Understanding change and culture

I read Malcolm Gladwell’s book the Outliersearlier this year.  I found Gladwell’s previous books fascinating and the Outliers doubly so, especially with the cultural changes we have been working on within our company and the cultural changes newspaper companies in general will need to make in order to remain viable.

The changes our compnay is going through are tough, developing new ways of gathering content and organizing product development are not easy, there is no well-outlined path to follow.  Along the way we understand that there will be plenty of observers waiting to see what happens, we hope that observers will be more willing to engage in the process with us, possibly offering their expertise on issues within the geographical community and their communities of interest. 

 We will continue to solicit feedback from employees and customers to help us shape the road map to our vision.  We welcome outside observers helping us to see where our previous cultural boundaries may be holding us back.  As I have stated to our employees on many occasions – this is the most challenging time to be in the newspaper industry.  I welcome the opportunity to be part of this cultural shift!

MIS system update

I have sadly neglected keeping my blog updated on happenings at Color Web Printers.  We have been very busy with some big changes in many areas of our business.

One of the biggest changes is the Prism Management Information System (MIS) http://www.prism-world.com/ we’re in the process of installing.  The system will impact every process from estimating, scheduling, production data tracking and invoicing.  The system also includes a robust accounting system that includes inventory modules.

The reporting capabilities are exciting because of the real time information we will be able to offer both staff and customers and the ability to review our internal processes.  For our staff they will be able to understand immediately if they are on target to acheive the production metrics for each project.  Staff focus on production metrics that include waste, throughput and cost per 1000 impressions (press) or inserts (packaging and mailing).  These metrics help our staff discern issues with equipment, product or processes and helps them to self correct.  Right now we self correct after the fact – our reports are done manually and review of projects requires time spent in discussions, review of operational reports, etc.  Our goal is to allow crews to diagnose and/or correct during the production run.

For our customers we intend to provide a clearer picture of all the elements of their product, costs and delivery performance.

We are currently supplying data to Prism for system configuration and making decisions on workflow within the system.  We challenge ourselves on a regular basis to review the workflow processes within Prism and how we might adapt to those workflows versus creating our old workflows on the system.  We intend to utilize the system’s robust functionality versus miring down the functionality with customization.

I will keep commercial customers posted on our progress . . .

Live blog on Gazette Communications reorganization

Chuck Peters, CEO of Gazette Communications (parent company of Color Web Printers),  Steve Buttry from our content group and Lyle Muller the new brand editor for The Gazette are currently answering questions regarding our company’s reorganization live at http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090224/NEWS/902249974/1001/NEWS

Understanding the new role of social media in newspapers

Our company has been reorganizing to increase our ability to provide a full gamut of newspaper services both within our east central Iowa region and nationally.  One of the organizational changes has been moving the ad production, pagination and toning staff to Color Web Printers in early 2009.  Color Web Printers will now be adding these services for all of our commercial customers, this is an exciting expansion for us!   

In addition Color Web Printers will be developing technologies and services that will increase the number of media channels we can offer well beyond print.  We will be approaching the development of commercial (advertising) content not with the thought of preparing it for a specific product but from the perspective of what audience is our customer trying to reach and then utilize the media channels that best puts the commercial message in front of the desired audience. 

I am the first to admit that I’m newer to the world of social media.  This year I’ve explored Facebook, Linkedin and more recently Twitter.  I’m starting to understand more of their potential and get very excited about what we will be able to offer to customers.  A commercial customer can target their audience with a multi-channel approach with a much farther and more personal and relevant reach that complements their printed products.  There are significant economic opportunities in social media and we are open to the new world that’s emerging and the opportunities it brings . . .   http://bit.ly/QRCT.

We can’t do the same thing and expect different results . . .

That standard phrase defining insanity:  trying to do the same thing and expecting different results . . .   In October of this year, we added The Waterloo Courier as a commercial customer.  The process of assimilating another newspaper has been both challenging and rewarding.  The most recent challenge has been assimilating holiday production for two newspapers.  We are getting through the peak of demand on our production systems, while we realized that we must do things differently we’re still discovering and adjusting.  The positive aspect has been a change in our ability to be flexible and adaptive, but this has also illustrated the need to work to clearer goals to the front line staff.  Rather than assigning work, we need to engage all staff in the process of understanding the overall goals, proirities and product tolerances for each customer and establish boundaries on what decisions the front line staff can make and the impact of those decisions. 

We are in the beginning stages of implementing Prism’s MIS system, which will link into our key production systems and link our staff to production goals for each job.  This will be a significant tool, but in the meantime our goal is to increase decision making by the front line staff and change the current environment of  managers feeding decisions to supervisors and staff.  Managers are currently spending more time on the production floor walking through all processes with the staff and identifying areas where staff do not have enough information to make effective decisions.  Our staff shows a strong willingness to engage in this process, the biggest challenge is trying to keep managers focused on training staff and clarifying expectations of staff while also engaging in changing processes to adapt to the significant change in work flow.

Human nature being what it is, when the stakes are high most prefer to operate in an environment where risk is mitigated.  As a business we need to get our arms around producing multiple daily publications in a cost effective manner, meeting deadline and quality expectations with a much higher degree of flexibility.  That means being a more transparent and collaborative with our customers on our processes, understand their goals and priorities even better and offering clearer quantification of the abililties of our systems and processes.  

