Should you be talking to your suppliers about flexible and complEmentary training? Ronen Zioni, HP EMEA GSB marketing director, thinks there’s never been a better time to do so.
In days of old, print service providers who wanted to expand their professional knowledge would have had to dedicate huge chunks of time away from their businesses – perhaps attending college-based training courses, or seminars that invariably took place when they were flat out trying to get that important job out of the door. But times have changed and savvy suppliers are more aware of the fact that flexibility is critical and that any form of training must fit around your business and not vice-versa.
This is the bit where I would encourage you to take a look at the type of training that’s now available. Some of the best programmes from manufacturers enable users to follow simple, convenient training that is undertaken in your own time and at your own pace. These might comprise a mix of tools, such as workshops, online webinars and instructional guides that serve as informative ‘cook books’ offering tips and tricks on key outdoor and indoor large-format graphic applications.
HP’s Latex University, launched in November 2011 for users of HP Latex Printers, has been designed on such a model. This complementary initiative enables users to access a comprehensive set of resources and training materials to help sharpen competitiveness, market their green credentials and boost versatility by injecting some ‘wow factor’ into their service capabilities. By following this flexible training, users can develop their knowledge around new applications and substrates which might, for example, see them explore textile printing or vehicle wrapping. Again, the goal for the user is the same - to extend the breadth of skills sets and maximise the money-making potential of their print solutions.
Enhancing the marketability of your service offering nowadays goes hand in hand with appreciating the importance of environmental sustainability and the impact it has on the supply chain. Or to put it another way, as a print service provider, printing with the environment in mind can be good for your business. As you will be well aware, requests for sustainable printing are on the rise, with the major brand owners leading the charge.
This link between your business’s competitiveness and your appreciation of the increasingly important environmental issue is something that manufacturers should be aware of. Indeed, those suppliers that do listen to the needs of PSPs and respond to them are already tailoring informative courses to help the print community and its customers build broader knowledge about sustainability.
Our own training programmes include a dedicated free and downloadable HP EcoSolutions course which trains PSPs to ‘go green’. This course, which can be undertaken at a convenient time and at one’s own pace, helps users build a long-term commitment to sustainability and successfully market their green credentials to the growing number of like-minded customers. The eco-training course comprises nine modules across a range of sustainability topics and takes about two hours to complete. Those who successfully complete the training are provided with a framed personalised certificate and icon identifying them as an HP EcoSolutions trained printing company. Importantly, this serves as a powerful marketing tool for reaching the ever-increasing number of clients looking for large-format graphics solutions with a reduced environmental impact.
I’m sure it goes without saying that, as a print service provider, you have probably never been as short on time as you are now. However, at the same time, you probably recognise the need to hone your competitive edge and create new opportunities for growth. Dedicating a small amount of time towards some of the flexible training programmes offered by suppliers, could pay dividends when it comes to expanding your skills set and promoting your business’ capabilities against the competition. In other words, not so much ‘here endeth the lesson’, but hopefully more ‘here starteth the lesson’.