End of a Decade

Woo, what a wild ride the last decade gave the reprographics industry. I thought it might be fun to look back over the last ten years and highlight some of what I thought were the most memorable or maybe the most impactful events that occurred.

• Death of the Blueprint Machine
• No More Vellums
• No Large Format Cut Sheets Inventoried
• Azon who?
• 18-22 “D” PPM LED Large Format Plain Paper Plotters
• Plotting tools like ReproDesk and PLP made Plotting more of a Commodity
• Buzzsaw Collaboration and Plans & Specs were going to eliminate the need for Reprographics
• Project Control Transferred from the Architect to the Owner’s CM or General Contractor
• Océ overtakes Xerox in Engineering Systems
• HP acquires Indigo and ColorSpan
• Death of the Monochrome Inkjet Plotter
• GSA and US Army Corp of Engineers mandates Electronic Bid Sets
• American Reprographics taken Public and Traded on NYSE "ARP"
• Introduction to On-line Plan Rooms
• IRgA issues Best Practice “ Reprographers need to charge for digital services”
• Fewer Pick-ups due to Electronic Orders
• Manufacturers introduce Lower Cost Wide Format Machines
• More FM Placements
• Design moves from 2D to 3D CAD and BIM
• Flatbed Printers and Electronic Cutters Introduced
• Decline of Centralized Printing Volumes (Distribute and Print vs Print and Distribute)
• Green Sustainability and LEEDS
• Double Digital Growth of Half Size Printing
• Smaller Print Shops
• Projects Delivery Methods Moving Toward Design Build or IPD
• Océ Merges with Canon

As you start thinking about all of the significant changes that took place in the reprographics industry over the 10 years it is important to keep in mind that change will continue to occur but at a much faster pace.

I am sure I just scratched the surface on the various changes that occurred in our industry, if you would like to add to the list please make your comments below and share your thoughts about the last 10 years.

Happy New Year


Shaun

“Are You Truly a Digital Reprographer?”

I know many of you will quickly respond with a resounding “yes” if I were to ask you: “Are you a Digital Reprographer?”

Sure, all your printers are digital, all the hardcopy originals you print are digitally converted (scanned) to electronic files but does that make you a truly digital reprographer?

I would say that some of you are not.

Why? Ask yourself and your colleagues; “what is it that we offer your customers?” Most reprographers will say “printing and other related printing services.” But a digital reprographer would say something like: “Our business serves the design and construction industry. We manage and distribute critical digital information to project teams. The information we manage is stored electronically and is distributed in a variety of mediums which can include paper, CD/DVD, email and the Internet. Our business requires huge investments in digital technologies and training so we can help our customers (owners, architects, engineers, contactors, subs and suppliers) get their critical project related information in whatever format they want it, when they want and where they want it.”

Whew. That was a mouthful, wasn’t it? But it's true.

If a customer called you today to get critical time sensitive project documents to various project team members in five cities across the North America how would you handle that request? If you are like most reprographers you would offer to print all the documents in-house and ship the packages overnight using an express shipping company like FedEx. But consider this: How much of the total revenue in the print and distribute model is going to you the reprographer and how much of the revenue is going outside of the industry and to the express shippers?

Digital reprographers offer customers an alternative (distribute and print model) which gives them the power to remote print these documents within a “community” of digital reprographers who print and deliver these documents, in many cases the same day.

The same day. In every city. For less than it would cost using tradition methods. In this distribute and print model, 100 percent of the revenue stays in the reprographics industry. Printing is priced at a premium but total costs are less than those incurred with the print and distribute model.

The “distribute and print model” is the future of the reprographics business and the principle behind a new service and technology called, simply “ishipdocs.”

ishipdocs is scheduled to be launched at the upcoming IRgA convention in Pittsburgh, PA on April 30-May 1.

To help PEiR Group members become more familiar with the concept behind this new service we hosted a webinar highlighting the key features, advantages and benefits. It was well received. So well received, in fact, that we are hosting another. If you could not make the first webinar the second will be held on Thursday April 23rd at 9 a.m. Pacific.

ishipdocs is an exciting new service that you’ll want offer your AEC and Non-AEC customers who need to distribute critical time sensitive information outside of your local market.

They save money, you make money, and a lot of the usual headaches that come with the traditional distribution model are avoided entirely (more on that later!).

To sign up click HERE.

You'll be thankful you did!


Sincerely,

Shaun Meany