If current trends continue then the last scenario appears to be the most likely – especially on short-run digital work. The adoption of web-to-print (W2P) systems has taken off rapidly over the last few years and become the competitive edge that not only allows printers to see off rival printers, but also, more importantly, allows them to compete on a level playing-field with the print management companies who have provided this kind of service for years.

But how does a digital storefront dovetail with your existing sales force? And what do you need to know about W2P to make it work for your business?

With all firms striving to become leaner, the most obvious attraction and benefit of W2P is the reduced amount of human intervention and administration needed – especially at the pre-press stage – with time savings of up to 60% commonly cited.

Cutting administration
Most of these virtual storefronts give customers the ability to call off stock, design documents, get quotes and order jobs on simple templates, submit jobs and then track their progress through the system. And the great news is that you can install a pretty efficient system for around £10,000.

One company that decided to make the financial outlay on a W2P system is FT Print (FTP) in Hertford. Tom Gurd, FTP managing director, says that over a 12-month period the firm has seen online transactions, taken through its Telekinesys e.quator system, grow from 20% of volume to 80%, and the firm is now taking around £40,000 a week in credit card transactions that it doesn’t even need to administrate.

“We don’t even see the work; it goes straight to the press. We can handle a lot more activity, a lot more efficiently, with a smaller number of staff,” says Gurd.

Another advocate of W2P is Jon Bailey, marketing director of Sheffield-based printer ProCo. The firm installed a W2P system around two years ago, and Bailey says that it’s only in the last six months that the firm has really got its head around it and began to understand the full potential of what it can deliver.
He says that the decision to invest in W2P was not customer-driven – it simply sat well with the company’s own plans to take advantage of digital technology and the growth in print-on-demand work. “We wanted to keep costs as low as possible so we asked ourselves ‘how can we increase our sales and print volumes without adding to our overheads’ – the answer was to streamline our workflow.”

Customer benefits
This all sounds great for the printer but what about the customer? If W2P is implemented properly it’s extremely beneficial for both parties as it takes the rigmarole out of the ordering process and helps customers manage their print expenditure better, according to Steve Halstead, commercial director at Pollards Print Solutions. He backs this up by citing the example of a business card where “50% of the cost of production is tied up in the administration.”

“Someone normally types the card out, sends it as a PDF, then they get a proof back. The phone number might be wrong so they amend it and it gets changed, then they see it again – it’s a very time-consuming process. With web-to-print you look at the template online, approve it and then print it. It’s quicker for customers and it’s quicker for us.”

If the beauty of W2P is the high level of automation it promises throughout the supply chain, what does this mean for your sales force and customer service team? What part do they have to play in a W2P future?

Nigel Stubley, managing director at Northend Creative Print Solutions, which uses Xralle’s W2P software, says that it helps his sales team. “It enables them to find out a bit more about their customer and allows them to cross-sell other products,” he explains. At present, he says, most W2P solutions are used to provide basic products that are template-driven, such as business cards and letterheads, but for more bespoke work, human intervention is required.

A further benefit that some printers are enjoying from W2P is that by storing data and images for customers, they effectively lock in those customers and their business. At present this aspect of W2P software is a fairly basic form of asset management but in the future this type of service offer is expected to see significant growth; investment in a W2P system could be the first step along this path.
The move into new areas such as asset management sits well with the ideology of those printers who are striving for a competitive edge.

“The online offering is going to become crucial,” says Pollard’s Steve Halstead. “In two years’ time customers will make contract decisions based on a printer’s online system.”

Future possibilities
Indeed, W2P software could be the ideal tool to fend off the threat of PM firms. One printer, who prefers to remain anonymous, claims he knows of firms that have had contracts direct with customers, but didn’t offer online ordering: “so that allowed a PM firm to come along, offering online ordering to the customer along with the promise of major financial savings. That printer is now doing work for its old customer 20% cheaper than it was before.”

It’s a carrot-and-stick argument: the savings provided by W2P software, coupled with the threat of PM firms, should be enough to convince those that haven’t already taken the plunge. For those who have already installed W2P, it is seen as a major part of their business plan; but for now, many of them feel that they are merely scratching the surface in terms of what the software could potentially do.
“We’re doing basic things at the moment, but in five years’ time those business cards, letterheads and A5 flyers will be replaced by multi-page catalogues that customers can move around themselves,” concludes Northend’s Stubley.