Searching for Content Related to "Howie Fenton"

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• Howie Fenton
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• 21 October 2019

Trend #3: Is Cycle Time the Most Important Thing?

Customers always want work faster but could the ability to turn work around faster become the most important service an in-plant can offer? In our two previous trends articles we discussed how in-plants can prepare for 2020 by overcoming staffing issues and increasing the in-plant's value. In this article we will expand on the importance of fast turnaround time and discuss how it can also shield the in-plant from outside threats.

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• Howie Fenton
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• 04 September 2019

In-plant Value: Trend #2 to Address in 2020

In-plant Value: Trend #2 to Address in 2020 Just as the application mix for most in-plants will change so will the perceived value of the in-plant. In our first article about preparing for trends in 2020 we discussed staffing issues and four ways in-plants are addressing this trend. In this article we will discuss how

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• Howie Fenton
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• 15 August 2019

Trends for In-Plants to Address in 2020

Trends for In-Plants to Address in 2020 As we approach the end of the year it is worthwhile to consider the trends that we see this year and consider how we will address them. This is the first in a series of blogs examining these trends and how to plan for next year with these

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• Howie Fenton
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• 18 July 2019

Preliminary Results of In-plant Survey Show Strength

Preliminary Results of In-plant Survey Show Strength. At the recent IPMA conference in Louisville, Kentucky we released the preliminary results from the 2019 "The Next Generation Tactics and Strategies for In-Plant Service Providers" survey. The results are some of the best data for in-plants reported in decades: 81% reported they met their financial objectives last

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 13 June 2019

How Ecommerce Workflows Impact Customer Experience and the Total Cost of a Poor Customer Experience

How Ecommerce Workflows Impact Customer Experience and the Total Cost of a Poor Customer Experience Blog #4 of our Customer Experience Series As we discussed in the previous articles in this customer experience series, the

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 10 May 2019

What’s the Cost of a Bad Customer Experience to an In-Plant?

What's the Cost of a Bad Customer Experience to an In-Plant? Blog #3 of Customer Experience Series You will be shocked when you hear the estimated costs to companies that have suffered from a bad customer experience. While the numbers are based on big companies selling consumer products, in-plants should be asking what the potential

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 19 April 2019

What We Can Learn from Amazon to Create a Better Customer Experience

What We Can Learn from Amazon to Create a Better Customer Experience The role of e-Commerce in the customer experience is increasing as more customers demand service like world class e-commerce sites such as Amazon. This is the second in a series of articles that talk about the role of software automation in enhancing superior

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• Howie Fenton
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• 15 March 2019

Two Common Mistakes in Understanding Your Customers' Experience

Two mistakes in-plants make in understanding their customer's experience: disbelief of unfavorable surveys and underestimating the importance of online ordering websites.

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 19 February 2019

2019 Roadmap: Are you thinking Outside the Box?

In-plant print centers who include out-of-the box thinking, integration and faster turnaround in their plan will create additional value and a 2019 road map for success. Part 2 of a series.

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 18 January 2019

2019 Roadmap: Planning for Change

As the calendar year changes it's prudent to prepare for change. Industry research or customer surveys are information sources to guide direction and decisions.

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 06 December 2018

How Does Web to Print Provide Benefits to the In-plant and the Customer?

How Does Web to Print Provide Benefits to the In-Plant and the Customer? In a previous blog (Software Ownership, Reducing Costs and Adding Value), we presented the idea that the most valuable software has benefits for the in-plant staff and for the customer. Unfortunately, the chart did not make a strong case

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 16 November 2018

WTP Relieves Pricing Pressure When it Enhances the Customer Experience

WTP Relieves Pricing Pressure When it Enhances the Customer Experience Why Web to Print May or May Not Enhance Your Value and Customer's Experience- Part 2 This is the second article in a two-part series that talks about the role of Web to print in customer satisfaction, the perception of value, and the impact on

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 19 October 2018

Why Web to Print May or May Not Enhance Your Value and Customer’s Experience

This is the first of a two-part series that talks about the role of Web to print in customer satisfaction and your customer's perception of value. Anyone not offering Web to print should realize that Web to print software can not

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 12 September 2018

Software Ownership, Reducing Costs and Adding Value

Software Ownership, Reducing Costs and Adding Value The latest research from In-Plant Graphics magazine is worth looking at. The study is entitled, "Software and Automation Trends in the In-Plant industry." One of the questions was

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 17 August 2018

4 Benefits of Workflow Automation. Which is your Favorite?

Over the last few months, we have been focusing on possible reasons in-plants are reluctant to invest in workflow automation. We discussed workflow myths, building the business case and infrastructure, and executives jaded due to claims of increased productivity. There is another side to this

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• Howie Fenton
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• 17 July 2018

How Value-Based Pricing Helps In-plants Battle Threats

How Value-Based Pricing Helps In-plants Battle Threats Most in-plants use a cost-plus pricing strategy. In simple terms, you calculate the cost to manufacture and mark that cost up 5-20%. This works well unless equipment utilization falls and prices increase, or a super-efficient company is trying to get the business. In either case, commodity type products

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 18 June 2018

The Real Reason Printing Companies are Reluctant to Invest in Workflow Automation

This is the third and final article in a series that attempts to answer the question of why companies are reluctant to invest in workflow automation software. In the first article, we dispelled five myths, and in the second we looked at research. In this article, we will try to identify the true underlying reason for the lack of investment.

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 17 May 2018

Why Printers Don’t Invest in Workflow: Survey Says…

Why Printers Don't Invest in Workflow: Survey Says… This is the second article in a series of three that attempts to answer why companies are reluctant to invest in workflow automation software. In the first article, we dispelled five myths. We will focus on data in this article. According to the Idealliance "2017 Capital Investment

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 15 April 2018

5 Reasons Printers Don’t Invest in Workflow Software

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• Blog Post
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• Howie Fenton
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• 19 March 2018

What You Don't Know about Costs Can Hurt You - Part 2

How long it should take to perform a task (create an estimate, enter orders, etc.) has always been a mystery because there is little to no comparable data. Recently however, Chris Bondy and Wesley Odell from the RIT School of Media Sciences published a report.

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