What’s at the top of your Christmas wish list?
A Tesla Model S – all electric high performance saloon car.
What business or technology trend do you think 2013 will remembered for?
The move to mobile – tablets and phones are now driving out PC’s and laptops for many business and most home functions.
What do you think will represent the single biggest opportunity for printers in 2014 and why?
For CFH print is no longer the driver, but a value-add to the postal savings and services that we can offer our customers. The opportunity for other printers is to develop similar strategies, where print is the added value rather than core offering as far as the customer is concerned. Print is just a means of communication to most companies. The communication is most important. Print is just the messenger. We have chosen to concentrate on the delivery of the message. Other print companies may choose other aspects of the communication process.
What do you think will represent the single biggest threat for printers in 2014 and why?
Competing on price and not developing new offerings. If you just sit back and do what you always did the world will pass you by.
What’s the one thing that the industry should do more of, or do better, in 2014?
Get on board with energy savings. Do something real, not just an ISO14001 tick-box. You can save 20% from your energy bills AND save the planet! To us that’s a six-figure sum.
What was your highlight of 2013?
Winning the new Navtech contract at our Print for Business subsidiary. A great win for our new acquisition.
What are your hopes for 2014?
I am looking forward to rolling out our own postal deliveries in Edinburgh. We are also hoping to shortly sign another major contract that will drive yet more investment and growth. 2013 was something of a development year where we have been working on bringing in new contracts, and spending money without the revenue having kicked in. 2014 should see the fruits of that work, so I am looking forward to that! Also looking forward to continued growth in Docmail – and the launch of our new service Dotpost...
What was the most important thing that you learnt in 2013?
Everything takes longer than you want it to!
What will you do differently in 2014?
Continue to do more of what we do. Our strategy and direction are good, and we are winning business as a result. Where we aren’t already excellent we have plans and processes in place to improve that. So, more of the same but better!
What does the industry need to do differently in 2014?
Get over itself. Print is not a guaranteed lifetime product. It will change, sometimes rapidly. What was a much needed document today will no longer be needed tomorrow. You need to stay ahead of that curve and be building “the next thing”. You should be trying to destroy every product you have with your next and newest product. If you aren’t, you can be damned sure somebody else is.
What will you be having for Christmas dinner?
This is where tradition takes over from innovation – Turkey roast with all the trimmings! Can’t wait…
Are you making any New Year's resolutions? If so, what?
I suppose I should resolve not to keep getting on my soapbox… Nah, I could never stick to that!
