Bill Gates once said: We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next 10. This has definitely been the case within print. Year after year, there have been predictions of the demise of various aspects of print and even the medium itself.

In terms of the factors driving change, it is obvious that technology has been crucial, but perhaps the wider societal changes are at the root of it. For example, we’ve seen the rise of environmental concerns and social media, as well as the widespread adoption of technology. Just think – internet usage only crept to more than 20% at the beginning of this decade with relatively few people having e-mail.

It could be argued that these factors set in place a chain of events – the availability of low-cost capital led to increased investment in new technology which, in turn, has driven increased productivity and hence overcapacity. Overcapacity has led to the commoditisation of print, driving printers to change and differentiate, or die. As a result, there are very few printers out there who believe they are there to simply put ink on paper.

A time for change
Arguably, there have been key trends to come out of the need to do more than put ink on paper – one is print management, another is vertical integration. There is no single model within either of these trends. For example, at the large end of print management, there’s mass aggregation of demand across a variety of print products used to drive down print prices. However, at the other end, a simple one-stop shop approach whereby suppliers help clients to manage their sourcing is equally as valid as print management.

Vertical integration has driven, to an extent, the disintermediation of print buying/fulfilment within the marketing sector. This has inspired companies with origins in print mastering other elements, such as creative, data handling and cross media fulfilment.

On the shop floor, even mid-range litho presses have a significant element of electronic control. Older print workers have had to learn the new controls, while some of the newer generations are, to an extent, able to rely on electronic monitoring and control rather than experience and skill. The rise in digital presses, initially at least, created skills shortages for trained operators, who then traded at a premium. Certain sectors, which 10 years ago would have needed time-served litho minders, require little more than Mac operators. Skill requirements and wages have consequently come down.

Both print management and vertical integration have led customer-facing staff to be on-site with clients and into places hardly imaginable a decade ago. Consequently, the skills required of account managers, representing both their own company and the client, now include the bigger picture for a profitable business rather than just making a quick buck. In addition, the decline in traditional print training and apprenticeships is lamentable but perhaps inevitable given the technology-driven de-skilling. What is clear is that the industry needs a model for training and skills, as graphically demonstrated by the, albeit relatively few, well-trained and skilled workers from Eastern Europe who, in technical roles at least, have carved successful careers in the UK.

There may not have been one pivotal year in the past 10, but the industry has become much more sophisticated. We are proud to have been partners in this decade of change and the industry should be proud of what it has achieved.

Dani Novick is managing director of print recruitment specialist Mercury Search and Selection, www.mercurysearch.co.uk