Bottom Line--August 2014

Sharpening the Web-to-Print Advantage

Web-to-Print: Is the Time Right?

The Trust Edge: What Top Leaders Have

ii AMSP/NAPL/NAQP | Bottom Line | August 2014

ii AMSP/NAPL/NAQP | Bottom Line | August 2014

The key question for companies contemplating offering Web-to-print services is when, if ever, the potential for realizing a sufficeient return on investment in these new capabilities makes it “the right time” to add them.

CONTENTSCOLumNS 4 Chairman’s Note

6 In the System

DEPArTmENTS 2 Tip In

8 Executive Insights

10 Verification

26 Postal Points RevieWebinar

26 Gold Partners

24 Technology Trends

28 Qualified Business Reply

30 Tracking Results

31 Chapter Listing

31 Classifieds

32 Against the Grain

20The Trust Edge: What Top Leaders Have

Sharpening the Web-to-Print AdvantageWeb-to-print is not a new technology, and, as more and more companies adopt it, the service has begun to lose its edge as a competitive differentiator. Some companies are enhancing the automation of their electronic process by using more powerful or quicker pro-grams, while others are supplement-ing more sophisticated software with

added customer service. Find out how some member companies are using Web-to-Print to their advantage.

12

16Web-to-Print: Is the Time Right?

We have an opportunity to be agents of change. We cannot re-gain trust in business or government if we do not trust each other,

and it starts with you. It is through individuals that we can rebuild trust in our communities and our institutions. Have the courage to act on what you know to be true, that trust is the foundation of all genuine and lasting success. Here’s how to begin.

2 AMSP/NAPL/NAQP | Bottom Line | August 2014

TIPINDCG West to Consolidate to DCG ONE ICS Acquired By

Progressive Impressions International

Canon Solutions America Launches media Software Suite Canon Solutions America, Inc., Melville, NY, and DirectSmile GmbH, announced the immediate availability of a new suite of cloud-based tools for building, managing, and tracking data-driven personalized marketing campaigns across print, web, and mobile media. The DirectSmile Cross Media Suite is a robust and scalable solution that bridges the gap between print and Internet for print services providers of all types, from in-plant corporate reprographic departments to commercial printers. This all-in-one solution for personalized communications comprises three cloud-based offerings: print & Web, cross-media marketing, and inbound marketing.

Commercial Letter Acquired by Chicago Firm Publishers’ Graphics has acquired Commercial Letter, St. Louis, MO.

The acquisition fortifies PG’s distribution, mailing, and fulfillment solutions and strengthens its ability to serve the publishing industry with direct mail programs. “Commercial Letter brings a new dimension to our business, allowing us to offer not only a direct mail solution to our publishers, but also advanced supply chain programs. Integrating Commercial Letter’s fulfillment and mailing services into our technology platform will enable our customers to benefit

from a highly customized distribution program, all of which aligns very well with our future strategic plans,” said Nick Lewis, President of Publishers’ Graphics. President of Commercial Letter Brad Chrysler, agreed: “We are excited to be joining Publishers’ Graphics. Combining their cutting edge technology platforms with our distribution model will be a game changer for our industry.”

Direct Connect Group West (DCG West) has entered into a final agree-ment to buy CCS Printing to create one of the largest privately held marketing service providers on the West Coast. DCG West’s operating divisions McCallum Print Group and The Mailhandlers will combine with CCS under the new brand DCG ONE. In the first quarter of 2015, most operations will consolidate into a brand-new 140,000 square-foot facil-ity currently under construction in the SODO neighborhood of Seattle. Web printing operations will remain in their current location in Kent, WA. Existing leadership from both DCG West and CCS will assume roles in the new DCG ONE organization, allowing for seamless integration to facilitate long-term success for customers. Terry Storms, who will contin-ue in the CEO role, said, “The addition of CCS will expand our publication and strategic marketing capabilities, and will provide outstanding value for our customers.”

Progressive Impressions Interna-tional (pii), Bloomington, IL, has acquired ICS marketing Ser-vices, Lansing, MI. “Fold-ing ICS’ capabilities and bench strength into the pii family positions us perfectly for what is the future of direct marketing: delivering a holistic omni-channel expe-rience with the customer at the center, all powered by data,” said Jamie Huff, President of pii. “We can now offer clients a one-stop-shop to help them deeply engage with the right consumers and customers at the right time in the right way to optimize marketing spend.” Through the acquisition, pii’s offerings will include direct marketing strategy development, data analytics, digital services such as search engine marketing and email automation, and large-scale production capabilities—all seamlessly integrated through the Conductor platform. Pii and ICS will become fully integrated over the next 12 months, with the combined company operating under the pii name. The company will continue to be led by current President Jamie Huff. Key exec-utives from ICS will take up top leadership positions at pii for the Lansing facilities, including Ken Orr, who will serve as President, and Kevin Harlow, who will serve as Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Service.

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DIvE DEEP INTO yOur COmPANy

Bottom Line © 2014 is published monthly for AMSP/NAPL/NAQP members by AMSP/NAPL/NAQP, 1800 Diagonal Road, Ste. 320, Alexandria, VA 22314, Tel: 703.836.9200; 800.333.6272 Fax: 703.548.8204, www.AMSP.org or www.NAPL.org

Editorial Office, same address. For advertising information, please contact: Kimberly Kight at [email protected] or 800.333.6272.

Postmaster: Please send change of address to Bottom Line, Association of Marketing Service Providers, 1800 Diagonal Road, Suite 320, Alexandria, VA 22314-2806

800.333.6272 | 703.836.9200 | FAX 703.548.8204

www.AMSP.org | [email protected]

www.NAPL.org | [email protected]

Publisher: Ken Garner, COOPresident & CEO: Joseph P. Truncale, Ph.D.

Editor in Chief: Kimberly A. KightSr. Director/Communications: Dawn Lospaluto

Officers Chairman of the Board

Tom Duchene, TDMS, Huntington Beach, CA

Vice Chairman Niels M. Winther, Think Patented, Miamisburg, OH

Treasurer/Secretary

Tim Johnson, Impact Proven Solutions, Minneapolis, MN

Immediate Past Chairmen Mike Kellogg, Century Direct, LLC, Long Island City, NY

Nigel Worme, COT Holdings, Ltd., Christ Church, Barbados

Board of Trustees Charles Buchanan, World Marketing-Dallas, Dallas, TX

Craig Dellinger, New Haven Print, Fort Wayne, IN Joe Duncan, Leo Burnett, USA, Chicago, IL

Andrew Field, PrintingForLess.com, Livingston, MT William F. Gavigan, PDQ Print Center, Taylor, PA

Tom Glassman, Wilen Direct, Deerfield Beach, FL Keith Kemp, Xerographic Digital Printing, Orlando, FL Wayne Marshall, Edwards Graphic Arts, Des Moines, IA

Frances McMahon, Canon, Boca Raton, FL Ken Orr, ICS Marketing Services, Lansing, MI

Tom Saggiomo, DG3 Worldwide, Jersey City, NJ Bob Schimek, Satori Software, Seattle, WA

Jim Schultz, Great Lakes Integrated, Cleveland, OH Charlene Sims, The Master’s Press, Dallas, TX

Bottom Line

AuguSt 2014 | VoLuMe 1 | iSSue 5

Chairman’s Note

I have found that the deepest part of summer is the best time for me to take a good, hard look at my business and do a deep dive on my outward-facing view presented to the rest of the world. The big summer holidays are over and most years business activity is at its yearly nadir during this time. In short, there is a little less day-to-day craziness and a little more time to look at what is working in my business and what is not yielding the results that were projected.

Some of the questions I ask myself are uncomfortable: “How are my leadership skills with my teammates, how do I deal with the adversity that no organization escapes, is my vision for the enterprise clear, to me and to those I am asking to buy into it?” Other observations are a bit more typical: “How can I improve my prospecting and sales efforts, are there more effective business processes or more efficient equipment that I should be looking at, do I have the right people in the right positions in my enterprise?”

And, “How does my company look from the outside? What kind of perspective are we presenting to the outside world…and is it the one we want to project? Does my website need refreshing, have I added new services, am I building my own brand?”

Fortunately, I am part of an Association that can help me answer all these questions and ask a few more I haven’t even thought of. Each and every issue mentioned above, and many more, were discussed and dealt with at our recent AMSP/NAPL/NAQP Annual Meeting in June. And I know that even if I missed the one presentation I most needed in Milwaukee, answers to my questions are a phone call away to a fellow member or a quick posting on our Connected Community Forum.

