Widthwise 2024
We asked two print chiefs for their first-hand feedback on the highs and lows of running a large-format print business in today’s market. Here’s what they had to say…
R
unning a print business in a competitive market can be a difficult and lonely place. As we are a trade printer we don’t deal with the end user - we’re oſten not privy to a
schedule of works so don’t know what will be coming in ahead of time. Tis makes it difficult to manage, schedules, stock and staffing levels - where our real pain can be. We can come into what looks like it’s going to be a quiet week, to not being able to fit anything into the schedule and vice versa. Tis is an issue for us that we have tried to resolve by speaking with our clients - to get more information about the level of work they believe they will get in on bigger projects, but this can also backfire. Aſter Covid we were hit with the energy
crisis. Not only were our clients struggling with energy prices, but our client’s clients were. As a trade supplier, with most of our business coming from signage and exhi- bition companies, we rely quite heavily on retail. Many retailers were hit with big increases in their energy bills which they hadn’t budgeted for, so pulled rebrands etc. We were the last in the chain to find out about this, so the preparatory work we had done to get set up for the rebrands was lost. One of the main pain points for me
is MIS and scheduling systems. We’ve tried a variety and are still using Excel to schedule. We’re not the only ones - I’ve been to several print and signage compa- nies that are doing the same thing. I think the problem in wide-format and signage is that lead-times are short and everything changes so quickly. I’ve not yet found a system that can cope with but I’m hopeful that one day I will. Another pain is when machinery
breaks down, especially in a tightly filled schedule. It takes a lot of rescheduling and sometimes moving clients’ jobs back if we can’t get the kit back up and running quickly. Happily, we’re lucky to have great
rects me now and tells me that ‘no, RMC printed that’. Whenever anyone new joins our team I tell them they’ll be showing their friends and family prints they were involved in no time. Tey tend to look at me like I’m mad then a few months in I’ll get a photo of a retail park showing me how good something they helped produce looks. It’s also an exciting market to work in,
From Nicole Spencer Managing director, RMC Digital Print
with new technology and innovation at the forefront of the industry. Tere’s nothing better than getting lost at a trade show and finding something you’ve never seen before. I also love visiting other companies to see what they’re doing and what equip- ment they’re using. I’ve been to all sorts of print factories outside of my market to see litho, label printing, pad printing and 3D manufacturing. It’s a fantastic industry to work in as it’s very visual and with the fast-paced environment no two days are the same. Even production problems add to that excitement - once they’re solved of course. At the time is doesn’t feel exciting. It feels very painful. We’re lucky to have some loyal long-
One of the main pain
points for me is MIS and scheduling systems
team here, with some knowledgeable and technical people that can usually get prob- lems fixed swiſtly - or to get an engineer to come out so we’re back on schedule fast. One of the best things about running a
print business is getting to see your work all over the country. I’m constantly telling my daughter that ‘I printed that’ - but she was disappointed on a recent visit to the company to learn that I don’t actually print anything personally. So she cor-
standing customers that we’ve developed good relationships over the years. Positive feedback from them is invaluable and creates a buzz around the team. Especially on tricky jobs that have caused a few issues in production. It’s worth all of the pain to know that our clients are happy and to see a job well done. So, I started with saying it can be a
difficult and lonely place to be running a business in our market. Tat’s where Fespa UK has helped me. Being part of the Fespa community, both in the UK and part of the larger global family, has given me the opportunity to speak with other like-minded people, to talk through ideas and some of our mutual pain and pleasure points. It’s amazing that we’ve all got similar stories to tell and can help each other through our combined experience. I’ve met some fantastic people throughout my career in print.
www.imagereports.co.uk | Widthwise 2024 | 21
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