you have to buy a lot of parts. The benefit is that your team will be able to handle anything that arises on your printer. But is that necessary?
The third is the hybrid choice in which you and the vendor share responsibility. This is not uncommon although details may vary significantly. Much of the routine maintenance and repair would be done internally by someone on your team, which has to know how to diagnose a problem and when to step back and let the pros take over. There is usually an upfront spend for parts but the OEM can tell you what makes sense based on the model and age of your machine(s) and the total click count. The plus is that you gain the ability to do many repairs quickly. It’s little bit like if you’re a good car mechanic but when know which jobs are better being done by a pro.
This usually entails an agreement between an equipment vendor and a printer specifying which work will be carried out by each party. There can be some leeway on these. The complexity of much equipment normally requires the training (both online and hands-on) of a printer’s technician. This allows shops to handle many routine repairs internally and reduce dependence on a vendor. While reducing some costs, this can be especially advantageous in terms of operational efficiency. Being able to do much of maintenance and repair in-house certainly offers some advantages but arrives with a host of frequently updated training requirements, a list of expectations, and more
The AI Influence
As you probably expect, AI is changing the game. It’s easy to make general predictions, such as Part F on your printer will reach end of life in two months. This gives techs a heads-up so the right part is in the truck. Instead, AI looks at your entire machine so it can make a prediction based on your run-rate. It may tell you Part F will need to be replaced sooner than planned and it’s shortened life influences Part L, which should be replaced at the same time. The tech may know this, and your home-grown tech may also get this info via AI. Both replacing Part L is more involved and that it’s not a part you have on hand. This makes the repair something to plan for, such as doing the work when the machine will not be in use, perhaps on a weekend. No matter who does the work the parts need replacing and some shops may appreciate the flexibility of when the work is done. As you have doubtless discovered, machines can go south when they are most needed. There is not always a second uncommitted printer ready if one goes down. But having a choice can provide the flexibility needed for vendor and print provider alike. For what it’s worth, AI is already doing such predictions with office technology and providing the info it gleans to dealers. Be sure to ask if your vendors offer AI-driven predictive capabilities
Who Does the Work?
Not all shops have a staffer ready to get elbows deep in a device so you may have to find a good tech from outside your walls. This makes a key managerial question being whether to hire based on experience or aptitude. The former can be useful but it can be difficult to fully know why someone left another job. In contrast, aptitude is a mix of mechanical and technical interest and ability that can be readily apparent in good techs. It is the ability to evaluate electro-mechanical-software details to determine a problem and arrive at a solution. Prospects with the right aptitude can ask smart questions and usually get device-specific hands-on training from the vendor.
The choice of vendor, DIY or hybrid service depends on your team, your vendor, the demands of your workflow, and more. Consider all the needs and what makes sense for your business. And at the end of the day it is not a final decision. You can always go always go back and find a better path forward that suits the needs of your business.
By Noel Ward, Editor@Large
If you are the proud owner of a digital press you have probably wrestled with the best way of servicing the beast that takes up an inordinate amount of floor space while pulling a monthly nut out of your checking account.
While far more reliable than some predecessors, these machines require a bit more care and feeding than did many offset presses. Some of the newest devices change the game further by increasing reliability and throughput creating the illusion of not needing much care. But neither reliability nor throughput outpace the need for service. It is service that ultimately delivers the reliability and throughput that you need.
For printing, it comes down to setting your business up to succeed by taking control of predictable costs. There are three primary ways of doing this with respect to your digital presses.
If you have low volume on these boxes, say rarely exceeding 80% of the machine’s rated monthly print volume, you are probably getting service from the vendor who may think of it as being in an office somewhere. S/he drops by once a month, runs an electronic test to see if there is anything to worry about, makes a minor adjustment or two, maybe adds some toner or paper, grabs a free cup of your coffee, and leaves. Nice work if you can get it.
Three Arrows
On the other hand, maybe you’re regularly exceeding the average monthly print volume. The tech sees this and probably knows you’re not a candidate for a more capable machine, but is beginning to worry about what your volume means for the device he services. S/he may have talked with you about your volume levels and pointed out that some components are beginning to show their age. Another worry is about how to keep you running as your machine ages. The tech knows you have about a year left on your lease. S /he raises the topic of service plans, beginning with talking about “operational resilience,” the ability to keep running even when a factory-trained tech is not available. There are three arrows in this quiver.
The first is the sales guy, who mostly wants to sell more iron. In your case this means another machine like you have or one a level up. But the service tech has told him all about your shop so the sales rep may not think of you as a hot prospect.
The next arrow is DIY, which leaves you and your team taking over service. All those involved would have to go through a lot of training and you’d need to buy a lot of parts. Doing all the service, your tech tells you, is not simple and the training alone will cost you time and money. Then you have to buy a lot of parts. The benefit is that your team will be able to handle anything that arises on your printer. But is that necessary?
The third is the hybrid choice in which you and the vendor share responsibility. This is not uncommon although details may vary significantly. Much of the routine maintenance and repair would be done internally by someone on your team, which has to know how to diagnose a problem and when to step back and let the pros take over. There is usually an upfront spend for parts but the OEM can tell you what makes sense based on the model and age of your machine(s) and the total click count. The plus is that you gain the ability to do many repairs quickly. It’s little bit like if you’re a good car mechanic but when know which jobs are better being done by a pro.
This usually entails an agreement between an equipment vendor and a printer specifying which work will be carried out by each party. There can be some leeway on these. The complexity of much equipment normally requires the training (both online and hands-on) of a printer’s technician. This allows shops to handle many routine repairs internally and reduce dependence on a vendor. While reducing some costs, this can be especially advantageous in terms of operational efficiency. Being able to do much of maintenance and repair in-house certainly offers some advantages but arrives with a host of frequently updated training requirements, a list of expectations, and more
The AI Influence
As you probably expect, AI is changing the game. It’s easy to make general predictions, such as Part F on your printer will reach end of life in two months. This gives techs a heads-up so the right part is in the truck. Instead, AI looks at your entire machine so it can make a prediction based on your run-rate. It may tell you Part F will need to be replaced sooner than planned and it’s shortened life influences Part L, which should be replaced at the same time. The tech may know this, and your home-grown tech may also get this info via AI. Both replacing Part L is more involved and that it’s not a part you have on hand. This makes the repair something to plan for, such as doing the work when the machine will not be in use, perhaps on a weekend. No matter who does the work the parts need replacing and some shops may appreciate the flexibility of when the work is done. As you have doubtless discovered, machines can go south when they are most needed. There is not always a second uncommitted printer ready if one goes down. But having a choice can provide the flexibility needed for vendor and print provider alike. For what it’s worth, AI is already doing such predictions with office technology and providing the info it gleans to dealers. Be sure to ask if your vendors offer AI-driven predictive capabilities
Who Does the Work?
Not all shops have a staffer ready to get elbows deep in a device so you may have to find a good tech from outside your walls. This makes a key managerial question being whether to hire based on experience or aptitude. The former can be useful but it can be difficult to fully know why someone left another job. In contrast, aptitude is a mix of mechanical and technical interest and ability that can be readily apparent in good techs. It is the ability to evaluate electro-mechanical-software details to determine a problem and arrive at a solution. Prospects with the right aptitude can ask smart questions and usually get device-specific hands-on training from the vendor.
The choice of vendor, DIY or hybrid service depends on your team, your vendor, the demands of your workflow, and more. Consider all the needs and what makes sense for your business. And at the end of the day it is not a final decision. You can always go always go back and find a better path forward that suits the needs of your business.