Another valuable resource to help you take a look at yourself and your business is the very publication you are reading. This issue of Bottom Line is chock full of valuable information and insight. In the following pages we do our own deep-dive into the world of Web-to-print, one of the cornerstones, according to our own industry “futurist” Andy Paparozzi, of tapping into new markets and new opportunities in our world. How do you adjust your organization, compensate your sales team and identify potential pitfalls of the Web-to-print personalized world, as told by those who have been there and done it already.

The AMSP/NAPL/NAQP team is also gearing up for our inaugural consolidated Owners’ Conference (Sept 25-27) and an expanded and more inclusive GRAPH EXPO (Sept 28-Oct 1) in Chicago. These events promise even more insight and knowledge. I strongly encourage you to consider attending one or both of these events in the never-ending quest for success in our businesses.

In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your summer to rest, recharge, plan, and prepare to thrive into the fall and 2015! As always, I welcome your comments and your input.


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GOOD Or BAD, CONGrESS mAy BE DONE FOr yEArIn the System

Ben Cooper is the association’s lobbyist, and founded and chaired the Coalition for a 21st Century Postal Service. Contact him at [email protected].

If a citizen looks at the Congressional calendar for the second session of the 113th Congress (2014), one could conclude that Congress is working the month of July, is off in August, and is working the month of September and part of October. With the elections in November, there is even the possibility of working after the elections, a period generally referred to as a Lame Duck session. However, in truth, Congress has about five weeks of work after the Fourth of July recess and, barring some burst of legislative energy the likes of which we have never seen, little will get done in these last few weeks.

Several pieces of legislation will be casualties of this unproductive close to the 113th Congress. It is increasingly likely that postal reform will be one of them. Recently there had been a growing hope that a “deal” of sorts could be struck that would bring the mailing industry, unions, and maybe even the Postal Service together but we may sim-ply be running out of time.

The deal if there was to be one would have been based largely on a proposal by the unions led primarily by the National Association of Letter Carriers to take a significant risk on their retiree health plan by requiring their member retirees to use Medicare as the primary “payor” for retiree medical. Postal employees pay into Medicare but a significant number do not use it, instead relying on the more costly retiree medical insurance pro-vided through the Postal Service (and paid for by postage payers). Retirees would have to assume a greater share of costs but the reduction in cost to the system would be significant.

Additionally, the unions want to be able to invest current retirement assets in more aggressive funds all within the federal retiree investment portfolio in hopes of getting greater returns. Currently, these assets must be invested in lower risk funds that return in the 2% range vs the 6% – 7% return in the higher risk funds. The combination of these changes would result in removal of the pre-fund-ing requirement as well as the unfunded liability faced by the USPS and ultimately the users of the mail.

For the mailing industry’s part, consideration was being given to a proposal that would take the two year exigency decision by the Postal Regulatory Commission and stretch that rate impact over four years by allowing a one percent surcharge each of

those years on top of CPI. This would have the effect of lev-eling the impact over those years.The essence of the health care proposal was contained in S. 1486 which passed the Senate Homeland Security Committee. A similar proposal on rates was pro-posed but not accepted by the Committee. The investment proposal is new. Also significantly dif-ferent from S. 1486 is that the new proposal would not change the governance provisions related to the USPS Board of Governors and the PRC and it would not affect Saturday delivery by simply not addressing the topic.

While this proposal had not been accepted fully by the various parties, it held out hope for success. Unfortunately, the calendar seems to be the decid-ing factor. In the closing days of a session as we are in now, it becomes very difficult for new con-cepts to be considered. This leaves the industry, the USPS, Congress, and the unions perhaps once again saying wait until next year.

In the meantime, the elections will go on and change will occur. In the House, current Over-sight Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA) is term limited as chairman and will have to step down. There is a four-way race to succeed him with Reps. Jason Chaffetz, Mike Turner, Jim Jor-dan, and John Mica all expressing interest. If the Senate remains in Democrat control Senator Tom Carper will remain chairman. If the Republicans take control, the new chairman is expected to be Ron Johnson from Wisconsin.Currently, control in the Senate would be called too close to call with a number of races around the country still very tight.

In next month’s article we will examine some of those races.

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Executive InsightsBuILDING ONE, uNITED ASSOCIATION

Ken Garner is the Chief operating officer at AMSP. He joined the association in November 2008 after a 33-year career in the printing industry—all with the same company. garner has an extensive background as a volunteer leader, serving as a Director on the Boards of the Printing industry of Virginia, the National Association for Printing Leadership, and the graphic Arts Show Company.

By the time this is published, your association team will be well into the seventh month of merger management. Let me take this opportunity to provide you with an update related to the progress we have made and what we see as major items yet to be completed.

First, the past seven months have been characterized by a significant amount of work, some visible to you and much “behind the curtain” related to administrative functions. Here is a partial list of some of the more notable accomplishments:

• We successfully combined financial management and accounting functions.

• We combined all HR policies and functions.

• We built a marketing team and created a disciplined, centralized approach to marketing that includes measurement of all our major marketing functions.

• We established overall business goals, metrics, and a measurement process that is reviewed on a weekly basis.

• We planned and executed a number of combined membership events, including two conferences and a major presence at the National Postal Forum.

• We have begun the process of re-igniting our Chapter structure and related meetings.

• We launched our newly designed monthly magazine, Bottom Line.

• We combined the formerly separate community forums into a single forum representing all member segments.

Of course, this partial list was accomplished while staff tended to all the normal and routine responsibilities that are part of association life. New products and service proposals were evaluated, the Business Advisory Group members continued to deliver value through their consulting engagements, our advocacy work on Capitol Hill continued, work with senior Postal Service leadership was ongoing, educational content was created and delivered…you get the picture.

So, what have we learned and what do we now know needs to move to the top of the “to do list?” Perhaps the biggest challenge we have faced has been related to building one, united association. Your Board and staff have been sensitive to the emotional ties that each of our primary membership segments has to its legacy organization. We created the “puzzle piece” logo that preserved the legacy brands of our formerly independent associations. We retained many of the former brand identities related to specific product and service offerings.

This was done by plan and in an attempt to demonstrate and communicate the coming together of three industry organizations.

Also by plan, it is now time to move forward with a new, singular identity, one that encompasses the varied and specific interests of several member segments while creating a fresh, new identity for a larger, stronger, more comprehensive and more relevant Association.

At our most recent meeting in Milwaukee, your Association’s Board of Trustees reaffirmed the decision to rebrand our Association with a fresh and compelling name, logo, and tagline. This will help to unite our association and clarify to our members, staff, and industry who we are and why we exist. This will not change our commitment to understanding the wants, needs, and expectations of our different membership segments. We remain committed to developing and delivering value that is customized and tailored to address these uniquely different expectations.

We are currently developing a detailed plan that will include the services of an outside professional firm that has a successful track record in leading re-branding initiatives for membership organizations. We anticipate announcing our new brand at GRAPH EXPO next month.

Of course, we always encourage your input and feedback. We want this process to be as participative as possible. Please don’t hesitate to let us know your thoughts, concerns, and questions. With your support and commitment, we will take the next important step in building one, united and relevant association.



After her graduation from Indiana University, Taylor Stauffer joined Eckhart & Company in Indianapolis as the fourth generation to enter the family-owned company. “As much as I loved my job, I quickly noticed that there were not many people my age within the industry,” says Stauffer, who soon sought to find other young professionals in a similar situation.

“I had attended a couple of local printing and binding events, but I was not connecting strongly with any group in particular. My stepfather, who owns Eckhart & Company, encouraged me to attend a NexGenLeaders event in the fall of 2012. I fell in love with the group immediately and signed up the next day! The information within the sessions is eye opening and the relationships I’ve been able to build with the other group mem-bers have been invaluable.”

Stauffer’s experience is not an unusual one. In talking with the close knit group of up-and-com-ing industry leaders who participate in the Nex-GenLeaders Executive Training Program™, most note the peer-to-peer interaction, problem-solving feedback, and ability to discuss business concerns in a non-competitive environment as the unique value of their experience with the exclusive mem-bers-only program.

Management SkillsAMSP/NAPL/NAQP started the NexGenLeaders program to help develop the management skills of young professionals who are being groomed to take a leadership role in their company. Program participants learn graphic communications in-dustry best practices in a variety of management disciplines from experienced subject matter ex-

perts. At the onset of the three-year program, each participant is assigned a mentor who meets one-on-one with him or her to set up 12-month development goals, and who serves as an on-call resource to keep the participant on track.

Each year of the program comprises:

• Two day-long workshop sessions taught by industry experts;

• One day-long technology event at an industry facility with on-site demonstrations;

• A plant tour of an industry-leading company, including a best practices assessment; and

• Ongoing communication with an assigned mentor to monitor progress and provide any additional assistance as needed.

