"Cloud Printing Services" Reprographics on the Cloud

The economy has had a major impact on the AEC industry over the last couple of years and as a result has forced many AEC firms to change the way they do business. The Great Recession has been a wake-up call for almost all firms in the Design and Construction Industry. Companies have been pressured to reevaluate their core competencies, work behaviors and workflow processes; all with the intent to keep costs down, increase productivity and stay alive.

While most AEC businesses are cutting costs many are looking for project opportunities outside of their traditional geographic areas. As your customers become more digitally savvy and begin to realize the power and efficiencies of using the Internet (Cloud) as a cost effective means of sharing and distributing project information the need for traditional local reprographic printing is going to continue to contract. Your customers will use the cloud to participate and manage projects anywhere in the world.

What does this mean for the future of reprographics? You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to project the impact this change in behavior will have on your current and future revenues. The basic premise that many of you began your reprographics business (production equipment offering centralized production printing and distribution) is being challenged on a variety of fronts.

First, clients are working with application software to create digital documents and they are sending print ready files (emailing or FTPing PDF files) out for distribution-- diminishing the demand for traditional production volumes of reprographic services like scanning, copying and printing.

Secondly, printer manufacturers continue to introduce low cost MFP devices (both LF and SF) with the goal of having convenience MFP’s in all firms of any size; again further eroding the demand for centralized production printing.

Thirdly, the advent of widely available mobile devices with interactive displays and significant computing power has redefined how people request and receive documents and marketing collateral, but has not eliminated their need for relevant printed materials (Garner). This last challenge should actually be viewed by reprographers as an opportunity.

The fact that printing will still be demanded is a good thing. The problem is, it may not be printed in the volumes of the the past or in your repro shop at all but; rather at the customer’s office or maybe in some repro shop across the country or across the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.

So, in order to address this new paradigm shift, reprographers need to think about the opportunities to provide some type of Cloud Printing Services.

Cloud Printing Services (CPS) is a buzz word that you might want to start introducing to your customers. According to Gartner, Cloud Printing will grow to a multi-billion dollar industry in the US alone. If you want to ride the wave and let your customers leverage the power of the Cloud you should promote digital document distribution and cloud printing to your customers.

Here is what Gartner is saying about Cloud Printing.

“Cloud printing services (CPS), driven by the commoditization of print and the growth of electronic communications, has changed how, when and where people access print. CPS's "anywhere, anytime access" will drive rapid acceptance by global 1,000 companies. Print technology providers must anticipate the reduction in print volumes as pages transition to video and voice messaging by partnering with the leading players in unified communications and collaboration (UCC) to provide users with a complete solution that includes context-enriched content.”

Summary

To help our members and other reprographers position their businesses on the Cloud the PEiR Group has been busy developing Cloud Solutions for the AEC market that can be marketed by the Reprographics Industry. The solutions involve Cloud Computing Technologies (PlanWell Enterprise, PlanWell Collaborate SubHub and iShipDocs) education and training (best practices for sales and production personnel) and professional services (support , customization, advanced training and consulting).

If you are interested in knowing more about Cloud Printing Services click here  for our whitepaper.

Thanks ….Shaun

What's YOUR Service Offering? Fast Food Or Fine Dining?

By Mahil Maurice
Special To The PEiR Group

Today, printing has become a commodity and only a subset of a greater service offering. Customers are looking for solutions to augment their bottom line either by cutting costs, creating more revenue through sales, or through a combination of the two approaches.

Printing Companies and Reprographers are under increasing pressure to be responsive to customer needs and find it difficult to compete in a digital age where Cutting-Edge Solutions and Impeccable Service go hand in hand.

Our industry prides itself in providing outstanding services to its customers. One wonders how a small reprographer can upgrade to the latest technology and still provide the services levels required to effectively compete.

Two primary areas where changes need to take place are ‘Work Flow’ and ‘Technology.’ Together, these need to drive adequate compensation for the services provided.

Both Work Flow and Technology go hand in hand and can be discussed in the same breath. Customers want the fastest and easiest ways to send files (content) and track delivery of those files. And the preferred medium is the Internet.

Digital methods of file delivery like FTP (File Transfer Protocol) developed in the 1970s were not designed to meet today’s requirements of optimal work flow and fast delivery of large digital files anywhere in the world. Strong consideration must be given to replacing FTP and email technologies with more nimble and robust Web Based File Delivery and Work Flow Tools.

What is your service offering? A Fast Food menu or a Fine Dining experience? FTP or Digital Work Flow?

FTP is complicated and outdated technology, for these and other reasons:

• Too cumbersome to set up, administer and time consuming for IT – With FTP, time must be devoted to setting up the hardware and software after which maintenance involves managing new users, managing credentials, setting up folder structures for projects and helping users locate files and download them. This is time that could be devoted to more productive activities by your IT staff.
• Weak Security – Data transferred via FTP can be intercepted. As a result many firewalls actually close it to ensure system integrity. Because of the open nature of FTP, an organization’s infrastructure is susceptible to viruses and malware attacks.
• Lack of Track ability and Delivery Guarantee – Track ability and delivery guarantee are vital when business critical files (content) are being delivered and FTP does not provide this. Files may be incompletely transferred if it is interrupted or stopped. End users need to know the files were received and opened by the intended recipient.

With FTP you provide a “Fast Food” menu for your customers, not a superlative service experience!

