Working the Document LifeCycle – When to Move a Job From Offset to Digital

May 5th, 2008 -- Lexington, Kentucky USA – Digital printing processes allow the document lifecycle to mirror the product lifecycle bell curve. For example, smaller volumes of marketing collateral may be required during product introduction, higher volumes during the growth and maturity stages, and smaller volumes again as product sales moderate. Book publishers can choose a short run for a promotional tour, higher volumes for the book release, and “books on demand” to avoid back order and out of stock situations.

Because quality no longer drives the workflow when making the choice to use digital printing processes instead of offset, the determining factors are more likely to be run length and processing costs.  How do service providers decide when to move print jobs from one process to another? What costs – both in time and expense – do they factor in? Are there other considerations?

WhatTheyThink.com today announced a free educational webinar: Working the Document LifeCycle – When to Move a Job From Offset to Digital, to be broadcast on Wednesday, May 14, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM Eastern Time. Gail Nickel-Kailing, managing editor of WhatTheyThink’s new Going Green blog and website and managing director of Business Strategies Etc., will moderate this event sponsored by Océ North America.

No-charge registration for this event is available at this special Internet page:
http://members.whattheythink.com/WebCasts/FrmWebinar.cfm?id=86

“As technology has evolved and improved, digitally-printed products have become nearly indistinguishable to the average user from those produced on traditional offset equipment,” said Randy Davidson, President, WhatTheyThink. “The ‘inflection point’ at which all costs are equal across both processes varies in each operation and can be a challenge to determine. This valuable session examines the calculation process and will be extremely useful for print service providers who want to offer their customers short run digital services.”

“Digital printing used to be a ‘good enough’ substitute for offset printing, however technology improvements now deliver print quality that matches traditional offset. Quality has become a non-issue! Because print service providers can offer both production processes on the same floor, they have to choose which workflow is appropriate for the job at hand,” said Gail Nickel-Kailing, Business Strategies Etc., organizer and moderator of this session. “In this session we examine the decision process that printers implement to reach the digital ‘sweet spot’ in their operation.”

Attendees are encouraged to participate in a live question and answer session during this event to get the most from the experience and will be able to view and listen to the presentation using a standard Internet browser with audio streamed via computer.

Océ N.V. is a leading international provider of digital document management technology and services. The company’s solutions are based on Océ’s advanced software applications that deliver documents and data over internal networks and the Internet to printing devices and archives -- locally and around the world. Supporting the workflow solutions are Océ digital printers and scanners, considered the most reliable and productive in the world. Océ also offers a wide range of display graphics, consulting and outsourcing solutions.

Océ employs around 24,000 people, with 2007 revenues of approximately $4.6 billion, operates in more than 90 countries and maintains research and manufacturing centers in the Netherlands, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Romania and Singapore. Océ North America revenues represented approximately half of Océ’s worldwide business in 2007, and employment is currently 11,000. For more information about Océ, visit www.oceusa.com.

WhatTheyThink is the printing and publishing industry's leading online media organization; offering a wide range of publications delivering unbiased, real-time market intelligence, industry news, economic and trend analysis, peer-to-peer communication, and special reports on emerging technology and critical events. Serving a membership base of more than 50,000, WhatTheyThink also hosts webinars and live events as well as providing content through a syndication program, which delivers content directly to related websites and through RSS. To learn more go to: www.whattheythink.com.

A business advisor and problem solver, Gail Nickel-Kailing, Managing Director of Business Strategies Etc., provides business counsel and marketing assistance to companies seeking to increase profits and revenues and reduce costs through business process improvement and implementation of information or workflow management systems.

Through Business Strategies Etc. she offers services such as marketing planning and management, business and product development, and other support services for national and international clients.

More than 25 years of independent consulting, adjunct executive services, and senior positions in a variety of technology and service companies including the US Postal Service, have given her hands-on experience and insight into the challenges of designing, producing, and distributing marketing collateral, direct mail, and other communication documents.

Ms. Nickel-Kailing, also Managing Editor of Going Green, WhatTheyThink’s new blog and website, is a nationally recognized speaker on a wide range of subjects and brings enthusiasm and a unique blend of experience to the podium. As an industry analyst and journalist contributing to publications in the US, Canada, India, and Brazil, Gail has covered a number of “beats,” particularly printing and mailing, including print on demand, variable data printing, and direct mail.

Gail Nickel-Kailing can be reached at gail@whattheythink.com or visit www.business-strategies-etc.com.

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