Nicholas Skeete, COT Holdings Limited, Christ Church, Barbados, enrolled in the program with his colleague, Michael Worme. “In Barbados we have to be more self-reliant,” Skeete explains. “In the U.S., companies can hire someone when they need help. Being on an island, we need to train internally. By having supervisor-level employees travel to different companies and participate in the NexGenLeaders workshops, we gain first-hand knowledge of how companies solve many of the same issues we are facing.

“The experience we get through this program helps us see the big picture goals, understand the language of the changing industry, and maintain good morale at a time when we have stepped up the pace of what we’re doing,” he adds. “We have learned to do more with less along the way.”

“NexGen meetings are a source of ideas,” Skeete says. “We spend time onsite at other printers, seeing the equipment and facilities, seeing work-

VerificationPrEPArING A NEW GENErATION FOr LEADErSHIP

Most young professionals note the peer-to-peer interaction, problem-solving feedback, and ability to discuss business concerns as the most unique value of their experience with the exclusive members-only program.


in-process. Based on what we’ve learned, we’ve already increased our productivity by tightening up processes and management. We have greater efficiencies―the same through-put with fewer people. We can observe and question different tools, discuss Printflow™, and adapt it to our in-dividual needs. How to go digital down the road? New equipment versus existing equipment? Peo-ple have the same problems. How did you handle it? We bounce ideas off each other.”

In the 2014 State of the Industry Report, Chief Economist Andrew Paparozzi points out that the graphic communications industry is undergoing a shift in focus to labor force and management is-sues―“an exceptional result for an industry that historically has focused much more on the capabil-ities of equipment, hard-ware, and software than on personnel”―and that lead-ing companies are making the strategic change toward building stronger work-forces of employees with new and different skills. The NexGenLeaders pro-gram provides companies with a convenient, cost- effective way of enhancing and expanding the leader-ship skills of their up-and-coming managers and executives.

“NexGenLeaders has ben-efited me both personally and professionally. The program has given me the tools and support to take my corporation to the next level,” says Angela Hipe-lius of Liberty Creative Solutions in Tinley Park, IL. “All areas of study were explored in great detail and the group setting with non-competitive peers was invaluable.”

Jeff Davidson of Brown Printing in Jefferson City, MO, explains what prompted him to partici-pate in NexGenLeaders: “I wanted to learn from and share experiences with peo-ple in the same succession process that our business is

going through. I was looking for a way to in-crease my knowledge of industry trends and con-tinue my education as an industry professional. My involvement in NexGenLeaders has helped infuse new ideas into our succession and business planning, both from peers and from educators leading the sessions. Peer interaction and per-sonal relationships are the biggest benefit. I now have a network of contacts across the industry.”

Association Senior Business Analyst Kathleen Ap-pleton focuses on executive search and professional development services. Reach her at (201) 523-6309 or [email protected]. Want to learn more about NexgenLeaders? go to http://ilink.me/NewVoice to read the case study, “Adding a New Voice,” featuring Jesse Park of Action graphics, Lincoln Park, NJ.


Sharpening the Web-to-Print Advantage

A powerful and customer-friendly software system is important, but client-tailored solutions and helpful service also

make a competitive difference.

Taking a good thing and making it even better is what market leaders routinely do, and Web-to-print services are only the latest example.

Web-to-print—―the ability of a customer to place a printing order online without a live salesperson, and, usually, be able to check proofs online as well―—is an important service provided by today’s commer-cial printers. It not only offers quicker service for the customer, who can check pricing of various options without requesting multiple quotes, and enables orders to be taken more cost-effectively, but it can also expand the printer’s geographical service map from his local area to anyone anywhere with Internet access.

While most generally applied to receiving and fulfilling print orders online, Web-to-print can also comprise such additional capabilities as input-ting job specs/generating estimates; creating and

submitting jobs; customizing jobs; sending large files; preflighting files; transferring files directly to prepress; automating job scheduling and job ticket creation; viewing, marking up, approving PDF proofs; job tracking/updating job progress; outputting files directly to the printing queue; inventory tracking; shipping; selling directly to a credit card; billing directly to a customer’s payment system; and storing files for reordering.

But Web-to-print is not a new technology, and, as more and more companies adopt it, the service has begun to lose its edge as a competitive differentia-tor. To maintain the Web-to-print advantage, some companies are enhancing the automation of their electronic process by using more sophisticated, powerful, or quicker programs, while others are em-bracing software that is easier and less complicated for customers to use.


Still others are choosing to con-centrate on the human side of Web-to-print by supplementing the electronic features with more customer service—―explaining different available options to customers, trouble-shooting their files, helping them with changes or corrections, walking them through the online proofing process, or ensuring that Web-to-print is a good fit for their needs. And, of course, some companies are enhancing both the elec-tronic and human aspects of the service.

Finding the Ideal Target Web-to-print has proven to be a successful tool for his company, says John Cockrell, Jr., President of Cockrell Enovation in Fort Worth, TX, a $17-million com-pany, 15% of whose customers are ordering via these services “specifically as we become more defined in the type of customer we’re targeting.” In addition, he adds, “Approximately 80% of our digital volume is driven via some form of Web-to-print.”

Cockrell believes his Web-to-print services have had success because of the amount of time the company spent defining its ideal target market. “No one solu-tion fits everyone, so by taking the time to research our target market and determine why it fits our capabilities, we’ve less-ened the overall time required to onboard a customer. A shot-gun approach would prove very counter-productive when selling Web-to-print.”

Overall, Cockrell recounts, Web-to-print has expanded his com-pany’s geographic reach “signifi-cantly. It’s allowed us to focus on targeting companies that have a requirement for streamlining the print process, as well as needing a centralized point of distribution.”

He and his colleagues “realized early on we were too focused on the template capabilities with Web-to-print, rather than the ordering process.” Although his customers require basic template editing for local store marketing efforts, what he views as “the most critical part of the process is being able to order all marketing

items in one place, print and non-print, as well as having complete control over building kits. We have steadily added capabilities beyond just editing a template and submitting the order.”

The company, founded in 1964, has 75 employees and handles sheetfed, digital, and large-format projects focused on marketing communications, serving major markets such as pharmaceuticals/healthcare, retail/franchise—―including lots of quick-service restaurants―—and private colleges and universities. “Our primary focus on Web-to-print is within the quick-service restaurant area,” Cockrell says. “We target companies with 50 to 500 locations.”

Critical Selling Point He explains that once an organi-zation reaches 50 units, it gen-erally begins looking for ways to streamline how store-level mar-keting and signage components are being produced, preferring a single source to handle daily or-ders as well as quarterly roll-outs. Web-to-print capabilities with efficient distribution “are critical to acquiring customers within this market,” says Cockrell.

The company’s Web-to-print services are both customer- and production-facing. With an average individual order size of less than $100, Cockrell notes, it is “important to be able to batch process and eliminate human touches. As a result, the produc-tion-facing element is just as critical as the customer-facing portion.” For most orders, the en-tire process up to printing is void of human interaction.

“Orders are placed, batches cre-ated by software, and submitted

directly to press,” Cockrell ex-plains. “But we do employ a ded-icated customer-service rep to be a human contact when there are questions.” Owner/operators prefer to have a live contact for placing orders, he has found, in case they have questions or need to place an order via phone while on the road. “Having a human contact available when questions arise is a critical selling point.”

Cockrell feels that his compa-ny implemented Web-to-print efficiently. “We learned to walk before we ran, so costs were kept to a minimum at first and we expanded with the overall level of interest. It’s easy to get in a habit of throwing too much money into technology.” Once they estab-lished a foundation, setting a target market “that fit our capabil-ities enabled us to keep our costs in line.”

The company’s promotion of Web-to-print mainly revolves around involvement in industry associations within its target mar-ket. “Fortunately, Web-to-print is a standard and awareness is high, so rather than selling those capabilities, we focus more on our overall company.” The most important lesson he has learned, he adds, is to “define your target market, learn everything about it, and be patient.”

Cockrell’s staff for Web-to-print has increased, bringing in Web development capabilities as well as additional customer support. Regarding sales, he says, “It took a few success stories for a major-ity of reps to realize the annuity stream associated with locating a solid customer within our target market. With appropriate layers of support, the fear of selling a

To maintain the Web-to-print advantage, some companies are enhancing the automation of their electronic process by using more sophisticated, powerful, or quicker programs, while others are embracing software that is easier and less complicated for customers to use.


Web-to-print solution has drasti-cally declined.”

The future? “Our Web-to-print services will continue to grow,” Cockrell predicts. “It is the largest investment within our marketing budget.”

Successful Transition “We used to have a Web-to-print system that was customer-fac-ing only,” says Kimberly Lawton Koon, President of Lawton Print-ers Inc. in Orlando, FL, a $4.3-mil-lion company whose Web-to-print services are used by roughly 15% of its customers. “This was mainly because it did not easily integrate with our MIS system or offer value-added production services or tools that were sig-nificant enough to get the buy-in from the production team.”

