Innovation In Print - Summer 2000

These specific awards are for small/medium enterprises(SME's) and were presented at OECD Business Symposium in Bologna, 13th June 2000. Entries were open to any enterprise or organisation with less than 250 employees. Winners and Finalists casestudies will be published on the Internet. Previous winners have enjoyed considerable publicity. Now in its 8th year, 'eBusiness Innovations' is the world's longest established electronic business awards programme.

eBusiness Innovation Awards, launched 1992 in UK with first winner announced July 1993 and Internationally from 1994. There was an Independent judging panel chaired by Dr Colin CoulsonThomas - author of `The Future of the Organisation' and `Individuals and Enterprise'.

eBusiness Innovations 2000 Winners of the customers service category Card Corporation (GDI Ltd) of Leeds. This an extract from their ENTRY It was presented to IPIA members to reflect how Grasmere Digital Imaging are faring with their concept. GDI tell how they are working with a number of progressive IPIA members. Ivor Jacobs, their Director of Development, who addressed our recent IPIA conference, will be delighted to hear from any members to discuss the implications of the new technology.

THE CHALLENGE

Card Corporation, GDI, set out to change an Industry - that of small order printing. Over 10,000 small order printing. Over 10,000 small and medium printers in the UK experience difficulty managing business cards, invitations, stationery and similar orders. A £50.00 order may involve as much effort as one costing £500.00. Printers print them for fear of losing more profitable work from the same customers.

Customers suffer frustration, as most do not appreciate the process complexity. A recent survey overwhelmingly showed customers not changing printers, as they anticipated an even worse service elsewhere! We were thus challenged to produce a totally automated operation; to change potential customers perceptions of print ordering; to teach customers how to control and design great looking products; to cut prices and make profits; to create scaleability and to change internal attitudes.

SOLUTION

Technological - We believe we were the world's first fully backend integrated, interactive, Internet based printing system. Our separate software modules mesh seamlessly together. Customers pick a template or access a pre defined corporate style, modify, design, view proofs on screen, order and pay on-line. The displayed low-resolution files are stored, batched and downloaded with administrative data. This enters a workflow and marketing information database, with job bags, labels, invoices etc. automatically printed. Another program `pulls' together the centrally stored matched high-resolution elements, in production batches. Within hours and with pristine quality, jobs are printed, using mostly the new plateless digital offset presses, then guillotined and despatched.

ACHIEVEMENT

We have a system and infrastructure with scope to become better and more comprehensive than we ever imagined. Our constraint, to rapid further advancements, is funding but this should shortly change. We are ambitiously developing automated photo and logo handling and many other novel features.

Implementation of advanced features is dependent on finance availability not the technological aspects which have been fully grasped.

The major portal contracts have secured our `first mover' advantage. Though being copied we are determined to stay ahead by continuing investing in innovation. The industry is indeed changing. GDI's Card Corporation believes itself to be the major influencer.

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