How to Increase Customer Experience, Improve Financial Performance, and Prove Strategic Value

In-plants are often challenged to prove their value, financially maintain their internal business, and compete with commercial alternatives. One of the most effective ways for in-plants to strengthen their position is by focusing on the customer experience (CX). RSA, a leader in workflow automation and Web-to-Print solutions, provides the technology and insights that enable in-plant printers to improve their customer satisfaction and directly impact their operational success and long-term sustainability.

As highlighted in my white paper for RSA, How Web-to-Print Ordering Impacts Customers' Satisfaction and the Customer Experience, customer expectations have been reshaped by leading e-commerce platforms like Amazon. Known as the "Amazon Effect," this shift has elevated customer demands for fast, transparent, and seamless ordering experiences across industries-including print. For in-plant printers, the implications are clear: a poor online ordering process, unclear pricing, or inconsistent communication can push internal clients to seek external vendors, sometimes in direct violation of organizational policies. In one university example cited in the white paper, dissatisfaction with the in-plant's ordering process led a department to outsource work, costing the in-plant over $200,000 in lost revenue.

RSA's WebCRD and workflow automation solutions help in-plants meet these higher expectations by simplifying and improving the ordering experience. WebCRD provides an intuitive, user-friendly online portal where internal customers can submit jobs, view estimates, approve proofs, and track order status-all with the ease and convenience users now expect from e-commerce companies. This mirrors the best practices highlighted in the white paper, such as easy reordering, transparent pricing, and a friendly, efficient user interface-all identified as critical elements of customer satisfaction.

Improving The Customer Experience

However, improving customer experience is not just about technology; it's about listening and responding to feedback. As my research emphasizes, many in-plants assume they deliver superior customer service yet fail to validate those assumptions through structured feedback mechanisms like customer surveys or Net Promoter Score (NPS) analysis. The white paper reveals that while 80% of companies believe they provide excellent service, only 8% of their customers agree. RSA's tools and your customer-centric measurement approaches like NPS help in-plants close this "delivery gap" by turning customer insights into actionable improvements.

The financial justification for investing in RSA's solutions is equally compelling. According to the Keypoint Intelligence | InfoTrends survey cited in the white paper, the average savings from improving online ordering processes through automation is estimated at over $110,000 annually. Combined with the average $90,000 in lost work due to customer dissatisfaction, the cost of poor CX for a small-to-midsize in-plant can easily exceed $200,000 annually. RSA's automation directly addresses these challenges by improving workflow efficiency, reducing manual errors, and delivering the ordering experience that internal clients expect.

The Most Common Avoidable Print Production Mistake

One of the most common yet avoidable mistakes identified in the white paper is underestimating the importance of the online ordering experience. When in-plants fail to make ordering easy and transparent, they risk losing customers-even those required by policy to use the internal print shop. The in-plant example discussed in the white paper avoided closure by upgrading its Web-to-Print system and addressing workflow bottlenecks, proving that proactive listening and action can turn dissatisfaction into success.

The white paper also offers lessons learned from Amazon that are highly applicable to in-plant printers. These include providing easy reordering options, ensuring pricing transparency, and designing fast, intuitive, and user-friendly websites. RSA's WebCRD incorporates these principles, making it easier for in-plant customers to navigate the ordering process, understand costs upfront, and receive timely updates on their print jobs.

Ultimately, RSA's technology and approach align perfectly with the need for in-plant printers to elevate their customer experience. By offering tools that simplify ordering, automate workflows, and support data-driven decision-making, RSA empowers in-plants to meet the high expectations set by modern e-commerce, retain internal customers, and reinforce their strategic role within the organization. In today's competitive landscape, in-plants that prioritize customer experience-not just production capacity-are the ones best positioned to thrive.

Summary

In-plant operations must meet "Amazon-level" expectations for speed, transparency, and self-service or risk losing work to outside vendors. RSA's WebCRD platform answers that challenge: it gives internal customers an intuitive portal to submit jobs, receive instant pricing, approve proofs, and track status in real-time-features that directly raise CX scores and prevent costly outsourcing.

When these tools are coupled with structured feedback such as Net Promoter Score surveys, in-plants can identify service gaps and turn insights into workflow improvements. Industry data show that modern web-to-print automation saves the average shop more than $110K annually and can recapture another $90K otherwise lost to dissatisfied customers. By embracing Amazon-like convenience, reduced estimating times, price transparency, and continuous CX measurement, in-plants safeguard revenue, reinforce their strategic value, and position themselves to thrive. Are you tired of losing work to external providers? Are you ready to protect revenue and prove your strategic value? Schedule a quick discovery call or request a live WebCRD demo today and see how effortless an excellent customer experience can be.