Internal alignment is important for any business initiative, because web to print can be viewed as a threat to your labor force – alignment is critical. Get everyone on the same page before you invest – it’s worth the time and effort.
I’ve experienced it too many times to even count. Management at the print provider makes a decision on a web to print vendor (sometimes after creating a strategy – frequently picking a vendor is their strategy). The vendor sends in the implementation team who is greeted by resources at the printer whose knowledge of the project ranges from, didn’t even know you were coming, to heard something about it but I’m really busy!
Meet what Nilofer Merchant calls the “Air Sandwich” in her book The New How. “An Air Sandwich is, in effect, a strategy that has clear vision and future direction on the top layer, day-to-day action on the bottom, and virtually nothing in the middle…”
The vendor and the production people implement the software but there is nothing to tie that implementation to the overall strategy. Check lists get completed, invoices can be sent (for completed implementations) but the actions aren’t anchored to a strategy which focuses on outcomes instead of tasks.
What does the printer get out of this? They “get” to spend money with the vendor; they “get” to utilize their precious resources.
What does the vendor get out of this? They “get” a sale and the professional services typically required to implement their solution.
What are they both missing out on? A success story, a long term partnership, a chance for them to teach each other.
What’s the easiest thing to focus on? (because nobody wants to admit that there is only air in the sandwich). The technology, so we start down a path of identifying every tiny detail that should be altered with the technology in order to make it perfect before we actually let customers use it.
Avoid the air sandwich by creating an online strategy in a collaborative manner – success starts with getting internal alignment first. Yes, this will take more time, yes it will be messy. If you believe your CSRs will see the web to print initiative as a threat – then involve them in the strategy upfront or they will make sure it never succeeds downstream. Identify resistance upfront and speak about it openly, debate, and communicate the necessity of building a online business so that you’re all on the same team before you invest a penny.
Good article and reminder for management to get engagement from ‘the troops on the ground’ before they pull the trigger.
Another situation that occurs is the ‘sales motivated strategy’ where a W2P or VDP or Multichannel solution is needed to win a particular bid, or, the company is waiting to ‘find a customer to fund it’ and when they do, they only consider that one engagement and not how to build a strategy around their new capabilities.
Some companies view adoption of web to print as an unpleasant singular event to satisfy the needs of a big client rather than as the first step in transforming their business across all their customers and prospects.
Taking a little bit of time to define not only what you need right now but what your people need to implement solutions for all of your customers and prospects will put some nice hearty filling in your ‘air sandwich’.
It’s not just web to print anymore, it’s PURLs, direct mail, VDP and integrated marketing. If you’re still thinking about “W2P only” solutions, time to catch up!
Jon,
When did we accept the customer mandating us to innovate? The scenario you describe is too familiar and should be embarrassing to our industry. The customers are having to mandate innovation and then our response is to “do it just in time” remaining in the reactive role vs. the proactive role. A just in time solution for a single customer is 100% tactical, the “Air Sandwich” requires strategic filling like you described.