POD Strategy: Are you agile?

Andrew Smith, Founder | MD, ZenSmart

“Agile” (adjective)

1: marked by ready ability to move with quick easy grace

2: having a quick resourceful and adaptable character

Source: Miriam Webster

Agile exploded into everyday business usage in 2001 when members of the IT Community created the Agile Manifesto.? It was pitched as a successor to the waterfall project management method.? Since then agile as a philosophy has exploded and in general business it has come to mean ‘nimble, adaptable and rapid’.

As a concept it is super relevant to print-on-demand - because if agility doesn’t define our industry I don’t know what does.

But having said that I find many businesses in our hyper-custom industry are anything but agile.? They may look agile because of the number of orders handled and SKU’s manufactured - but almost all are concreted in place in product range and process.?

Adding another SKU or SKU component, changing an accessory option or introducing a new personalisation option is a serious challenge and usually avoided - it’s all too hard and that’s a shame because I think there are real opportunities to save money and gain advantage by being agile.

So here are 3 examples of where I think agility makes a significant difference:

1. Press and finishing cost: Instead of a product - finishing workflow being fixed, it should be agile - able to be decided at the last minute so that if any combination of press/media/finishing machine is different you can deal with it instantly.? That means better SLA adherence, smoother workflow and lower cost
2. Product innovation: Adding a new product SKU should be doable in hours rather than something to be fearful of. Create an imposition template, clone a workflow, test it end to end and deploy.? The ease with which this is executed translates to competitive advantage
3. Service innovation: Adding a new service element into delivery, for example laser engraved custom packaging or custom letter insertions or unique voucher codes based on customer spend levels.? Agility means being able to conceive of and apply new service elements like this at low cost and easily birthing new income or differentiating in the market

So my key question is asking whether you are anchored in time or able to dance, using your agility to implement change to lower costs and achieve innovation advantage…..? where do you sit?

POD Tech and Innovation:The Three Biggest Data Capture Blunders in Print-on-Demand

Samuel Brent, Director and CIO, Zensmart

We are in the middle of the digital transformation era, data has become ‘the’ enabler in driving a company's agility, insight and ultimately success. This is especially true in the print-on-demand (POD) industry, where efficient data capture and analysis are crucial for optimizing operations and improving customer satisfaction. However, many firms, particularly those new to digital order management, struggle with capturing data effectively. I’ve collated what I think are the three biggest data capture mistakes that can hinder your POD business - and how to avoid them.

3. Storing Data as the Blob it arrived in

One of the most common mistakes we see in firms transitioning to digital order management is the tendency to store incoming data as a single, unstructured blob rather than pulling out the data into structured queryable columns. This often happens when companies that traditionally relied on manual data entry (e.g. via email or phone orders) begin to automate their processes. Instead of planning out a detailed data model in advance, they allow data to be dumped into a database as one large string, pulling out only the most basic details like order numbers.

The problem with this approach is that it results in unstructured data that's difficult to query, analyze, or automate. By not segmenting and organizing data into specific fields - such as customer information, itemized product details, and shipping addresses - companies miss out on the opportunity to streamline production and enhance automation. Properly structured data not only facilitates reporting and analysis but also lays the groundwork for continuous improvement and increased efficiency.

2. Capturing Data Intrusively

Another significant mistake is capturing data in a way that is too intrusive or labor-intensive. While it's crucial to gather data to drive improvements, doing so at the expense of productivity can be counterproductive. For instance, if your team is spending excessive time manually entering data into your system, the labor costs may outweigh the benefits of having that data in the first place!

The key is to implement data capture methods that are as unobtrusive as possible. Automation tools, barcodes, and image recognition technologies are excellent examples of how you can collect the necessary data without adding undue burden on your staff. By minimizing the time spent on data entry, you not only reduce costs but also free up your team to focus on more value-added activities.

1. Not Capturing Data at All

The most detrimental mistake a POD company can make is - of course - failing to capture data altogether. It’s not uncommon to see facilities with robust systems for capturing order data and shipping details, yet they leave significant gaps in the middle of the process: between the time an order arrives and when it ships out. Without capturing data throughout the production process, these companies lack visibility into critical stages like who handled the order, what machines it passed through, and how many times it was reprinted.

These black holes in your data not only make it easier for items to get lost but also prevent your business from improving over time. Capturing data at every stage of the production process is essential for identifying bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for continuous improvement. Without this visibility, you're left guessing about where issues arise, making it much harder to enhance your operations.

Conclusion

Avoiding these three common data capture mistakes can set your print-on-demand business on the path to greater efficiency and profitability. By planning your data model in advance, capturing data in a non-intrusive way, and ensuring comprehensive data collection across all stages of production, you can leverage your data to drive continuous improvement and operational excellence. While transitioning to a data-driven approach may seem daunting, taking it one step at a time will help you build a stronger, more agile business that’s well-equipped to compete in today’s digital economy.