Like many printers, she continues, “We had our own home-grown team that learned to do the tem-plate design and workflow for our customers. We successfully tran-sitioned brands for several very large customers.” Had it not been for the Web-to-print capabilities, Koon reflects, those transitions would not have been nearly as successful and profitable as they were. “We were able to batch-typeset dozens of cards at a time and never even go through our graphics department. They were free to prep other work.”

Executives dedicated a project administrator to work very close-ly with the customers during this process, she notes, “so the customer never felt alone.” Once

the bulk transition orders were produced, the client had devel-oped the confidence levels in the online ordering process and that allowed for an easy transition to their key users. The online prod-uct offerings for these clients “have greatly expanded beyond just business cards and statio-nery,” she explains.

Lawton has a few customer storefronts that are 100% auto-mated, says Koon. The job is rou-tinely typeset and approved by the customer, the order is placed, and it auto-flows right into the production queue. The produc-tion manager routes it to the appropriate press and production continues. The customer service rep never sees the job ticket, graphics never touches the art.

“Our system will flag the order in the event something critical is ‘missing’ from the job,” she says. “This frees up the CSR to con-tinue to focus on the production of the more sensitive materials that the client may have, rather than spending hours each day opening up job tickets for busi-ness card orders.” This, Koon has found, saves “a huge amount of time in the prepress department, where they rarely typeset cards any more. Simple items, simple process, limited contact equals more contact for complicated and critical items.”

Tailored Solutions Tom Moe, Vice President Sales and Marketing for Daily Printing, Inc. in Plymouth, MN, a $19-mil-lion company that attributes

about 15% of its business to Web-to-print, believes his company’s Web-to-print services have been as successful as they have “be-cause we focus the program to the need of the end user.”

Web-to-print is still “very much a growth market for us and we are investing in it as such,” says Moe. New software is being tested to find more online options, he con-tinues, “and we see this avenue as a revenue growth proposition for the next three to five years.” Those services have pleased current clients and effectively increased Daily’s customer base, he adds.

“We have strengthened our rela-tionships with some of our most loyal clients by offering these solutions, and we have grown our customer base with them as well. Once we sign a client up on a portal we become very import-ant to him, and cultivate a much deeper relationship with the customer and the site users.” The printer’s geographic reach has also expanded, “especially with large companies with multiple locations across the country.”

The solutions his team provides are tailored to the individual clients, Moe points out, “and we do not take a cookie-cut-ter approach trying to make a single solution work for everyone. Customers on our sites find them easy to use, receive real-time inventory on stocked static items, and our upgrading process adds features as the site grows.”

Daily Printing was founded in 1950 and has 74 employee-own-ers. Its roots are in commercial print, but it has evolved into a print services/marketing services company over the past six years. It offers a full line of Web-to-print services, including but not lim-ited to branded online ordering portals for print and non-printed items; online fulfillment portals; full-service integrated marketing platforms, including QR Code, PURL/GURL/CURL creation and reporting; email, direct mail, and all related database services of CASS/NCOA; full-service IMB;

Others are choosing to concentrate on the human side of Web-to-print by supplementing the electronic features with more customer service—―explaining different available options to customers, trouble-shooting their files, helping them with changes or corrections, walking them through the online proofing process, or ensuring that Web-to-print is a good fit for their needs.


and all related analytical reporting during and after campaign launch.

The level of automation inherent in his company’s Web-to-print services is an area of ongoing im-provement, Moe says. “Currently, our Web-to-print process is partially automated, but still involves human touches in file preflighting and, to a smaller extent, customer service.” Company executives are in the midst of a process improvement project to further automate the entire digital process, including accounting and job-creation functions.”

At present, Daily operates over 30 branded and supported client Web-to-print sites, Moe points out. “We also support 25 to 35 customers with our DPI business card portal. Our digital business makes up approximately 25% of our total revenue.” He adds, “We support portals we have built and branded for ourselves and our clients, as well as being the pro-duction-only partner of several other portals devel-oped by other companies.”

Ease of use in placing orders, real-time inventory ac-cess, fast turnaround on orders, ongoing site main-tenance, and accounting processes are all listed as its best features by Daily’s clients. Special reporting processes/requests, on the other hand, are listed as an area of concern.

Moe says that he and his colleagues have not seen a cost impact on their company’s estimators or CSRs. These functions “do not get involved with online portal business once a portal is opened. They may have some input, touches, or such on the set-up or start-up only.” Daily has grown staff in the areas

of data processing and website development as a result of adding this core competency to its product mix.

Installing a Web-to-print service ultimately proved to be more expensive than originally thought, Moe confides, “and took a little longer to launch, but very minimal. The ongoing cost of new software and other services continues, but it is a managed ex-pense.” His advice: “Do your research on software. There are many good programs out there but they are not interchangeable. Understand the amount of commitment needed to establish and grow this type of business: warehouse space, programmers, data analytics, and so on. Don’t go bare bones and think you will have success out of the gate.”

Most Important Lesson The most important lesson learned, Moe says, is that “no two customers have the same need or desire with an online ordering portal. Listen to all the needs, scope out the project in advance, and get the customer to sign off on the process,” he advises. “Have a set scope for launch and limit the amount of added processes once the project is moving. Get it to a state of readiness before making changes or additions to the original scope.”

Understanding the marketplace and what others are providing while building a platform is also important. “And if you can,” he concludes, “sit down with some-one already doing this type of work and learn from them.”

Interest Small, But Growing

Dave Pauley, President of Neyenesch Printers, Inc., a general commercial printer based in San Diego, CA, predicts “some moderated growth” ahead for his firm’s Web-to-print services. At present, less than 1% of the $15.5-million company’s customers are Web-to-print. “Most of what we produce is larger projects that require job-planning,” says Pauley. The company, which offers digital products only, has 68 employees. Its Web-to-print services are both customer-facing and production-facing.

Thus far, Neyenesch’s Web-to-print services have neither increased nor broadened its customer base, Pauley confirms; his Web-to-print customers are exclusively existing customers. Most clients “have little or no human interaction on the front end,” he says. Nor, he adds, have the Web-to-print orders increased his company’s geographic reach. He prefers to promote these services directly through his sales repre-sentatives.

Pauley reports that installing a Web-to-print service proved to be “simple and easy,” and that expenses were fully in line with what he’d expected. Neyenesch’s management team is currently looking at ways to automate the workflow for larger, non-standardized projects. Pauley says he is “not happy with any solu-tions so far.”

What customers have thus far communicated to Neyenesch’s management about its Web-to-print services, according to Pauley, is that they “would like to be able to do a single log-in through their own corporate websites and go directly to our portal.” None of the systems allows that, however. “Everything requires a specific log-in to the Web-to-print system.”

What does Pauley say he has learned from his Web-to-print experiences? “The systems can only manage standardized types of work.” His suggestion to other companies trying to enter the Web-to-print arena or grow their Web-to-print services is to “keep it simple.”

Continue the conversation at the Connected Community at community.amsp.org/home.


Web-to-Print: Is the Time Right?By Andrew PaparozziThe ability of a Web-to-print system to stream-line the ordering process is undeniable. Customers who use it, love it: No calling a salesperson to submit an RFP; no waiting for estimates to be returned; no back-and-forth

conversations about changes in price if the run is increased, different stock is used, page count is reduced, deliveries are added, etc. Open a website, run the numbers on a few production options, place an order.Companies whose customers use it also love it: Lower staff costs

and fewer “touches,” quicker payment (sometimes, pre-pay-ment), greater geographic reach. The only problem seems to be that too few customers actually use Web-to-print, and among those that do, they use too few of the features that printers have paid to offer them. In a 2011 survey of more than 170 companies, the association’s Economic Research Center found that two-thirds of those offering Web-to-print (66.7%) said that not enough clients were using it, and more than half (52.2%) said clients were using only a limited number of its features. The survey results were published in the 2012 NAPL Digital Services Study, which also found that more than three-quar-ters of those who were not yet offering Web-to-print services planned to do so within two years. Since that time, Web-to-print has become far more widespread in the industry, but it still appears to be underutilized, although some gains are being made. In a survey conducted by the Center in late 2013, more than two-thirds (69.1%) of the compa-nies participating reported that not enough clients were using Web-to-print (51.5%), that clients were using only a limited number of the features offered (33.8%), or both. On average, just 11.3% of the survey group’s clients were using their Web-to-print service. Even worse, more than half (58%) of companies surveyed reported a client utilization rate of 5% or less and 69.6% a rate of 10% or less. The end result: Four out of five companies surveyed (80.9%) said they were disappointed with their Web-to-print service.


