Jul. 25, 2005—Of all of the various types of value-added services that a commercial print shop can offer, finishing options can be one of the more profitable. Besides opening up a potential new revenue stream, it works to keep customers in-house for a larger portion of the overall project, meaning that a print shop has more control over the quality of the final piece.

However, entering this market can be challenging, as many printers do not have much experience with finishing options, beyond a few standard laminators or die-cutting equipment. The universe of finishing options is much, much wider.

“[A printer] has to examine what kind of added value such an investment will bring to his customers,” said Doug Still, marketing manager, MAN Roland. “Is integrating finishing going to make life better for them in terms of improved response time, lower costs, and new application opportunities? Also, is it going to help bring in new clients? Integrate your workflow correctly and the answer to both of those questions will be an unqualified ‘yes.’”

The Element of Time
Another factor to consider in the integration puzzle is time. By offering advanced finshing on-site, a shop can save itself and its clients a considerable amount of time, which adds up to cost savings in the long term.

“If a job is printed Monday, it will be picked up by an outside bindery Tuesday, worked on Wednesday, and returned Thursday,” noted Sandra Schler, account executive, AJ Images, Roselle, N.J. “In-house bindery functions can be done in one day, and the job sent right out to the client. With the tight deadlines that are so much in demand these days, saving two days by doing it in-house is invaluable.” Mr. Still concurs, saying that printers should look for manufacturers who offer training programs, both at their own facilities as well as the print shop. This decreases down-time, and gets the operators up to speed much quicker.

Studying the Market
There are a few things to consider both before and after the choice is made to integrate finishing services into a shop. Research whether or not the market will support such services. It is important to make sure that there is interest in finishing services before making the investment in time and money. “Find out from your customers, and better still, from your competitors’ customers, what kind of finishing services they will be seeking in the future,” said Mr. Still. “Is it saddle stitching? Is it foiling? Is it embossing? Chances are, they are looking to differentiate their printed material from that of their competition, and certain integrated finishing processes can provide that distinction.”

A shop should also examine its own operations to determine what equipment will best serve them. A few things to keep in mind are the run length and average turnaround times, as this will affect the type of equipment needed.

“[Run length and turnaround times] are important considerations not only in the choice of category of equipment, but also in determining the need (or lack of need) for automation,” noted Ms. Schler. “If your shop attracts larger runs, you may consider a folder with a delivery unit that automatically counts, compresses, and bands folded pieces. If you do a lot of small runs, this is unnecessary.”

Where To Start?
Both Mr. Still and Ms. Schler agree: the place to start when integrating finishing services into a print shop is the pressroom. “That’s the place you’re most familiar with and it is the location that will give you most bang for the buck in terms of added value,” Mr. Still stated.

First, consider the size of the presses. Don’t buy finishing equipment that is either too small to accomodate most of the jobs, or is so big that it will be difficult to fill it to capacity, leaving it idle or wasting media much of the time.

Second, examine the type of work the shop produces. If most of the jobs are flat, and the research suggests that most clients have no plans to switch, focus on those types of machines. Look at cutters or foilers, for example, rather than folders or stitchers. Third, examine how well the new equipment actually will integrate. Ask questions of the manufacturers of both your current presses and the new finishing equipment. Make sure, before you invest any time or money into a new machine, that it will work with everything in your shop. “You have to make sure your press—the heart of your workflow—is capable of integrating with all of your finishing components,” stated Mr. Still.

Once you have the equipment purchased and installed, you have to get the word out. “Marketing is important,” said Mr. Still. “A mailing to your client base telling them about your new capabilities is a must, and your sales force needs to be clued in.” It is essential that you make sure everyone in your organization knows what the new equipment can and can’t do, and that they are given the proper training on how to sell it both to your existing and potential clients.