 There is no doubt that we value the added business and that this type of business aligns with our core values, newspapers are relevant to a community.  While newspapers must change how they do business the printed newspaper still is a viable and necessary component of providing service to a community.  We as the printer and packager of newspapers have to do business differently to support the emerging needs of our customers and the new business models our customers will be adapting.

Starting the long recovery . . .

Most people are now aware of the June 2008 record flooding in Cedar Rapids.  Our plant was not affected although 16 of our employees are now in the process of cleaning up their homes or awaiting word to see if they will be able to rebuild.  At our plant we were not only able to maintain printing and distribution of the Cedar Rapids newspaper, we also took on the emergency printing of the Waterloo Courier for 9 days.  Our employees came to work, even though they were living with family or in hotel rooms.  Their attitude was there wasn’t anything they could do to control the flood but they could come to work and make sure the news was getting out to others in our community and in Waterloo. Since then I have been approached almost on a daily basis by subscribers who were shocked that we were able to put their newspaper on their doorstep each morning and how vital the updates in the newspaper were to each of them.  In Cedar Rapids over 1500 Gazette subscribers were flooded out, we have been holding their newspapers and making a herculean effort to locate each and every one to continue their service.  Our employees are proud to have been a part of maintaining the quality of delivery for our newspaper customers and for our commercial customers.  I am humbled by our employees’ dedication and the effort they put forth to maintain business as normal and proud to work side by side with them!

Industry Impressions

In the past month I have attended two major printing conferences.  The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) coordinates the NEXPO conference which was held in Washington D.C. this year.  Print Industries of America and the Graphic Arts Technology Foundation (PIA/GATF) recently held the Web Offset Association conference in Schaumburg, Illinois.  Attendance at both conferences was less than in the past, especially NEXPO.  But, both industries have opportunities for continued growth.  Both industries need to look at their operational models and adapt customer advocacy as a business driver.

In the newspaper industry it is a time to re-think the old model of pushing news at consumers and start to engage in a business model that is driven by audience development.  That will mean looking at a portfolio of delivery channels and experimenting with the right mix of print and digital products.  Outsourcing of services was a major topic of many of the breakout sessions.  Consolidation or outsourcing of production is a given.

In commercial printing there is slight growth predicted for print on paper and higher percentages of growth in digital products.  Again a positive outlook if commercial printers adapt a stronger marketing approach and truly work with their customers to understand their customer’s business and needs.  Value added services are a must for printers wanting to grow their customer base.  A high percentage of the printers attending the conference have adapted sustainability programs, customers are asking for and in many cases requiring this of printers.

I left feeling that our company has adapted the right approach to customer advocacy, that our efforts on sustainability have been good but we do need to kick it up a notch.  We have applied to be part of the Sustainable Green Printing (SGP) verification process. You can visit the website at www.sgppartnership.org to learn more about that program.

Overall anyone in the printing or newspaper industry assuming that business as usual will get them through the next few years is sadly mistaken.  Those that are embracing the changes and developing business and operational models to adapt to customer and audience needs will not only survive but grow and thrive.  Print is not dead, it is evolving!

The trend towards 27.7# newsprint

We are hearing from our newsprint suppliers that the tipping point is close on 27.7# or 45 gsm newsprint becoming the primary newsprint weight.  One supplier, Alberta, has announced that they will no longer be producing 30# newsprint as of August 2008.  The majority of newspapers have converted to 27.7# due to shortages of 30#.  We are even hearing about 43 gram newsprint being tested at some newspapers.

 At Color Web Printers we will be transitioning some of our own products this month to 27.7# and sharing the results with our customers.  Suppliers are representing a slight pricing gain as a marketing aspect, we’re not certain of those claims at this point.  There are the issues of opacity and runnability.  We feel we will be able to deal with the product effectively as we gain experience in running it, we will also be looking at any design specifications (ink densities, etc.) as we test. 

Going Green

There’s a lot of talk about “Going Green” in the printing industry.  The challenge is there are no widely accepted standards at this point.  Printing Industries of America (PIA)/Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF), Specialty Graphic Imaging Association and Flexographic Technical Association are the founding partners of the Sustainable Green Printing Partnership.  They have developed a certification process that was introduced at the National Environmental Health and Safety Conference for the Grapihc Communications Industries held March 10-12th in Indianapolis.  This is a work in progress but what appears to be a good opportunity for those printers looking for some guidance in developing greener practices and establishing some level of certification.

You can contact SGP at  www.sgppartnership.org  

The presentation from the NEHS conference:

http://www.nehsconference.org/pdf_server.cfm?pdf=/neh08_site/downloads/SustainableGreenPrinting.pdf

 

Customer Advocacy

We at Color Web Printers are working on developing a stronger understanding of customer advocacy. 

One of our initiatives is to develop a more interactive website.  We want to offer customers a site that can lead them to resources that affect their printed products such as websites that offer information on newsprint pricing trends. 

Our project manager, Todd Griffith has established a blog that brings our customers together with experts in the packaging and inserting industry.  Todd has many years of experience in newspaper packaging, mailing services and bindry.  Todd is currently serving as the president of the board for the Muller Martini users group.  You can find the link to his blog on our website at www.colorwebprinters.com