Counterintuitive Idea The idea that usage of an online purchasing solu-tion should not be growing by leaps and bounds in today’s marketplace almost seems counterintuitive. According to Global Industry Analysts (www.strate-gyr.com), the global market for Web-to-print soft-ware is projected to reach $869 million by the year 2017, and yet companies with the system already in place are reporting barely more than one in 10 clients taking advantage of it. Does the answer lie in customers’ dependence on sales and customer service representatives, unwill-ingness to change long-held buying patterns, disap-pointment with the software, a failure of marketing the new systems, all or none of the above? Will the next generation of print buyers, more tech savvy and Internet reliant, embrace Web-to-print or will it ultimately become a loss leader printers feel they must have just to satisfy a few customers or remain competitive? Looking at the low utilization rates, the 2013 Web-to-print survey asked participants what had to hap-pen to change these numbers. The result, it found, was that not everyone believes it can be changed. “Some view Web-to-print as a niche service that has to be offered to keep a few clients happy and because the competition offers it,” reports a sur-vey white paper. As one company representative noted: “You need to niche the use of the service for products like business cards and stationery in order to save labor costs. Clients that need on-demand brochures have been few and far between for our firm.”

Leave It to Others “Others no longer believe Web-to-print is worth the effort,” the white paper continues, citing this partic-ipant’s comment: “The solutions are oversold. We have installed, trained, and abandoned two Web-to-print packages in the past eight years…leave it to others.”The white paper’s conclusion: “Companies that believe they can grow Web-to-print emphasize that success requires both a major, ongoing―not just during installation―investment of time and exper-tise and a partnership with the manufacturers and suppliers of Web-to-print software.” And, these companies emphasize that “there isn’t anything ‘plug-and-play’ or ‘out of the box’ about the service.” “We love many aspects of our Web-to-print solution,” wrote one survey respondent, “but it requires a dedicated resource on our side to manage the 45+ clients who use the solution on a weekly basis. Further-

more, its integration is not seamless and requires a fair number of workarounds that then become standard practices (project invoicing is a pain). We sell it as perfect for small orders and thus promote a ‘monthly invoice.’ But the system does not allow for invoicing―thus it becomes an offline process.”Time will tell, of course, but even at this client-ear-ly-adopter stage, Web-to-print is not all disappoint-ing results. In fact, despite the challenges of getting customers to use the system and/or use it more fully, the Web-to-print solution, while perhaps not meeting companies’ high expectations, is still gener-ating some significant positive outcomes. Among those surveyed in 2013, for example, more than half said Web-to-print had increased their sales (58%) and a similar number said it had increased their profitability (56.5%). By comparison, just 20.3% said it had not improved sales and only 14.5% that it had not increased profitability. Companies also re-ported other substantial benefits from implement-ing a Web-to-print solution, as three-quarters (76%) said that it has helped in at least two of the follow-ing ways and nearly half (47%) that it has helped in at least three:• Increased automation, fewer “touches”

(68.7%).• Improved client retention/harder for clients to

leave (59.7%).• Enhanced company image (49.3%).• Cost reduction (44.8%).• Expanded geographic markets (41.8%).

Of the factors at the heart of the question over whether a Web-to-print investment offers a satis-factory return is the definition of a Web-to-print system. In the 2013 survey, for example, the majori-ty of those offering Web-to-print solutions focused on creating jobs and working with files. Between 60% and 69% offered job creation and submission, large file transmission, and mark-up/approval of PDF proofs. Fewer (between 40% and 49%) offered file storage for reordering, outputting files directly to prepress, job customization, inventory tracking, and estimate generation―the fact that fewer than half provide estimate generation may be one reason customer

Perhaps the key question for companies contemplating adding Web-to-print services is when, if ever, “at this time” becomes “the right time.”


utilization of these systems re-mains low. Automated job ticket creation, outputting files directly to the printing queue, job track-ing/updating progress of jobs, preflighting files, electronically billing directly to the customer’s payment system, and automated job scheduling were provided by one-third or fewer company systems.Clearly, a company whose cus-tomers are doing little more than transmitting files and checking proofs via its Web-to-print system is going to be more disappointed in the overall system’s utilization if it has paid for a system that has a wide range of capabilities far beyond those few basic services. It may not be a “build it and they will come” but a “build only what they want and need” approach that enjoys greater success, or at least less disappointment.Although Web-to-print systems are intended to reduce human involvement, employees are still required to implement them. Consequently, the 2013 survey, whose results were issued in the white paper, “Web-to-Print: The Promise, the Potential, and the Reality,” also looked at the investment companies were making in their Web-to-print

solutions, particularly in terms of staff training. Not surprisingly, it found that the amount invested in staffing and training for such systems varies with company size. For example, in companies with sales of $5 mil-lion or less, the majority (71.9%) invest less than $2,500 per year in training related to their Web-to-print systems, with just 3.1% investing $5,000 or more. On the flip side, more than half (57.1%) of companies with sales over $5 million invest $5,000 or more in training annually.How important is training to Web-to-print success? It was the issued raised most frequent-ly when Web-to-print survey respondents were interviewed. “We heard a lot about the need for better operations training,” notes the report. “And we heard even more about the need for better training in sales and marketing. The emphasis was on learning how to identify ‘what kind of customer will benefit from Web-to-print’ and on mak-ing the case with clients. ‘We have to help clients identify and rationalize the use of Web-to-print’ said one respondent.”

Customization, Flexibility Beyond training, survey respon-dents felt that customization and flexibility were also keys to expanding Web-to-print’s reach. Among their comments: “There are too many limitations to satis-fy client demand.” “We need to be able to do more with tem-plates―add text/image fields, move images, make it more of a layout tool.” “Greater function-ality/customization of jobs, being able to upload our own tem-plates for customer personaliza-tion (B2C), customers uploading own files and getting real-time estimating.”There were other improvements companies wanted to see from

vendors. They asked them to understand how they really use Web-to-print, “better understand how customers are using their software on actual programs in the field” and “learn what we have to sell and make sure the system can do it.” Or, as one respondent put it, “Stop adding unused, unneeded benefits” and “nickel-and-diming upgrades” and focus on “solutions that matter…and functionality that improves the Web-to-print expe-rience.”They asked vendors to provide better phone and help-desk support, more webinars, videos, and online resources so training can be ongoing, on-demand, and conducted at the trainee’s pace. Finally, they asked them to simpli-fy their products, making it easier for customers to use by develop-ing more intuitive, user-friendly customer interfaces, and making it easier for companies by inte-grating Web-to-print with their workflow, production, and man-agement information systems, as well as reducing inefficiencies in the software that require them to add human intervention at various points.

The Goal Even if Web-to-print solutions were to function perfectly and customers utilize them in greater numbers, some printers worry about committing to the systems for the basic reason that auto-mating the process seems to fly in the face of the often-stated sales goal of partnering more with customers and becoming more engaged in the planning and strategic aims of the work, rather than just fulfilling a print order.“I think there might be a feeling in our marketplace that if we place all of our clients’ work with Web-to-print, then our clients will perceive we are becoming an ‘Internet printing firm’ when,


in fact, we work hard to show them we can provide more value if they use us,” explained one survey respondent, who quick-ly countered the fear with the observation: “I don’t find that to be true. To the contrary, Web-to-print gives us more time to talk to our clients for projects where they need hand-holding.”Another put it this way, “Cus-tomers don’t want to spend the time to use the service. Why bother when a simple phone call or email will accomplish the same result? If it is a new project, they want the usual hand-holding and advice along with our personal service and interaction to get it right the first time.”And then there is the matter of ROI: “I think the high-end (more expensive) Web-to-print solu-tions might help us grow because they offer more flexibility, and, potentially, are easier for our cli-

ents (but likely more difficult for us to set up). The problem is the price tag. We are unsure we want to spend that kind of money on a service that we are unsure will take off,” said one respondent. Another added: “The full-blown Web-to-print systems we’ve had demonstrated for us were all quite comprehensive, but the anticipated cost and investment did not show a fast enough ROI to implement the full system at this time.”Perhaps the key question for companies contemplating adding Web-to-print services is when, if ever, “at this time” becomes “the right time.”

Andrew Paparozzi is the association’s Chief economist and a Senior Vice President, who has been monitoring industry trends and economics for three decades. Reach him at (201) 523-6353 or [email protected] or follow his “economic edge” blog at http://napl.org/author/apaparozzi/.

Customers who use it, love it: No calling a salesperson to submit an RFP; no waiting for estimates to be returned; no back-and-forth conversations about changes in price if the run is increased, different stock is used, page count is reduced, deliveries are added, etc.


