The challenges associated with migration to new technology
The UK print industry has all three types of mindset within its ranks, and many consider the print sector to be somewhat more conservative than most. Whether this is true is a moot point, but whatever the truth, any business that undergoes migration to a new technology, however progressive their mindset may be, will inevitably face challenges along the way. Technology migration affects business processes, which need to be reassessed, and most importantly it affects people. People are naturally resistant to change, taking comfort from tried and trusted practices that have stood them in good stead for long periods of time.
Ricoh’s experience is that increasing numbers of printing organisations are becoming hungry to learn about how they can undergo change and shape a more efficient business that meets the needs of their customers better. The consensus, which this paper seeks to strengthen, is that business transformation is now a necessity, and alongside the right printing technology and business solutions, this must be supported with education, training and support, based on the insight provided by experience.
Any plan that involves the implementation of new technology as part of a print business transformation requires careful consideration of the processes that will change and the impact that this will have upon business efficiency, as well as of the human impacts and how these can be managed. All of this should also be framed within the bigger picture of meeting customer needs. It should be about enabling the business to serve its customers better, as new services or better efficiency both can, even if this involves offering a product that is not printed output.
The keys to success, in Ricoh’s experience of helping print businesses to undergo such business transformation, are maintaining firm commitment to the vision and the plan, and setting and communicating expectations correctly at the start.
It is critical that business leaders have a vision for the transformation of the business, a well-designed blueprint for the framework that is to deliver better services or products. This calls for clear thinking right from the start of the process, to develop a deep understanding of how the proposed change will affect the business on numerous levels – beyond the printed page, in the efficient processes and more cost-effective utilisation of staff that the business transformation is designed to create.
This vision must be explained to and understood by the rest of the business. Expectations must be realistic and must be set out so that all can buy in to the project. The most successful business transformation projects that Ricoh has assisted with have been where expectations were set at the start and then delivered efficiently. In these examples, there has been total inclusion of all key stakeholders that the transformation will affect, from top to bottom, giving them ownership and making them all accountable and jointly responsible.
It would be fair to say, however, that not every business transformation project moves forward in this perfect way. The biggest danger is that a disconnect occurs between the management team’s vision and the tactical implementation of that vision. A product or solution may be chosen to suit a particular customer’s needs, for example, as part of the transformation, but at some point in the future another solution is chosen for another need, in such a way that tangles the original vision. The vision has been lost from sight or muddied.
Another pitfall can be failing to keep a tight rein on the actual delivery of the benefits that a business transformation project is intended to provide. You might implement a new system that is designed to improve efficiency and reduce cost, but how do you know that it is actually doing so? Very often, print businesses go into such transformational projects with the best intentions, only to let slip the focus on the main goal over time.
These kinds of pitfalls can be avoided through ongoing monitoring of the business and the process of transformation – to check at regular intervals that the promise of the original vision is being adhered to and that the results which were supposed to accrue are being realised. But it really does require close attention to be paid to avoid this “mission drift” from happening. Building a focused and well-motivated project team, with representation from all levels of employees within the company, and with strong support from the top of the business, is the kind of consensus that can propel business transformation to a successful conclusion.
We mentioned FCS Laser Mail in an earlier chapter – a continuous feed digital printer that has invested heavily in new printing technology and in its infrastructure, as it became the first UK user of Ricoh’s Avanti MIS system. This is a company that has been through many of the processes described above. Director Steve Beeching commented: “We took the decision to ensure the technology we purchased had to be scalable and provide our company an attractive total cost of ownership. This is what the inkjet and Avanti MIS software system embodies by giving full control over the entire production process.”