Ask yourself, is your customer ready for a fine dining experience and are you committed to providing that level of service to them?

Consider ishipdocs as the “Work Flow” tool of choice to provide a superlative service experience. The cost of subscribing to ishipdocs is less than purchasing and maintaining a FTP solution. With ishipdocs, you get;

• Software as a Service (SaaS) – Sign-up as a Print Provider and start using the solution instantly. No infrastructure, software or maintenance costs. You are up and running instantly, the essence of SaaS. Your IT personnel can be doing other things.
• Highest Security Levels - The widely used “HTTPS” protocol. This is http over encrypted SSL (Security Sockets layer). This protocol is widely used for payment transactions on the web and for sensitive transactions in corporate information systems.
• Closed Looped Work Flow Manager – No more setting up folders or helping users locate files. One Web-based tool allows files to be sent, provisioned and fulfilled for the customer and the print partner.
• Track ability and Proof of Delivery – Both customers and print partners can track an order and obtain Proof of Delivery through the tool.
• Business Intelligence – Both customers and print partners can sort and export data into Excel and CSV for Business Intelligence, Auditing and Reporting purposes.

With ishipdocs you can provide that “Fine Dining” experience you customer is looking for at a fraction of the cost of an FTP solution and effectively compete in the digital age with a web based Work Flow Manager.

In addition, a print partner instantly becomes a Global player with access to over 350 locations world wide. This completes the fine dining experience with your dessert of choice! You can distribute and receive files from and to Anywhere, Anytime!

The Reprographics industry prides itself on providing outstanding service to its customers however it cannot be achieved with obsolete FTP solutions. ishipdocs, with its robust Work Flow Manager and World Wide Reach is the solution that will enable a Reprographer/Print Partner to provide that Fine Dining experience.

ishipdocs Client Seats - Be Sure To Make Use Of Them

For those PEiR members who have taken advantage of the 90 day free trial of ishipdocs, have you implemented the five “Client Seats” that are part of the trial?

The client seats can lock in your customer, as well as save you and your customers time and money.

You just assign a client seat to a customer, then they will be able to send you files faster and more secure than through FTP.

The customer has an order number at their finger tips and can get the status of their order online without making a phone call. How much time do you spend handling phone calls to give the status of an order each day?

If you have any question on the “Client Seats” call The PEiR Group today at 925 658-0200.

Chalk Up Another Win For ishipdocs - Are You Using It?

Need an example of how ishipdocs can pull off a minor miracle for you and your team? Well, there's a reprographer in Houston who found the power in the offering recently - and is glad he did.

“A very good client of ours was in a rush to get a Duratrans printed and shipped to San Francisco overnight," says our hero. "At first, I thought about the traditional methods, but then I thought about using ishipdocs."

The reprographer went to the ishipdocs site, typed in the address and found the closest location of a partnering shop which, as it happens, was less than a mile from where his client was staying. That's when the light bulb went off in his head.

“I called and asked if they could print Duratrans and when they said they could, I sent them the file and they had it done and delivered within two hours,” he says. “I cannot see how anyone else could have done this and it was an added surprise to my client when it was delivered that soon.”

Steady revenue, higher customer satisfaction... miracle wins for your firm. If you're using ishipdocs, you're one of the smart ones. If you're not, why not?

Reprographers Turn To ishipdocs To "Ship Digitally," Business Remains Brisk

Point of View has talked about ishipdocs and what it can mean to firms who need to ship their documents digitally to far off locales. Those who use it call the application a "win win," with the client saving money and the reprographer capturing revenue from the job - as well as repeat business once clients realize how effective a service ishipdocs really is.

Rationale for using the model ranges from its speed to a desire to get around long customs lines, airports and the shipping chokepoints most commonly associated with traditional shipping methods.

In several cases, reprographers who signed up for the application have had jobs waiting for them upon their return to the office - and a whole new revenue stream open to their shops.

Who's using it? Check the list below, you may recognize some of the names:

Company,Country and No. of Jobs to Date
Air Graphics 1
Demaille France 3
FIS Japan Japan 1
Group Momentum Australia 1
Les Poly Quebec 5
Maxicopias Mexico 2
MS Dallas 3
Perkinson 1
Precision Blue 2
Profiman Dubai 3
Reprographic Technologies 1
Rotolite Elliot 1

ishipdocs Free Trial Deadline Extended!

The ishipdocs 90 day Free Trial sign-up has been extended to June 3oth, 2009 for all interested PEiR Members

If you have any questions regarding this innovative approach to sending your documents to the far corners of the planet - without customs delays or the lasting carbon footprint of more traditional shipping methods - please call the PEiR Group at 925 658-0200

To sign-up for ishipdocs go HERE.

“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

Mark Your Calendar: The PEiR Group ishipdocs Webinar April 23, 2009 - Encore Presentation

Position your Reprographics Business as a Digital Document Distribution Company using our latest technology solution: ishipdocs. Stop generating revenues for FedEx and all the rest and generate new revenues for the reprographics industry.

Please join us for an online demonstration of ishipdocs, the web-based solution that gives reprographers the power to send documents anywhere in the world and have them printed locally (where ever that may be) - in many cases the same day.

Learn how to save your client time and money, cut down on carbon emissions, beat the delays imposed by customs checks and other fulfillment issues. The future is here.

When: April 23, 2009
Time: 9:00am Pacific

Register HERE.

For more information call the PEiR Group office at 925-658-0200 or email us by clicking HERE.