SGIA Journal September/October 2013 - (Page 55)

feature Does It Make Sense for Your Business? There’s a movement about in the grandformat industry. Manufacturers are busy building faster, more productive, versatile machines with sophisticated technologies and capabilities. Demand for digital textile printing is surging, and along with that are innovations in inks, software and finishing automation. Most noteably in the last three years, this is all paired with the high quality previously limited to smaller printers. Yes, it’s an exciting, dynamic time in grand-format. As business owners explore whether or not to expand into this arena, there are many factors to consider beyond which equipment to choose. Just to clarify, grand-format refers to printers that are 95 inches or more in width. With this type of equipment, print service providers (PSPs) can produce high-quality, largescale applications that often result in high margin projects and higher throughput at lower operating costs. The demands and requirements of running a business in this industry mean print shops have a constant requirement to keep improving their product, whether based on turnaround times or the quality of the output. Reliability and flexibility, priceto-performance ratio and quality are always front runners for future development. Taking that next step to grand-format is investment-heavy, and can be daunting. It demands a comprehensive look at all aspects of a shop owner’s business. Essentially, there are three areas that any business interested in entering or expanding into the industry must consider in order to make the right decision for their particular business needs and future success. 1. An Effective ROI and Business Assessment First, a PSP must truly understand the numbers. Using a comprehensive ReturnOn-Investment (ROI) tool can be a very valuable exercise. This can be challenging as it forces many questions to be answered regarding costs and business operations that may or may not have been closely inspected before. Shop owners must initially evaluate whether they have the volume and demand to support this largescale purchase, as well as the space and infrastructure in place. It’s also important to ensure that a viable and growing customer base exists for grand-format. A comprehensive ROI will take into consideration all of the labor, real estate, hard costs, products and processes needed for an entire workf low and compare The demands and requirements of running a business in this industry mean print shops have a constant requirement to keep improving their product, whether based on turnaround times or the quality of the output. Greg Lamb, Founder and CEO, Global Imaging Inc. Visit SGIA at SGIA.org SGIA Journal ■ September/October 2013 | 55 http://www.SGIA.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of SGIA Journal September/October 2013

How to Sell in a Tough Economy
How One Fine-Art Photographer Created a Four-Story-Tall Print
December 1, 2013 Training Deadline Approaches
Affordable Care Act — What is New and What is Happening
Reducing Inkjet Ink Usage
Want Your Graphics to Look Great and Last? Start with Surface Preparation and Cleaning
2013 Market Trends & Product Specialties Report
Digital Ceramic Printing Continues to Cast a New Business Model for Output Providers
How to Hire and Retain a Sales Champion
Going Grand: Does It Make Sense for Your Business?
Flames Made Easy with Knifeless Tape
The Edge is Near: Innovations in Fabric Finishing
SGIA Expo Sponsors Lead the Industry Charge to Orlando
The Innovation of an Art Form: A History of Screen Printing
In Many Specialty Graphics Shops, Old and New Technologies Sit Side by Side
SGIA Helps Making Shipping Easier with YRC
New Products
Specialty Imaging Shines at the 2013 SGIA Expo

SGIA Journal September/October 2013