We are in a crisis. World Economic Forum leaders recently declared that our biggest crisis is not financial, but a lack of trust and confidence. We are in a trust crisis and few people really understand the bottom line implications. Not only does it affect credit and government relations, but it also affects every relationship and every organization.

Just think of the impacts from a few of last year’s biggest trust breaches—the Cyprus bank fiasco, Edward Snowden leaks, Syria chemical weapons attack, horsemeat scandals in Europe, Lance Armstrong doping, and the Bo Xilai debacle. Professor John Whitney of the Columbia Business School found that “mistrust doubles the cost of doing business.” I think it costs even more.

Without trust, leaders lose teams and salespeople lose sales. Without trust, we all lose productivity, reten-tion of good people, reputation, morale, and revenue. The lower the trust, the more time everything takes, the more everything costs, and the lower the loyalty of everyone involved. However, with greater trust come greater innovation, creativity, impact, freedom, morale, and a bigger bottom line.

Precious Resource In our ever-expanding global community, our ability to reach across borders has created amazing oppor-tunities, but there is a challenge. Those opportunities do not always come easily, as we struggle to learn about the unfamiliar and wonder if we can trust what we do not yet understand.

Trust is not just a “soft skill”—it is the fundamental key to all lasting success. Though it may appear intan-gible, it is actually a measurable competency that can deliver real results in both our personal and profes-sional lives.

Based on my graduate research, and over a decade of leadership consulting, it has become clear to me that trust is the world’s most precious resource. No matter your position in life—parent, CEO, or soccer coach—your ability to inspire trust has a direct impact on your influence and success.

The

Crisis and

How to Beat ItBy David Horsager


There are eight pillars identified in my research that are key to building and supporting trust:

Clarity: People trust the clear and mistrust the ambiguous. Clarity requires honesty. With honesty comes the need to share your vision, your purpose, and your expectations. Once people have a good understanding of what you stand for, where you want to go, and the role they play in your vision, it is easier for them to trust in your leadership.

Compassion: People put faith in those who care beyond themselves. Show that you can look beyond your own needs and wants. Trust and the ability to show empathy go hand in hand. There is a reason why we still hear, “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Character: People notice those who do what’s right over what’s easy. Character is a complex word, but for our purposes let us consider its two main components to be integrity and moral-ity. With integrity, you are consistent with your thoughts, words, and actions. Add that to a strong moral compass, a sense of right and wrong, and you are giving people someone they can trust.

Competency: People have confidence in those who stay fresh, relevant, and capable. Know-ing how to do your job well matters. Whether it is a dentist performing a root canal or a mechanic replacing your transmission, you want to know the person is competent to do the job right. The same applies to you. If you want people to trust you, make competency a priority.

Commitment: People believe in those who stand with them through adversity. In this in-stance, actions definitely speak louder than words. So if you say something matters to you, be pre-pared to show it to the people whose trust you want. It can mean demonstrating tenacity and sometimes even stubbornness, and making it clear you will see things through to the end.

Connection: People want to follow, buy from, and be around friends. It’s easier to trust a friend than a stranger, so look for ways to engage with

people and build relationships. You can start by learning to ask great questions. Use these ques-tions to connect with people, to find the common ground you share. We find it easier to trust when we have a sense that we connect in some area.

Contribution: People immediately respond to results. By giving of yourself and your talents, you are investing in others. And if you are serious about making a difference, you need to invest in the actions that will make your vision a reality. People trust those who actually do, rather than just talk about doing.

Consistency: People love to see the little things done regularly. While all the pillars are important for building trust, failing to be consistent can undermine your efforts. Think of consistency like a savings account. Put a little in each day and, over time, it will pay you back in safety and secu-rity. Remember: it is unlikely that you will get one big chance to be trusted. Instead, you will have scores of small ones. Like the savings account, when you respond consistently you will see the results build up over time.

Right now we have an opportunity to be agents of change. We cannot regain trust in business or gov-ernment if we do not trust each other, and it starts with you. It is through individuals that we can re-build trust in our communities and our institutions. Have the courage to act on what you know to be true, that trust is the foundation of all genuine and lasting success.

David Horsager, MA, CSP, is an award-winning speaker, business strategist, and author of the national bestseller, The Trust Edge: How Top Leaders Gain Faster Results, Deeper Relationships, and a Stronger Bottom Line. His work has been featured in such publications as The Wall Street Journal, Fast Company, and SUCCESS Magazine, and his cli-ents range everywhere from the u.S. Congress and New York Yankees to Wells Fargo and goodyear tire. Learn more and get free resources at www.DavidHorsager.com and www.thetrustedge.com.

Without trust, leaders lose teams and salespeople lose sales. Without trust, we all lose productivity, retention of good people, reputation, morale, and revenue.

Continue the conversation at the Connected Community at community.amsp.org/home.


Qualified Business ReplyEmPLOyEE TErmINATION PurSuANT TO AN uNLAWFuL CONFIDENTIALITy ruLE IS LAWFuLIn Flex Frac Logistics, LLC, 358 NLRB No. 127 (2012), the National Labor Relations Board (in a decision later upheld by a federal appeals court in New Orleans) held the employer’s confidentiality policy was unlawfully overbroad, and, as a result, could inhibit employees from discussing terms and conditions of employment (i.e., wages, benefits, and the like). Thus, according to the Board, the policy violated employees’ right to discuss these issues under Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). (See our article at www.jacksonlewis.com, “Policy Restricting Employees from Discussing Wage Info with Outsiders Ruled Unlawful.”)

Now, however, the Board has upheld an Administrative Law Judge’s decision recommending dismissal of a separate allegation, that an employee’s discharge pursuant to the unlawful rule also violated the NLRA, thus sustaining the discharge. Flex Frac Logistics, LLC, 360 NLRB No. 120 (2014).

The employer’s policy, of which its employees were aware, was to keep its client rates confidential to prevent competitors from underbidding the employer and to prevent the employer’s subcontractors from increasing their charges based on the rates the employer was charging its customers.

An employee in the employer’s accounting department used her position to access the employer’s client rates. When she tried to show them to a co-worker, the co-worker reported the conversation to his supervisor who, in turn, informed higher management. Within days, the employer received calls from two of its subcontractors claiming to know the rates the employer was charging its customers and demanding more money to perform the employer’s deliveries based on those rates.

The employer discharged the employee, believing she had informed the subcontractors of the customer rates. The employee charged the employer had unlawfully discharged her pursuant to the overbroad confidentiality policy.

Applying its decision in Continental Group, 357 NLRB No. 39 (2011), that discipline pursuant to an overbroad rule is unlawful if the employee was engaged in protected activity or was engaged in conduct that “. . . otherwise implicates the concerns underlying Section 7,” the Board found the discharge was lawful.

Although the second (“otherwise implicates”) prong of the Continental Group test may have been fulfilled, the NLRB held nevertheless that because the employer had a legitimate confidentiality interest in its client rates and it reasonably believed the employee deliberately betrayed the employer’s articulated confidentiality interest and harmed its business, the employee’s dismissal pursuant to the rule was

lawful.

The Board deemed irrelevant the employee’s denial that she had disclosed the rates and the absence of proof that in fact she had violated the employer’s rule. According to the Board, because the employer had a reasonable belief that the employee had violated the policy, the

discharge was lawful even if the employee had not disclosed the rates.

The Board also concluded that the employee’s discharge would not chill other employees’ Section 7 rights. Other employees, to the extent they were aware of what happened to the offending employee, would determine the employee was discharged for gross misconduct and not because of the application of the unlawful confidentiality rule, the Board stated.

Therefore, even if an employer’s policy or rule is found to violate the NLRA, all is not lost. That policy or rule still may be enforced, even to the point of discipline or discharge, as long as the conduct to which the enforcement is directed does not implicate Section 7 rights.

Chris Antone is AMSP’s labor counsel. Antone is the managing partner of the Dallas office of Jackson Lewis LLP. Celebrating 31 years with Jackson Lewis, for the past four years Chris was named one of the top 100 labor lawyers in the country by the Labor Relations institute.



Howie Fenton is an association Senior Consultant specializing in digital technology and workflow issues. Reach him at (201) 523-6328 or [email protected], or follow his blog at http://napl.org/author/hfenton/.

Technology TrendsWEB-TO-PrINT: FACT, FICTION, AND FABLE Since the late 1990s, service providers have researched, purchased, and tried to implement successful Web-to-print (W2P) solutions. At present, although various market research companies report differing numbers, it’s likely that between one-third and one-half of the companies in our industry now have added W2P solutions. When asked if the investment was worthwhile, some report yes, while others say no. Ironically, there may be just as many questions today as there were almost two decades ago, but our latest research may offer some insights into what separates the successes from the failures.

