Impressions - May 2018 - 27

Embrace the New Generation
As time passes, it's important to change with
the business world. By 2020, Millennials will
comprise 50% the country's workforce; that
figure increases to 75% by 2030, according to
the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Are you addressing this in your shop? How much
of what you do is online or uses technology
to drive business your way? Millennials are
data-savvy and apt to use technology. Their
passions center on social causes and the common
good. They also crave instant gratification,
as everything in their lives reaches them more
quickly.
You must understand how your business model
fits into this generation. How can you innovate? There's nothing to do but to grab some
new tools and get to work.

Virus Inks' wet-on-wet, water-based ink
formulas save time by eliminating the need for
flashing between colors during production runs.

uses a laser to image screens by exposing emulsion with concentrated light in exact areas for the art. No toner, separate exposure
steps or consumables are needed.
This technology previously existed in larger print industries, but
SAATI has made it work for the apparel industry by reducing scale
and making it affordable.
Virus Inks' wet-on-wet, water-based ink formulas eliminate the
need for flashing between colors during production runs. This saves
a tremendous amount of time and energy.
KIWO has patented a new innovation - a special tape made
from screen emulsion - from inventor Geoff McCue. Many shops
struggle with the time and effort it takes to tape screens before production and remove it afterward. The KIWO emulsion tape eliminates the post-production problem in the screen room, as screens
can go through the normal reclaiming process. Because the tape
is made from emulsion, it doesn't need to be removed prior to the
reclaiming process.
Gary Gayton, vice president of sales and marketing, KIWO,
says the company hopes to have the product ready for field testing
by late summer.
Ryonet recently launched its Quick Order phone app, which
allows one-click shopping for consumables via a smartphone. Details, such as quantities, SKUs and colors, are set up in advance.
The app allows production managers to order another bucket of
metallic gold ink, a few more 156 screens and emulsion - all from
the production floor while inspecting inventory.

The Wave of the Future
Everyone undoubtedly has heard about how Amazon and others are
experimenting in the drone-delivery arena. The "last-mile" cost for
delivery is a challenging segment in the logistical world of fulfillment.
Can you imagine the excitement a customer would feel if a drone
delivered his favorite team's commemorative T-shirt 30 minutes
after winning a championship? Such a development may not be
imminent in rural areas, but in larger cities with an Amazon Prime
air fleet at the ready, it's not unreasonable to think such a development could be just around the corner.
Couple that with the power of DTG print-on-demand production. The delivery turnaround times to which this industry has been
accustomed for a long time constantly are under attack. That sevento 10-day production cycle soon will be compressed into a few hours
for small orders. In some markets, it already is less than three days.
Will you have to compete and get your own drone fleet? Of
course not. Similar to UPS and FedEx, delivery partners will help.
But paying attention and understanding this type of innovation
will separate you from the herd. Companies like Hylio already are
making their marks in this area. 
Marshall Atkinson, owner of Atkinson Consulting LLC, is a decoratedapparel industry production expert who focuses on operational efficiency, continuous improvement, workflow strategy, business planning and
more. For more information or to comment on this article, email Marshall
at marshall@marshallatkinson.com.

MAY 2018

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Impressions - May 2018

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