SHERIDAN, WYOMING – September 29, 2024 – The printing industry is witnessing a significant shift as businesses increasingly adopt a hybrid model, expanding their product range beyond traditional offerings. While this evolution presents lucrative opportunities for growth and higher margins, it also brings forth a unique set of challenges that print businesses must navigate to ensure success.
Key Challenges in the Hybrid Model
- Pricing Complexity: Accurately calculating costs and setting prices for a diverse range of products, each with its own production techniques and materials, becomes increasingly complex. This complexity can impact cost control, pricing strategies, and overall profitability.
- Web-to-Print Integration: The rise of web-to-print platforms has revolutionized order intake, but it also presents challenges in terms of integration and automation. Manual transfer of orders and data between systems can lead to errors, delays, and customer dissatisfaction.
- Logistics and Service Management: Expanding product offerings often entails more intricate logistics, including shipping and installation services. Without a streamlined approach, businesses risk delays, incorrect deliveries, and damage to their reputation.
- Maintaining Overview and Control: As complexity grows, maintaining a clear overview of operations becomes crucial. Real-time access to data on cash flow, turnover, inventory, sales, and machine downtime is essential for informed decision-making and proactive problem-solving.
Navigating the Challenges
To thrive in this evolving landscape, print businesses need to address these challenges head-on. This involves adopting robust software solutions that can handle diverse business processes, integrate seamlessly across departments, and provide real-time insights into operations.
MultiPress: A Comprehensive Solution
Dataline's MultiPress MIS/ERP system is designed to empower print businesses in their transition to a hybrid model. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools to tackle the complexities of modern print production, including:
- Accurate and Flexible Pricing: MultiPress enables precise cost calculations and flexible pricing strategies, ensuring profitability across a diverse product range.
- Seamless Web-to-Print Integration: The system automates order processing from web-to-print platforms, eliminating manual errors and delays.
- Efficient Logistics Management: MultiPress streamlines logistics, from shipping to installation, ensuring timely delivery and customer satisfaction.
- Real-Time Data and Insights: The system provides managers with up-to-the-minute information on key performance indicators, enabling proactive decision-making and problem-solving.
Conclusion
Expanding your product range in the hybrid print model era requires a strategic approach and the right tools. By addressing the challenges of pricing, order management, logistics, and data visibility, and by leveraging solutions like MultiPress, print businesses can position themselves for continued growth and success in an increasingly competitive market.