Every step in your print operation affects the growth and profitability of your business. Even just one inefficiency can cost you time, money and job quality that will affect your customer satisfaction. This makes it crucial for your workflows to adapt and keep up as your business expands.
Understanding your workflows and re-evaluating them regularly enables you to make the right process enhancements that improve efficiency and maximize your ROI. Whether you’re looking to automate your workflows for the first time or hone your existing automations, Avanti is here to help. We know how complex it can be to optimize end-to-end production.
Here are three big reasons to optimize your workflows regularly:
1. It improves efficiency and saves valuable time.
With so many moving parts in a print operation, breakpoints in your workflow can feel inevitable. This may feel especially relevant if many of your workflows still run manually. Every human touch creates a disconnection in your process, increases the possibility of errors and, ultimately, slows down your production. Regular optimizations of your workflows enable you to cut down on these time-consuming operational inefficiencies through automation.
Most printers operate without a centralized print MIS system in place to support their business. Instead, they have a patchwork of different software and solutions at various points in the process, creating what we call “islands of automation.” Because these islands are not synced or integrated, they silo information, and the lack of transparency contributes to process breakdowns. That’s why we recommend going through every step of your operation from start to finish to document these gaps and bottlenecks along the way and identify ways you can create a more seamless and efficient production process.
If you already have a fully integrated and automated MIS platform like Avanti Slingshot® in place, performing regular audits helps ensure you are always getting the most out of your investment. Most printers utilize less than 50 percent of their MIS platforms. Make sure you employ yours to its fullest capacity by learning what other functionalities or product updates could benefit your operations and help your business run even more efficiently.
Whether you’re new to automation or a seasoned user, the bottom line remains the same: The more you streamline your process, the more efficiently it runs, and the more time you regain to refocus on higher value tasks that can help your business grow.
2. It helps boost customer satisfaction.
Optimizing your automation also helps you deliver a higher quality customer experience. The time and manpower previously spent on manual tasks like data reentry can be reallocated to focus on priorities like production quality control, building customer relationships and improving retention.
In the competitive world of print, customers have no qualms about finding another vendor if you fail to deliver. Properly configured automation not only reduces the potential for human error, but it also helps you manage deadlines more effectively to produce more in less time. The consistency of timely, high-quality jobs delivered by a well-oiled operation builds customer trust and boosts customer satisfaction and retention.
Additionally, regular reviews of your processes reveal ways you can make it easier for your customers to engage and do business with you. From providing a more simplified job request submission process to fulfilling quote requests and orders more quickly, you can ensure that customers have more seamless access to your services and support, giving you a valuable competitive advantage.
3. It facilitates business growth and expansion.
With the time you save from having well-run, automated workflows, you can expand your scope beyond simply fulfilling job orders and consider the new directions your business can take to generate even more revenue. However, adding new products and services requires making sure all the touchpoints stay centralized and connected.
The generation of new revenue for your organization depends on your operation’s ability to handle additional job types, increased inventory needs, variable formatting, and more. Especially as industry trends point to more demand for one-stop-shops, optimizing your automation becomes even more important for helping you scale sustainably and building even stronger customer relationships. If you’re ready to expand, consider the ways you can tailor your automated workflows to address these challenges.
Schedule a workflow tune-up today.
Considering the key benefits that come with keeping your operations updated and streamlined, you’ll want to make sure to keep annual or biannual workflow audits on your calendar. Just as your car needs a regular tune-up to keep it running in tip-top shape, these audits will enable you to keep your operations working at maximum capacity.
If you’re unsure where to start or what process changes to make, our team of specialists is always here to support. Customers can take advantage of our on-site Workflow Optimization program , which includes a multi-day visit by a workflow specialist, tailored to the unique needs of your business. We work with your team to identify and understand your specific goals, assess your current workflows for breakpoints and inefficiencies, provide additional product training and make recommendations for further productivity gain.
If you’re not an Avanti user and want to see how your business could benefit from optimized workflows, our specialists will guide you through a free workflow evaluation to review the six key business segments you should be evaluating regularly. We’ll help you identify and address gaps in your automation, additional tasks you could automate and potential process fixes. Request yours today to get started!
