In an industry where many in-plant operations struggle with outdated workflows and reactive management, John Cruser, Global Manager of Bloomberg Ink Print Operations, has engineered a transformation that’s both practical and profound. His mantra – “stop looking down and start looking up” – captures the essence of his philosophy: freeing production teams from constantly fixing problems so they can focus on strategic planning and customer collaboration.
When Cruser took the helm of Bloomberg’s print operations, he inherited a familiar challenge that plagues many in-plant facilities. Despite having a management information system in place, his team of 20 to 30 employees was mired in siloed workflows where offset, digital, and wide format departments operated independently. The shipping team was left guessing when work would arrive, and the same projects were often referenced across multiple departments without coordination. “Neither, none of them were really working together on when things were going to get done,” Cruser recalls.
The breakthrough came through an unlikely tool: Microsoft Power BI. While most MIS systems excel at tracking job counts, Cruser discovered they fall short on production dashboards. Working with a colleague who initially struggled with the platform, something eventually clicked, and she developed a dashboard system that fundamentally changed how Bloomberg’s print operation functions.
The transformation centers on the daily huddle – a focused 15-minute meeting each morning at 8:30 where representatives from every production group gather. But this isn’t just another status meeting. The Power BI dashboard shows real-time data on active tasks, queue depth by department, and critically, how many jobs need to ship that day and how many hours are required to complete them. “If I have three and a half hours worth of work, I need this by three o’clock,” Cruser explains, illustrating how shipping can now provide specific deadlines rather than vague requests.
Perhaps most impressive is the impact on lead times. Through this enhanced visibility and coordination, Bloomberg increased lead times from one to two days to three to five days, a 167 percent improvement during their busiest period. This counterintuitive achievement actually reduced stress while improving service quality, giving the team breathing room to do work properly rather than constantly firefighting.
Cruser’s vision extends beyond dashboards to workflow automation. He distinguishes between high-volume standardized work that should flow automatically through the system and custom jobs requiring human judgment and creativity. “Everything that you do over and over again – that should be an automatic workflow that goes directly back there,” he explains. “But custom jobs are the ones I want people to focus on.”
Cruser’s approach to system implementation is refreshingly pragmatic. He compares it to buying a house with a functional but imperfect bathroom. You work year after year to make it what you want it to be. Software systems require the same iterative refinement. “It comes in and you set it up, so it works efficiently. But then as it starts working efficiently, you realize it’s not that efficient,” he observes. The key is continuously setting goals and objectives that matter most to the team.
A strategic organizational shift has amplified Cruser’s impact. Bloomberg recently moved the print operation from the supply chain team under finance to the marketing department, aligning it with its primary customers. This repositioned the team from a cost-center focused on savings to a creative partner. Cruser now works directly with the creative director, participating in discussions at the concept stage rather than discovering impossible requests after decisions are made. “We want to be part of that discussion,” he emphasizes.
This shift from reactive to proactive engagement represents the full realization of “looking up” rather than “looking down.” Instead of heads-down troubleshooting, Cruser’s team can now sit at the table with customers during planning, offering production expertise that shapes better outcomes. They’ve moved from wondering “where did this job come from?” to helping prevent those surprises entirely.
During seasonal slowdowns, rather than accepting “we’re all good” status updates, Cruser redirects the team to productive activities: replenishing inventory of corporate notebooks and visitor badges, performing preventive maintenance, and planning improvements. This ensures continuous value creation even when production volume dips.
John Cruser’s transformation of Bloomberg’s print operations offers a roadmap for in-plant managers facing similar challenges. By leveraging real-time data visualization, implementing focused daily coordination, setting realistic performance expectations, and positioning the operation as a strategic marketing partner rather than a cost center, he’s created an environment where looking up is finally possible. The result is a more efficient, less stressed team that delivers better service while actively shaping the work they produce rather than simply reacting to it.
Want to learn more about John’s accomplishments? Attend his session at the IPMA Educational Conference in Greenville, SC, June 14 – 18, 2026.
Mark M. Fallon is president and CEO of The Berkshire Company, a consulting firm specializing in mail and document processing strategies. The company develops customized solutions integrating proven management concepts with emerging technologies to achieve total process management. He offers a vision of the document that integrates technology, data quality, process integrity, and electronic delivery. His successes are based upon using leadership to implement innovative solutions in the document process. You can contact Mark at mmf@berkshire-company.com.