With the rapid advancement in AI, automation is at a tipping point. Today, machines (both hardware and software) are able to carry out more of the repetitive tasks done by humans across industries, thus enabling the latter to focus on high-performance jobs in their niche.
Today’s print market is no exception and faces various challenges when it comes to business growth. The need for shorter and faster print runs, better customer support, versatile printing techniques, and flexible pricing has put printers under massive pressure.
That is not surprising since branded competition is rife, and consumer behaviors change by the second. Moreover, 70% of printing businesses reported a significant decline in print volumes since the pandemic began.
However, the outbreak has also presented them with an opportunity to deploy new operating models and increase the use of online product design tools — thus enabling an uptick in cloud-based digital workflow solutions.
By 2022, the global commercial printing industry is estimated to grow annually at 0.8% from $785 million in 2017 — all thanks to automation! So, if you are wondering if investing in the technology is the right way to go, here are seven reasons to do so:
1. Faster order placements
With the increased emphasis on cost-savings, you can encourage your customers to enjoy self-service access to certain specifics about their potential order that would usually require a call with a sales representative to close.
For instance, a web-to-print storefront could provide a real-time quotation that allows the customers to insert the details of their order, such as the quantity to print, size of the artwork, material type, and more to find out how much the printing job will cost them.
This enables them to take a call quickly regarding the purchase. Plus, when you provide them ready-to-print customizable templates to work on, they also save money on design — leading to faster order placements.
2. Improvements in customer on-boarding
Since web-to-print automates even the most tedious processes, the sales representatives do not have to spend time sharing the bespoke pricing themselves. Instead, they can focus on connecting with those customers who have checked the pricing online but did not place the order and convince them to complete the process.
Automation decreases bottlenecks while uplifting their shopping experience and saving your money. Your customers can be confident that they can get improved support with intelligent interfaces (applications) and are more thrilled to come back and buy from you.
3. Reduced errors in orders
Many print service providers are faced with a growing demand for quicker operations — wherein they turn around improvements or advanced personalization at the last minute. This often delays the printing process.
Since your customers upload the artwork for print on the web-to-print storefront or personalize the ready-to-print templates themselves, it removes layers of the traditional approval process (involving your sales reps and in-house graphic designers), thus shortening the buying cycle.
Automation ensures the ball is in the customer’s court, and it is up to them to approve the design proof and get on with the printing job. The automated design workflows and faster approvals reduce the errors in the graphics and also expedites order processing.
4. Better operational visibility
Customers continue to have access to the latest updates on the state of operations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Meaning, they can keep track of their order — from artwork approvals to payment confirmation to shipment delivery. Automation makes things easier!
You see, it is not cost-effective for many print service providers to have a dedicated agent available to tackle consumer queries and complaints. Moreover, if you are a printing company that runs a marketplace and has many vendors selling on your storefront, this demands greater operational visibility for you.
Consequently, more and more printers are investing in web-to-print technologies to enhance customer and vendor engagement.
5. Accurate printing results
It is normal for people to make mistakes, and they can happen at the time of writing down print instructions, forgetting to assign PMS colors to the print files, or feeding the sheet in the press incorrectly, and so on.
Automation not only saves time but elimination mistakes but also delivers more consistently correct output. With better utilization and fewer process errors, more print jobs get done in a shorter span, thus driving the total operational costs down.
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6. Seamless online payments
Most web-to-print storefronts come with a plethora of payment options for customers to choose from. One of the biggest reasons why consumers in general abandon eCommerce shopping carts is the checkout process.
If you automate a simple payment process with easy refund policies and no hidden charges, your customers will keep returning for more because of the breezy shopping experience. Convenience is everything in this day and age!
The goal of any business is to preserve cash flow. Invoicing will run automatically as soon as the agreement meets its completion by enhancing the transparency of production processes and automated data collection.
7. Expansion to value-added services
Suppose we are talking about adding mobile (or QR) barcodes on packaging or marketing to create customized landing pages as a supplement to advertising mail. In that case, printing is no longer the only service provided.
Some services, such as web-to-print technology, can serve as a starting point for automating job submissions and ensure automated prepress checks to confirm that the files are ready for printing before they are received in the production process.
As we experience rising demand for more transparent communication and personalized printing, you get the chance to spend more time concentrating on value-added services while putting the classic printing tasks on autopilot.
Summing it up
Research shows 90% of print service providers say automating production workflows increases profitability per print job. Given the seven points we discussed above, we strongly agree that automation is the key to exponential business growth.
However, to succeed, your printing business needs the right web-to-print support that allows you to sell your services online to a broader audience comfortably. What do you think? Visit www.designnbuy.com for more info.