When we ask companies about their W2P solutions, they often talk about features such as publishing a price list, allowing customers to attach files to e-mails, and sending PDF proofs back to customers. But a Web-to-print solution is more than just publishing a price list on your website, giving customers an FTP site to drop files, or offering a shopping cart to order. Web-to-print solutions should provide much more functionality, but may require internal staff for maintenance or programming, or may need custom programming to do so. Typical costs range from $5,000 to $50,000 a year.

The more valuable Web-to-print implementations offer:

• Pricing (price lists or estimates).• Inputting job specs.• Ability to send large files.• Ability to order and reorder work.• Job tracking/status updates on the progress of jobs.• Automating prepress tasks, e.g., preflighting, viewing

imposition, etc.• Customizing standard “templated” products, e.g., busi-

ness cards, letterhead, etc.• Ability to automatically transfer files to prepress or a

print queue.• Customer’s ability to view, mark up, or approve proofs.• Billing the customer directly via credit card or passing

billing to the Print MIS system.

Promise and reality Over the last several months, we embarked on two studies to help us better understand the impact of W2P. In Decem-ber, 2013, we published a white paper entitled, “Web-to-Print: The Promise, the Potential, and the Reality.” Earlier this year, we went a step further and surveyed customers about which workflow solutions they considered most worthwhile, including Web-to-print. Both studies were sponsored by Xerox. Here is some of what we found:

Fact: There is no doubt that some companies successfully utilize the estimating, customer service, prepress function-ality, and template-based features (e.g., business cards) of W2P solutions. For those companies who master it, these tools can add value by making it easier to order, reduce manufacturing costs, and increase productivity.

Fiction: Simply buying or implementing a W2P solution will not ensure your success or guarantee you will speed up production, reduce manufacturing costs, or improve profitability.

Fable: All your work cannot be handled via W2P. Neither all your customers nor all your work will fit comfortably into a W2P workflow. While many claim to overcome the integration issues of W2P with print MIS systems and pre-press PDF workflow software, most have not.

We found that the majority of those using W2P solutions had enjoyed improved automation/fewer touches per job and increased sales and profitability. On the other hand, about half were disappointed because not enough clients were using the service and about one-third found clients using only a limited number of their W2P system features.(See the feature on page 16 for more on the results of this research.)

Our most recent research involves asking study partici-pants what type of workflow software they were using, what investment they had made (or were planning to make) in it, and how worthwhile they considered that investment to be. Of the nine workflow products we asked about, four were considered by respondents to be most valuable: variable data printing software, prepress PDF workflow software, print MIS systems, and W2P solutions.

Early Conclusions Although we are still analyzing data, following are some of the early conclusions being reached on the basis of this new research:

• W2P has the potential of automating sales, estimat-ing, customer service, and prepress, resulting in the ability to accept more work with fewer people and drive profitability higher.

• Successful service providers encourage their staff to change how they position, sell, and service work go-ing through the W2P software, and they include their clients in the creation of the W2P site and require-ments.

• Certain template-driven applications are better suited to the W2P software (e.g., stationery products). Some of the more successful companies better motivate their customers to adopt templated applications.

• Leading service providers invest in training for staff and appoint either a champion or subject matter ex-pert who supports the sales effort and offers internal training to staff and external training to customers.

• W2P solutions are not inexpensive or easy to im-plement. Fully featured systems range from about $35,000 to $85,000, and implementation requires between four-to-six months. The price and time requirements often leave a bad taste, resulting in the “least worthwhile” conclusion of respondents when implementations are unsuccessful.



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RevieWebinarwMembers and loyal readers who receive Postal Points are invited to attend our FRee Postal Points RevieWebinar. Registration will be taken on a first-come,

first-served basis. (Membership and subscription status will be verified before registration is accepted.)

NAPL proudly welcomes the companies below as valued Partners. A Partnership with NAPL is designed to help supplier companies gain an increased presence among our industry’s leading companies. Our Partners have an active involvement with NAPL membership and an ongoing commitment to advancing the graphic communications industry.

AccuZIP, Inc. Adphos North America, Inc.

Bell and Howell Canon Solutions America

GmC Software Hewlett Packard

interlinkONE melissa Data

rr Donnelley Logistics Satori Software virtual Systems

Western States Envelope Company

Canon KBA

Konica minolta mANrOLAND

Xerox

For information about becoming a partner, contact NAPL at 800-642-6275.



Qualified Business ReplyCrEATE LONG TErm SuCCESS WITH WEB-TO-PrINT

John Foley, Jr. is Ceo of interlinkoNe and grow Socially. John helps companies get inquiries and leads utilizing inbound marketing strategies (they come to you!). His approach includes consulting, web development, software and unique strategies. Learn more about John at JohnFoleyJr.com, and his companies, interlinkoNe.com and growSocially.com.

Web-to-print is a valuable tool in your toolkit when it comes to creating long term success for your printing business. Web-to-print solutions offer your customers outstanding flexibility, cost effectiveness, and control over their end product, making you their go-to solution for their printing needs.

However, this isn’t a case of “if you offer the solutions, the customers will come.” The key to success with Web-to-print is understanding how it meets your customers’ needs and making sure they know that.

Why Your Customers Need Web-to-Print Web-to-print is a convenient and flexible solution for your customers, so communicate that to them. Of course ease of ordering is an obvious benefit of Web-to-print, but the advantages go far beyond that:

• No messy paperwork or processing of orders

• No time spent checking physical proofs

• No money lost due to over-ordering

• No running out of inventory and needing to place a huge order to fix it

• No finding printed materials are out of date because of a small change

Web-to-print can save your customers time and money in all these ways, so make sure you communicate that to them in an engaging and relatable way, increasing the visibility of your Web-to-print solutions.

Don’t Just Sell Printing – Sell a Marketing Solution There’s more to Web-to-print than flexibility and convenience—strong selling points though they are. Web-to-print is also a marketing solution for your customers, giving them complete control of the design and tone of their materials. Instead of ordering print materials from different

locations, everything can be done through one central hub—keeping the colors, logo, and layout consistent for better overall brand consistency.

Provide your customers with useful information and make sure that your Web-to-print is backed up with strong customer service. From clear instructions to an intuitive user interface, your Web-to-print solution should be simple to use.

The quality of your Web-to-print solution combined with how effectively you communicate its importance to customers will determine whether they see it as “just a thing you offer” or as something vital to their business. Offer them real value and your Web-to-print service will become a strong part of your business.



Tracking ResultsDON’T WAIT FOr yOur CuSTOmEr TO ASKYour phone is ringing and you notice on the caller ID that it is your BEST client. You know, the one who rarely discusses price, always pays on time, values service over any other criteria, and never has a rush project. The conversation goes something like this:“Good morning Joe, how are you doing today? I hope that project we delivered last week worked out well and your client was pleased.”Joe responds with,“The project was great as always, thank you. But I do have a question. Last week I was asked to look into online print solutions. I was wondering, what does your online ordering system look like?”GULP!!!!!! And so the journey begins into the world of Web-to-print technologies.

Provide Solutions Let me begin with suggesting that you do not want to find yourself in this position. If you do not have a Web-to-print solution, I can almost guarantee that most of your competitors do and they are setting the expectations with your clients, thus putting you on the defensive. If you gain nothing else from this article, please do yourself this favor: Put your company in the position to be the one providing the solution to your client rather than responding to another company showing your client the solution.Evaluating Web-to-print solutions can be a daunting undertaking. Here are good starting points to consider:• Will you be integrating Web-to-print with your

current MIS (management information system) program? If so, you will need a programmer to look at the types of projects you will be handling through the portal. Some systems cannot handle complex projects that require multiple production steps (e.g., covers, text, bindery). If this is the case, rekeying the order into your MIS system will require extra time and add opportunities for a mistake.

• How are you delivering the finished project? If everything is being delivered to one location, most systems can handle this pretty efficiently. But what about a large order that gets broken into 15 or 20 different delivery locations? Not all systems are created equal.

• Will your client want to edit artwork online? If the edits are simple text changes, such as updating a business card, most systems will normally handle this this relatively smoothly. I would suggest a system that creates a viewable PDF for approval so the proofing responsibility lies with the client. Graphics and logos are not as simple. There are resolution requirements, dimension challenges, and color problems, to name a few. We have found that controlling what graphical edits can be made through a pull-down

selection process works best. • Is there an approval process required for online

orders? Some systems have the capability of turning on or turning off administrative approval, others don’t. Please discuss this thoroughly with your clients prior to selecting your Web-to-print solution.

• How many storefronts will you need and how are they going to be branded? Most of today’s solutions have unlimited storefronts, but some still charge a fee that varies based on how many storefronts you require. You can figure each client will need a unique interface, plus any storefront(s) you may want for general advertising/marketing purposes.

