Service Please!

If you review inkjet technology announcements from the past year you will see a trend toward features that reduce the frequency and complexity of press maintenance. This may include things like automatic head purging and wiping, air circulation and dust management, developing parts with a longer useful life, and improving internal access points to make maintenance chores easier. All of these things help to improve machine productivity with the added benefit of reducing the number of operators and the seniority of operators required to run equipment.

In that context, less service is a good thing. However, it is still critically important to perform recommended periodic maintenance on your press consistently. As we reminded our readers, there can be special maintenance requirements for?companies who run their inkjet presses sporadically. Without following proper shut-down (and restart) procedures, the useful life of inkjet printheads can be diminished and quality can be inconsistent. Your internal service planning and the OEM service plan you opt-in for should be highly influenced by how you run your operation. It's not a "one size fits all" package. Stay tuned for more on that topic from Pat McGrew M-edp .

In parallel with minimizing internal service needs, there are other areas where engaging the services of outside professionals can pay dividends. I should note that Inkjet Insight does not offer professional services (nothing to sell here folks!) However, many of our contributors and colleagues do offer valuable expertise. Lois Ritarossi shared her experience with helping a client map current state operations and visualize their desired future state in preparation for issuing an RFP in "Get a Guide for the Inkjet Jungle." This is just one of many scenarios where it is highly beneficial to get an independent opinion. You probably have smart people on your team, but they may not have the benefit of experience working with many clients or the impartiality that only an outside observer can bring.

Get Ready for 2024 Now

If you are trying to make 2024 your best year ever, now is the time to start thinking about getting some help to speed you on your way. Here are some service offerings to be aware of:?

• Pat McGrew M-edp , Lois Ritarossi and Mary Schilling all provide aspects of workflow analysis, documentation and optimization that are valuable before, during and after purchasing an inkjet press. Keep in mind that?an inkjet journey can be a multi-year process.?
• Mary has a particular focus on color management workflow and print quality management. She helps printing companies?make data driven quality decisions, manage ink costs and set the benchmarks to hold OEMs accountable for consistent performance. She can also help speed up testing and optimization of new substrates.
• For inkjet developers and OEMs, Mark Bale and Mary Schilling have labs where they help to test and tune new equipment, ink and media combinations. (I am dramatically oversimplifying their problem solving skills here.)
• Ralf Schlozer Schl?zer and Kelly Lawrence help suppliers to understand markets and position their services appropriately within those markets. (Yep, still oversimplifying.)?
• Pat McGrew (along with Ryan McAbee) have launched "The Print University" to support the internal technical education needs of industry suppliers and their customers. A great "self-service" resource.
• Many OEMs and software suppliers also offer valuable professional services. If you are already a user of their products this can be a strong solution, but if you are in a selection process that involves their products you probably should consider an independent provider.

While I think my colleagues are among the best in the world, there are many others among my LinkedIn connections alone. I have some great recommendations for sorting your HR and sales organization woes as well. I would be happy to talk to you about your goals and put you in touch with experts who can help you. I'm at your service.

Elizabeth