http://www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/blogs/rss.html description http://www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/blogs/post/148.html News of Spandex strengthening its Board to drive growth has me wondering how many large-format print companies have done something similar. When things started getting tough and print firms actively started to diversify and reposition their businesses there were rumblings of  ‘business tsars’ being brought in to help existing management teams with their new strategies. Did you go this route – and was it successful? http://www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/blogs/post/147.html I’ve received information from a few manufacturers and suppliers in the wide-format space that they will either not exhibit at Sign and Digital UK or at Fespa Digital this year because they are focussing on Drupa instead. As wide-format print specialists I’d be interested in whether you will attend that giant of a show as well as one of the other more specialised events or instead? http://www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/blogs/post/146.html With Onlineprinters having seen revenues jump 30% in 2011, I must surely ask, are you leveraging the power of Web-to-print yet, and if so, for which type of products and market sectors is it proving most successful? Is it working for you beyond the usual template-based print offerings, such as posters and basic POP/POS? I’d love to talk to you about your experiences and future plans to harness the system more creatively to build revenue and margin. http://www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/blogs/post/145.html Well done to Agfa Graphics for winning the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Manufacturing Excellence (MX) Award for Sustainable Manufacturing – and by doing so raising the profile of sustainable manufacturing not just within the graphic arts sector but beyond. In the soon-to-be-published Jan/Feb issue of Image Reports Magazine there’s an ‘Investment Q+A’ that asks print companies about what impacts upon buying their buying decisions – have a look to see what they say about sustainability… http://www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/blogs/post/144.html What do you consider to have been the most ‘innovative’ piece of kit introduced into the wide-format space over the last year? With the EDP Awards just around the corner, and having only announced the Image Reports Angel Awards at the end of 2011, I’d be interested in seeing what you would choose to honour. http://www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/blogs/post/143.html You could argue that any spending should be transformational – or why do it?  But expect to see the term ‘transformation spending’ bandied about a lot more within the print sector in 2012 as companies invest in kit, systems and practices earmarked for their game-changing capabilities. We have talked and talked about the need for diversification as wide-format has matured and one-time high margin work has become commoditised. The findings of not just the Image Reports annual Widthwise Survey but of other polls too, show this message has been taken on board, with many companies having already made certain strategic changes - by buying kit that provides new applications opportunities, investing in the development of new market segments and generally refocusing their long term business plans. In this issue, for instance, we talk to Image Factory and The Creative Place which have taken steps, including specific investment choices, to transform their businesses. But for some the transformation has hardly started - and even for those that have already made significant changes, the recognition that strategic development needs to be a continuous process means there will be plenty seeking new ways and means of running a competitive business in 2012. For many that will include investing in new technology (see Widthwise Report 2011 for detailed information, downloadable at www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/widthwise2011). Given the high number of trade shows this Spring, there’ll be more than enough opportunity to get to grips with everything on offer, but the canny will look beyond speeds and specs to the transformation prospect such investment will bring their company – the ‘Investment Q+A’ on p41/43 clearly suggests as much and the likes of Fespa Digital, with its tagline ‘Explore the Wider Opportunities’, is on the same track.What the trade shows also highlight, is the growing importance of strategic investment beyond print kit and ancillaries, with seminars aplenty on how to gain new customers etc. All indications are that we can expect to see more transformational spending across the board as companies work towards becoming more efficient, pro-active and sustainable for 2012 and beyond. http://www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/blogs/post/142.html Pay-as-you-go machine service and support to rival top end warranties – great idea, but the question has to be: will Tech8 manage to pull it off? Hopefully so given the amount of unrest in the market over the cost of some warranties and what they cover, let alone the never-ending stream of complaints regarding response times etc. What are your feelings on the subject of using pay-as-you-go servicing instead of taking out a warranty? http://www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/blogs/post/141.html The latest bundle of press releases indicates that education and training are back on the agenda after taking a something of a blow in a rocky economy. All the more reason to do more with what you have of course, so any way of enhancing your teams knowledge and skill should be welcome. But what about becoming an educator yourself and spending time (if not actual money) working with schools, colleges etc. to promote careers in print? If you already do, please drop me a line. http://www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/blogs/post/140.html A cloud doesn’t always signify rain! Indeed, a little ray of sunshine is more likely to be associated with the new Optimus Cloud system for integrated online trading. Now I’m not in any way advocating that you stop talking to your customers, but if you’re looking for a hands-off, hassle-free way of dealing with some of them, this could be the kind of development you’ve been waiting for. I daresay we’ll see more of products of this ilk as the year progresses.  http://www.imagereportsmag.co.uk/blogs/post/139.html Yes, we’re going to see pre-show information coming through thick and fast (one hopes!) now that we’re into the New Year, what with Fespa Digital just a few weeks away and Sign and Digital UK and Drupa close on its heels. But with three trade shows in close succession, which will you be attending? And how much weight do you give to the various show seminar/education programmes now of offer? What entices you to one event over another?