In our world of print and mail operations, it is easy to become internally focused on jobs and deadlines and put the larger strategic purpose of your operations team on the back burner. Operations managers are responsible for complex workflows, navigating shifting postal regulations, and leading teams through organizational changes. You can fill your days and weeks with tasks and meetings without leaving your facility. But as I recently experienced at the IPMA Road Show held at the Government Publishing Office (GPO) in Washington, D.C., there is no substitute for the perspective gained when we step away from daily production and engage with colleagues, suppliers and partners in person.
Standing inside the GPO—a facility that has been continuously operating for over 165 years—you feel the weight of history. GPO Director Hugh Halpern shared that they have been in the same building since Lincoln’s inauguration in 1861. Yet, despite 2 million square feet of space and the massive responsibility of printing passports and congressional records, the challenges they face are remarkably similar to those of many IPMA members.
The GPO is currently navigating several large transitions from legacy systems and manual processes to modern, automated production workflows. GPO has shifted from offset to inkjet. Invested in 8C automated plate-changing technology and is in the process of replacing an over 40-year-old job submission platform. Whether you manage 1,600 employees or a team of five, the goal remains the same. Providing value to your customers and organization through strategic agility and enhanced capabilities.
Peer-to-Peer Learning is Best
During the event, I spoke with several attendees about why they made the trip. John Cruser, from Bloomberg and IPMA President, noted that while travel constraints are real, the opportunity to see how a “big shop” handles change management and MIS platforms is invaluable. He put it perfectly: “Members become friends.” There is a level of trust that happens face-to-face that simply doesn’t occur over a Zoom call.
I spoke with Danny Kirkland of Encompass Health, who manages a staggering 8,000 orders per month. For Danny, the GPO is the “Holy Grail” of print, but his big takeaway came from Katelin Shanks’ Racami presentation on the red flags to look for when choosing a software vendor. Hearing that 63% of software implementations fail to meet expectations post-launch was a sobering statistic. It’s exactly the kind of insider knowledge that helps managers avoid costly mistakes when selecting new Web-to-Print, MIS and other software solutions.
Problem Solving in Real Time
One of the most compelling stories came from Jessica Seiter at Cedarville University. Jessica shared how IPMA connections saved her operation when vendor training on a new laser cutter fell short. Wesley Troup from the World Bank Group stepped in to provide the necessary training for her team to succeed. This is the “IPMA Lifesaver” effect. Through networking with other IPMA members, Jessica’s team proposed new capabilities, and justified investment in new equipment. Her operation is now providing dye sublimation and laser engraving. They are serving the university’s needs for awards and apparel while saving money, plus winning over creative designers who previously relied on external commercial printers.
Del Shankle from Christus Health echoed this sentiment, noting that face-to-face events allow for “questions in real time.” Event topics included learning about the specific adhesives for various types of signage from Greg Kestler of General Formulations, and discussing inventory management automation with Bryan Matlock from Ricoh. The physical presence of experts and peers creates a high-intensity learning environment that digital alternatives cannot replicate.
The Road to Greenville
If the D.C. Road Show was a masterclass in print history and peer camaraderie, the upcoming IPMA Annual Conference in June is the main event. In-plants are operating in an era where “good enough” is no longer sufficient. Print, mail and publishing operations must pivot and expand capabilities to remain relevant. Operations teams are expected to be strategic partners within their organizations—driving efficiency, mitigating risk, and proving their value daily. As we saw at the GPO, even the most established operations must evolve.
The annual conference is where that evolution happens. It is where you find the “glue” (sometimes literally, as we learned from Greg Kestler) that holds your operation together. It is the place to vet those new hardware options, de-risk your software implementations, and, most importantly, reconnect with the peers who serve as your unofficial advisory board.
Don’t rely on webinars and articles for all your professional growth. Come to the annual conference to see the technology, hear from industry experts, and build the relationships that will support your operation for the next decade. I look forward to seeing you in Greenville, South Carolina.
Lois Ritarossi, CMC®, is the President of High Rock Strategies, a consulting firm focused on sales and marketing strategies, and business growth for firms in the print, mail and communication sectors. Lois brings her clients a cross functional skill set and strategic thinking with disciplines in business strategy, sales process, sales training, marketing, software implementation, inkjet transformation and workflow optimization. Lois has enabled clients to successfully launch new products and services with integrated sales and marketing strategies, and enabled sales teams to effectively win new business. You can reach Lois at https://www.highrockstrategies.com/ or Lritarossi@highrockstrategies.com