Control and adaptation– countdown to success with Quote & Print

Bedding in new technology is like getting a plane into the air. There are rules and requirements for a successful launch. Dave Bell revisits more innocent experiences to draw lessons for today.

A childhood memory for us all is probably flying paper aeroplanes and the feeling of frustration when they did not hit the target, or even go in the direction we had planned. Of course this was well balanced by the thrill and pride when they did.

To enable those planes to hit the target required a getting of wisdom of us. It meant we had to learn such things as gauging the wind direction, having someone who can do it show us how to aim, and essentially having confidence in the plane. Then there were the things we had no control over – cross winds, sudden showers of rain and mates who delighted in jumping up and grounding our planes.

How a company takes on a new technology has parallels to our paper plane experiences. There are some areas we have control over and others, usually client related, that we don’t.

It is vital to be aware of the changes in the market, know what benefits we want to achieve and be confident in the product we are using, before it becomes critical to our profit.

Unfortunately, in relation to online ordering, often the decision and implementation of a new system is a knee jerk reaction as an existing client’s tender comes up for renewal or a potential new client insists that all ordering must be online if you want their work. This means the printer is forced into action without considering the best options for the business and without having the confidence in the product to meet the customers’ needs and handle the extra work efficiently and profitably.

So what can you do to get this plane in the air?

Control what you can

• Accept that if other manufacturing and service industries are a guide, the ability for clients to interact with their suppliers over the web is a requirement now of many clients and will be the norm within 12 months. For printers this means their customers will want to order stock or jobs online and view the status of those same jobs online.
  
• Implement an integrated software package, or additional integrated modules, to handle this. Choose a system that is proven in the market BEFORE it is critical to the ongoing profitability of your business.
  
• Identify the functions and determine that will best sit with your company goals so that those internet services you provide are profitable for your business.
  
• Identify an existing customer who will gain some real benefits by using online ordering or production tracking.
  
• Use the skills and knowledge of the software providers who have implemented successful online systems, to plan and set up the data needed to show the initial client the benefits to his business and your relationship.
  
• Work with that customer and use the implementation as the learning process for both you and your staff so you have confidence and understand the capabilities and flexibility of the system.
  
• Use that initial user and any that follow as reference points for existing and potential clients. It has been an integral part of the success for new tenders that they are able to speak with existing companies using the technology.

Adapt to what you can’t control

While you cannot always control the direction your customers will take, whether they will stay with you or look for an alternative supplier, if you have a good relationship with them and have a proven online system in which you have confidence, then there is more chance of getting to the target