If you can get something done in 10 minutes while your competitor spends 45, you’re going to outperform that competitor. This is nowhere more true than in the print industry.
Here are five ways print service providers can improve their operational efficiency:
1 Ensure effective data management
Production visibility rises and falls on an organisation’s ability to collect and analyse data. Effective collection and analysis of data can deliver a granular level understanding or a bigger picture view.
2 Enhance visibility
Which is more operationally efficient: making decisions on last week’s (or last month’s…or last year’s) data, or basing operational decisions on real time data analysis? With access to the latest data, wherever you are, and even actionable analysis of that data, the right decisions can be made faster, workflows can be optimised, and agility on the ground can be enhanced.
3 Accurately understand data
To better understand where improvements should be made requires greater visibility and comprehensive data collection. But you still need that data to make sense to human decision-makers. Without effective data visualisation, raw numbers may not be enough to create both understanding and buy-in.
4 Efficiently evaluate performance
Data is at its most valuable when it is put into context. That is why performance evaluation is vital. Comparing actual versus historical throughput data can show how operational efficiency has changed over time.
5 Plan in scalability
Scalability is vital. If you acquire or expand into new markets and this increased workload is not correctly supported, it can cause operational blockages.
With detailed insights like these, organizations can identify weak points in their print operations. They can then optimize identified processes and assets to enhance operational performance and excellence. The right enterprise workflow management platform is the key that unlocks this.
A vendor neutral solution with an open architecture design can work with multiple devices for greater flexibility. This powerful combination of comprehensive data collection and actionable analysis at every level, provides powerful insights that drive better purchasing decisions.
Juergen Krebs is software sales manager, Ricoh Graphic Communications, Ricoh Europe.
