• Is publishing core business ?
• What volumes are being produced now and what will they be in the future ?
• Which routes to market do you use now and which ones will you need in the future ?
• How fast to market are you now or need to be in the future ?
• Do you have the available resource, space, and funds ?
• How much input do you need, into the production process ?

• If you need to control your data and processes
• Need to react quickly to the market
• Have the available resource, space and funds
• Need to reduce duplication and errors
• Plan to use a variety of routes to market

• If you do not want / need control of your data or processes
• Do not have available resource, space and funds
• Do not plan to use a variety of routes to market
• Volumes are small
• Publishing is not core business or experience is minimal

• If you need to control your data but not the processes
• Need to react quickly to the market
• Do not have available resource, space and funds
• Publishing is not core business or experience is minimal
• Need to reduce duplication and errors
• Plan to use a variety of routes to market

The other benefit of this last option is that you can use a Data Management Service solution to build-up user expertise and develop the production processes, prior to implementing an in-house publishing system solution. This phased approach reduces the learning curve, the risk, and spreads investment costs.

If you need some help just call Pro tem. today - 01279 722487

How do I find the time to review our present production system / workflow ?
Know the feeling - when publication deadlines have to be met you cannot concentrate on anything else. Well, do your-self a favour and take the time to read this and answer the following questions:

• Do you have a resource problem ?
• Do you have inefficient workflows ? - (perhaps you have both!)
• Are you worried that you may make the wrong decision ?
• Are you worried that you will loose your job ?
• Are you apprehensive about the new systems and routes to market ?
• Are you worried that you will fail and so loose your colleagues respect ?
• Do you dislike doing presentations particularly to senior management ?

There are more, but I think that's enough to be getting on with .......

Now look, that original question is probably a combination of these objections, but life is not going to get any easier until you 'find time' to review your processes.

The objective of the review is to help develop the business and to reduce costs. Now no senior manager in his right mind would argue against that goal.

Which is a good place to start - arrange a meeting with the Boss to discuss the advantages of a review. It helps to support this with case studies from trade press, supplier information etc.

• Explain that this will take time for both you and your team, as it is vital to involve them in this process.
• Explain that the review may highlight better practise and savings or just re-confirm the efficiencies of the present system !.
• Ask about the future strategy of the business and who else should be involved from other departments.
• Then work out how much time the review will take and any additional resource, including costs, that will be needed during that period.

Present the information and then the decision is down to your Boss - to go ahead and support the review or not as the case may be. If it's the latter remember the business is the loser not you.

This way you can be seen to be pro-active, involve every-one (including suppliers) from the start so delegating and dissipating workloads, as well as manage the normal publishing schedules. Take it step by step. Once the review is completed, go back and ask for support to assess, select, propose etc. By dealing with the project in workable chunks, and involving other personnel (especially at presentation stages), this reduces the risk element and so takes the stress/pressure out of the situation.

We want to develop 1:1 marketing techniques ?

Along with a multitude of other companies! It is just a matter of accessing and organising your data. As with any data driven route to market, it is important to know the concept, the publication structure (printed or electronic), and the target audience.

Which means that firstly, you need to have access to the publishing data. This may be held in Quark, In-Design or FrameMaker pages for example, which is fine for master pages. Though to have dynamic production, which is driven by the customer, the content needs to be held in a database. Preferably, structured at product level or even better, broken down further into classifications.

You then need your customer data structured correctly, to include the specific fields to hold the variable data and/or placeholders that link to the variable data. Which may be data that is held in different areas of the business.

So, begin by reviewing the variable print options that are available from a number of digital print suppliers. What publications have they produced and how, also try to find out the what response rates were achieved, if at all possible. Form a working party with personnel from other departments, particularly marketing and then agree a test campaign. This need not be large, perhaps your top 1000 customers, in-fact involve a few customers in this process. Keep a detailed project log throughout, including expected response rates and estimated cost per customer.

Run test, note any problematic areas, and analyse response rates. Then finalise actual costs to assess project success. From this the feasibility of producing larger campaigns can be made, based on known parameters. Or, you may want to carry out a similar test, on an electronic publication such as your web site. Although, testing initially takes longer, it means that you control the process - not that the process is controlling you !

Not sure of the best way to move forward then just call Pro tem. today - 01279 722487

Do you have any examples of data driven publications?

If we look at solutions that have integrated Customer Relationship Management (CRM); Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP); on-line technologies and output via a digital press, then these are some examples:

Mimeo.com is a printer in the US, using centralised digital presses, to produce and distribute colour documents for clients. Plans to offer an over-night service to Europe and Asia.

Moonpig.com and Sharpcards.com both interactive greeting card producers. Via the web sites cards can be selected, customised, printed digitally and sent on behalf of the client.

Edmunds.com is run by Moore Interactive Marketing Solutions, to produce Edmund's New Car Buyer's Workbooks. These are digitally printed full colour glossy books, which are customised from the information the client supplied on-line. The expectations are to fulfil 100,000 orders per month. Both new and used cars can be purchased via this site.

Expresscopy.com is an on-line Instant print operation. Presently outputting over 16,000 colour pages per day in the US
Tesco Loyalty Card programme (which has to be the classic UK example) where personalised vouchers are produced in line with a customer's buying pattern. Accumulated points can be used against future purchases or special offers.

Fidelity.com a customer can dynamically create insurance quotations online, and a fully personalised confirmation is sent by post.

These few should give an in-sight into the different ways data can be manipulated to enhance and build customer relationships.

If you need assistance with any of these issues, please  -      Email: info@pro-tem.net

The Copyright for these articles belongs to Judy Lilley.
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