Get the Respect You Deserve

When your in-plant competes against commercial printers for jobs within your parent organization, you often end up competing just to be heard. Commercial printers paint a bleak picture of in-plants that colors the minds of upper management, and many in-plants don't work hard enough to fight that image.

In an article from the IPG archives, titled “Get the Respect You Deserve,” Mike Llewellyn cautions managers not to hide from management and assume this will save them from getting the axe. In-plant managers must try to create a better image of their department through attention to detail and communication, stressing the benefits of lower costs, convenience and consistent quality. You might even consider hiring a consultant or asking the company to bring in one of its own to get the benefits of an in-plant in print.

Beyond the simple dollars-and-cents argument, work constantly with customers to make yourself an integral part of their print decisions. Even if a job is outsourced, you can likely get them a better price and a better-looking product than they could have achieved on their own.

Read the full story, "Get the Respect You Deserve," here.