In-Plant Professionals were In-the-House, Sharing Strategies to take Business to the Next Level

Written by Ed Gala
VP, USCO Marketing & Communications, Xerox Corporation

In-house printing may not be a hot topic at your next cocktail party, but if you work in a large organization or Fortune 1000 company, you may have an under-leveraged resource hiding in plain sight.  At a recent Focus Forward event in Dallas, Texas, in-plant printing managers and industry experts got together to explore ways to transform in-house print shops into high-powered marketing machines that bridge the paper and digital worlds and leverage social media, multi-channel communications and big data trends.
To combat outdated perceptions and remain competitive, Ed Spears, manager of business support services at the Fort Worth Independent School District said he forged tighter ties with  communications and branding colleagues as well as other potential power users.  He and his team uncovered internal redundancies, saving $200K by better utilizing existing assets and  eliminating a dedicated machine previously used only for printing report cards.  Savings are being reinvested in other strategic priorities.
Sherri Broderick, supervisor of Print/Mail/Sign Services at the Frisco Independent School District shared a similar experience. Her group made a list of all the ways they could increase the efficiency and relevance of their operation and found 40 hours of time savings while increasing daily jobs from 50 to more than 300.
Like Ed and Sherri, the 30 other leaders I met in Dallas were not only excited about in-plant printing, they were also celebrating successes and sharing war stories over cocktails.  And guess what?  There wasn’t a dull moment.
Interested in learning about other in-plant successes and how these print shops are finding cost-efficiencies and optimizing production capabilities? You may want to check out:

• How the InterContinental Hotels Group Was Able to Cut through the Clutter
• Increased print capacity and efficiency saved Highmark $5M, Personalized mailers increased member engagement by 400%
• How Wedding Invitations and Personalized Discount Codes Drove $2.5M in Revenue Growth for Printer
• Penn State’s on-campus print center upgrades its capabilities on a tight budget – and boost its botton line by more than 50%

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A Focus Forward event may be coming to a city near you! Check out our tour schedule to see how you can hear these stories firsthand. Can’t make the event? Browse our extensive library of past speakers and topics.