Wants and Needs These few items only scratch the surface on Web-to-print interfaces. Helping your clients navigate through wants and needs could be your most difficult challenge. Customers often expect an Amazon.com experience, yet that business model is based on purchasing a pre-manufactured product, while we are providing customized manufacturing based on a specific demand. Finally, please give yourself enough time to successfully analyze and implement the correct solution for you. Building a client-specific storefront with log-ins, permission levels of product and shipping options, a catalogue of products, internal testing, external testing, and final implementation can take 30 to 90 days depending on the complexity of the client. If you are in a reactionary mode, it can be almost impossible to catch up.

Keith Kemp is President of Xerographic Digital Printing, orlando, FL, and a former Chairman of NAPL. Reach him at

(407) 236-0616 or [email protected]

AMSP/NAPL/NAQP | Bottom Line | August 2014 31 30 AMSP/NAPL/NAQP | Bottom Line | August 2014

INCrEASE DELIvErABILITy & SAvE mONEy Melissa Data’s popular Data Hygiene and Data Enhancement services, such

as automated 48-month NCOALink® processing, DSF2® processing, and sup-pressions like deceased/inmate and the DMA’s Do-not-Mail list will help you improve campaign deliverability and save money by qualifying mailings for

maximum postal discounts. Call 1-800-800-MAIL or visit www.MelissaData.com/dataservices

rISING ENErGy COSTS DrAGGING DOWN yOur PrOFITS?

The AMSP/NAPL/NAQP member Energy Program will help you find the best rates for your electricity and natural gas. It did for Kevin Dempsey of Spring Quality Printing, Wilmington, DE. “Having NAPL do the research and comparisons really saved me time and clarified the most suitable

options. They were able to save us over 25% on our energy costs.”Learn more at http://ilink.me/NAPLenergy or call (201) 523-6314.

NEED HELP? CALL POSTAL 911... THE POSTAL HOTLINESpeak with the postal professor, George Heinrich, for advice on postal

regulation, mail acceptance, or operational issues. This is an AMSP/NAPL/NAQP membership benefit—the first 30 minutes is complimentary. George can be reached at (303) 325-3048, 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Mountain Time. Need help with a postal regulation? Remember the AMSP/NAPL/NAQP Communities

Open Forum or contact Leo Raymond at (800) 333-6272, ext. 203.

Printed on 70lb. Sterling Litho Premium text.

Manufactured in North America.

WELCOmE NEW mEmBErS

AMSP/NAPL/NAQP Chapters

GET INvOLvED WITH yOur LOCAL CHAPTEr TODAy!

Chapters provide educational and networking op-portunities and are a great resource of information that affects the industry.

the regional chapters are governed by local volunteers and function under the umbrella of the national headquarters. they serve their specific regions, each with its own opportunities and challenges.

More information can be found online at: AMSP.org/chapters or call Leo Raymond at (703) 836-9200 ext. 203.

Northwest ChapterPresident: Cindy gulling, Seattle Mailing Bureau

Pacific ChapterPresident: tom Duchene, tDMS

New England ChapterPresident: Luis Sepulveda, universalWilde

Southwest ChapterPresident: Stan Hastings, Commercial Mail Service

Chesapeake ChapterPresident: Ken gossett, AMi

Rocky Mountain ChapterFor more information, please contact Leo Raymond, AMSP.

Ohio Valley ChapterPresident: tammy Caserta, think Patented

Great Lakes ChapterFor more information, please contact Leo Raymond, AMSP.

Southeast ChapterPresident: Scott Coggin, dDirect

Philadelphia ChapterFor more information, please contact Leo Raymond, AMSP.

Great Plains ChapterBoard Member: Craig Schiller, Action Mailing Services

New York ChapterPresident: tim Kennon, McVicker & HigginbothamFor more information on meetings or member information, contact Jim Prendergast at (212) 217-6824.

ADVERTISEBOTTOm LINE

UPCOMING EDITORIAL THEMES and SPACE DEADLINES:

October: Marketing September 1, 2014

Contact Kimberly Kight for both editorial and advertising opportunities at [email protected] or

(703) 836-9200.

AM Lithography Corp., Chicopee, MA

Bentley Printing & Graphics, Inc., Garden Grove, CA

Blumberg Excelsior Inc., Brooklyn, NY

The Calagaz Group, Mobile, AL

Delmarva Broadcasting Company, Wilmington, DE

E-Lim Inc., dba Graphics Impression, Houston, TX

Embee Tiling LLC, Lakewood, NJ

FGS, Aurora, IL

Ion Print Solutions, Nisku, AB, Canada

KJ Global Enterprises, La Palma, CA

Lancaster Newspapers, Inc., Lancaster, PA

Madaba Enterprises, Inc., dba Quality Design and Print, Tavares, FL

Mailers Mart, Fort Worth, TX

NOVA Office Strategies, Inc., Charlotte, NC

Portfolio Center, Atlanta, GA

Postal Center International, Inc., Fort Lauderdale, FL

Quality Letter Service, Inc., New York, NY

Randd Associates Printing & Promotions, Inc., West Carrollton, OH

Red Brick Corp., dba Design Printing, Los Angeles, CA

Responsive Call Center, Miami, FL

Giving Back: An Industry Tradition Once-and-Future Industry Leaders Dealing with Postal Innovation


Mike Philie is Senior Vice President at AMSP/NAPL/NAQP where he heads its Business Advisory team and focuses on sales and sales management, as well as business development and growth strat-egies. Contact him at (201) 523-6302 or [email protected].

As an organization, you are working at staying ahead of the curve with new technology and services to offer your clients. In fact, you and your team have identified several existing clients that could benefit from a Web-to-print (W2P) solution so you made the plunge. But that plunge is more than software. It’s also making sure that you have the internal support structure to properly integrate and execute your W2P solution. Now comes the hard part—convincing your sales team to introduce these solutions to your clients.

You’ll hear it all from your salespeople and you’ll hear it all too often: “I’m waiting until I’m sure we won’t mess it up.” “I’m not going to jeopardize this great print account by introducing this technology when we really don’t know how it works.” You’ll soon find that the challenge of selling W2P is not just selling it to your clients, but selling it to your sales staff as well.

To succeed on both fronts, here are a few fundamental issues you should address:

• Do you have the internal competency to properly execute and support your W2P solution?

• Do your clients belong to the rep or do they belong to your company?

• Are you providing the proper training for your sales reps on how these solutions work so they can confidently present this to your clients (preferably in a team-sell environment)? You’ll need to cover not only the technology segment of training but also the consultative skills necessary to position this solution to the correct audience (in many cases, not the print buyer).

Changing role Many legacy reps feel that they need to be involved in every step of a sales transaction and that without their direct oversight the client will be disappointed. They wonder if W2P will make their role obsolete. They need to understand that their role will change, but that means they will now have more time to develop new business and have higher-level communications with their clients, such as strategic conversations about marketing initiatives. These are issues you’ll need to help reps overcome and guide them as they redirect their efforts.

Perhaps the most troubling issue to salespeople is how they will be compensated in a Web-to-print scenario when

they are no longer handling every estimate, quote, proof, delivery, etc. Having worked with and visited many print, marketing, and direct mail service providers, I have seen that there is no “one size fits all” when it come to sales compensation.

The traditional draw on commissions or salary based on $xx amount of sales plus a bonus may still be relevant if your business is primarily transactional. If your business is focused on providing “solutions” or selling programs or Web-to-print solutions, the “sell a job, ring the bell, get a check” method may be obsolete.

It’s time to create the objective expectations of the job, the metrics that you’ll use to evaluate performance, and pay a respectful salary with bonus incentives. The bonus can be tied to meeting certain sales levels, program sales, etc. Daniel Pink speaks to this in his 2009 Ted Talk, “The Puzzle of Motivation,” (http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation). I think you’ll find it interesting.

For solution providers, the “sales” business has moved from meet enough people, quote enough projects, and win your share of work to take a collaborative, insightful approach that earns a place at the table with the true decision makers. This will give you a chance to craft the best approach, bring up the issues (and potential solutions) no one else has brought up, and provide the roadmap to a successful integration and execution.

Your salespeople should understand that losing the responsibility of delivering one-off transactional quotes and proofs to W2P customers, but gaining the opportunity to develop real client-partnering, solutions-based interactions will ultimately lead to stronger, more lucrative, long-term sales relationships and yield more desirable outcomes for both your company and your sales staff.

Against the GrainTHE CHALLENGES OF SELLING WEB-TO-PrINT

Perhaps the most troubling issue to salespeople is how they will be compensated in a Web-to-print scenario when they are no longer handling every estimate, quote, proof, delivery, etc.


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