A few years ago, one of our digital printing vendors paid a visit to our in-plant. The discussion was pretty routine. At some point in the conversation, however, the vendor turned to me and asked a question I had never heard before.
In-plant Insights
We live in an age of data. It influences nearly every business decision that gets made. Embracing data and analytics in your in-plant is an important way to express the value you bring — in terms that data-minded decision makers can appreciate.
In-plants do much more than “just” print. Many provide variable data, text messaging, email and social media services. If customers don’t know this, they may be bringing the print component of campaigns to your in-plant and handing off the other deliverables, to other departments/outside resources. That approach fragments messaging, compromising color consistency and campaign effectiveness.
University in-plants are very different from corporate and other in-house printing operations. For one, their goals are different, and they can frequently shift as administrative focuses change from year to year.
The key to winning over marketing is to understand their goals, help them achieve them, and show how you can deliver them services.
Sometimes, all you need for innovation is a jump start and a fresh perspective.