Any initiative can benefit from upfront clarity of the desired outcomes from the perspective of the #1 stakeholder (the customer). Read how Amazon has integrated this into their product development process.
Software is built on a development platform, for example .NET or Java. There are new entries into the mix which are focusing on the move from desktop/server based software to internet/cloud based solutions. What should you know?
Transitioning your business from primarily offline to online is more than just buying enabling technology. It impacts everything – one of the most important impacts is on your sales cycle. This is post 1 of 4 examining the sales cycle differences between an offline business and an online business.
Buying web to print technology is the easy part – creating an environment for successful transition from offline to online business requires a coordinated change management effort. Don’t forget your people, they need to be sold just as much as the customer!
The business of print is about workflow – from order entry to invoice. When you go to purchase a solution for a part of that workflow, make sure you consider the impacts up and down stream.
Create a strategy before you look for enabling technology – people create strategies, businesses, and processes – technology simply enables their creations.
Web to print has been narrowly defined as B2C portals with VDP applications, there is a much more valuable definition that is based on self-service ecommerce.
In times of transition, leadership can be more effective taking on the role of coach vs. boss. A coach knows the individual talents of their team and puts them in the best position to thrive – punters are punting, lineman are blocking. Your people in the wrong position can cause a lot of pain.
Playing offense can sometimes mean you eat into your existing revenue streams to capture new revenue streams.
Production workflow starts and ends with your customer – order entry to invoice. When you add solutions like web to print, its a great opportunity to review your workflow to see how the new tool optimizes/changes/removes steps in your process.