The production print segment is constantly evolving. Every few months new products are introduced that promise improved quality, productivity, and profit margin. Keeping up with the velocity of change in this segment could be a full-time job in itself. At Virginia Business Systems (VBS), our Commercial and Industrial Print (CIP) customers depend on us to cut through the noise and chatter to provide best-in-class monochrome printers, color digital presses, wide format devices, inline and offline finishing, and production level software solutions that add tangible value for print-for-pay establishments as well as corporate in-plant operations.
At VBS the CIP segment has been a focus area for us for the past several years. As such, we have added people to our organization who have specific CIP and Production Print experience and expertise. This has led to a significant expansion of our CIP offerings so our customers in this critical vertical market have a wide array of choices from companies like Konica Minolta, Xerox, HP, KIP, EFI, RSA and MBM to name a few.
Our team of CIP experts have identified the following growing industry trends:
The ability to add 5th and 6th specialty colors, along with white and clear toners has created new application opportunities for CRD operations, and new revenue streams for commercial printers and other print-for-pay operations. Be sure to ask your VBS sales rep about this versatile option. The Konica Minolta AccurioShine allows users to add high-value foil embellishments quickly and easily.
Workflow automation software from companies like EFI and RSA allows organizations to automate repetitive tasks like imposition, file conversion, and pagination to save time and labor, and to eliminate human error. Improve throughput and increase profits with workflow automation.
Transpromotional printing (a blend of transactional and promotional output) also known as “Transpromo” printing continues to grow. Most transactional printing ends up being bills and statements that are mailed to recipients. Bills and statements have open rates in excess of 95%, making them a valuable channel for related or co-branded products and services. A good example might be a mortgage payment statement that also contains advertisements for home improvement, home security, or pest removal services.
Inline finishing has come a long way since corner stapling and hole punching. In the CIP space, the ability to produce completely finished products like full-bleed saddle-stitched booklets can cut huge chunks of time and labor off of the production schedule. Look for devices that offer “carton ready” finishing capabilities, such as KM’s new C4080 Color Digital Press.
One way that VBS can integrate traditional managed print services with the requirements of a production facility or in-plant print operation (CRD) is through a hybrid solution we call PMPS. PMPS allows for an all-encompassing facilities management service that would include hardware and supplies management, workflow optimization, training, operations support, and labor. Contact your VBS CIP Specialist for details.
As the print industry undergoes rapid technological and business changes, commercial and in-plant print operations can improve efficiency and profitability, work smarter, and provide even greater value to their customers.
If you are interested in learning more about the latest CIP and Production Printing offerings, please contact your VBS sales rep today!