...the heart of Xplor
Chicagoland Chapter Events
Review of
September 15, 2006 Meeting
The Xplor Chicagoland Chapter Board would like to thank the Xplor members (pic1) for supporting this meeting and PrintSoft Americas and Kodak VersaMark for sponsoring this meeting.
The theme of this meeting was, “Xplor Transformed” and our speakers provided insight into the Xplor International transformation process and provided an example of the Xplor Document University classes that will be given at the GOA / Xplor Exhibition, February 28 - March 4, 2007 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
Our first speaker was Ken Leslie, EDP; Chairman, Xplor International (pic2). His talk was titled, “Xplor International – Today and Tomorrow”.
Xplor International needs to change. The Business Model is no longer effective in today’s business environment. Xplor International has always seen itself as a provider of education first and as a Trade Show second. This thinking is transforming the Xplor Global Conference into the Xplor Document University.
This Xplor emphasis on a core of education, allows Xplor to partner with the Graphics of Americas organization today, but allows Xplor to partner with other organizations in the future to reach different market segments while Xplor maintains its own identity. The people in the market segments can then become customers of the Xplor affiliated vendors.
Major changes to Xplor International:
• The Xplor Global Conference becomes Xplor Document University.
• 22 half day to 2 day courses.
• 200 individual classes distributed over the event to allow easy attendance.
• The industry’s best subject matter experts designing and presenting the classes.
• A Certificate of Completion will be presented upon class completion.
• A class example would be Beginning or Advanced AFP. A class listing is available at www.xplor.org
• There will be various pricing based on a total event price and per course pricing.
• Being an Xplor member will get a 10% reduction in the total event package price.
• Having attended a previous Xplor Global Conference will get another 10% price reduction.
Our second speaker was Scott Draeger, PrintSoft Americas (pic3) speaking on the topic of “Hybrid Mail”. Many of the attendees recognized how a Hybrid Mail solution could produce a cost savings in their own company.
What is Hybrid Mail?
• Merging electronic delivery with physical mail production.
• Electronically harvest mail from many sources.
• Cut transportation and postage costs by printing at the closest destination.
• Allow standardized mail templates stored in a mail server.
Desktop Hybrid Mail systems allow a Desktop Client to access standardized letter elements and build a mail piece to be printed in a central print production and insertion facility.
Advantages:
• Brings new business to the Print Production facility.
• Reduces the cost of sending mail
• Aids in Process re-Engineering.
• Converts manual processes into automated processes.
• Labor can be used more effectively by eliminating walking to the local printer.
• The company can be assured that each mail piece conforms to its Branding Standards.
There are 38 billion mail documents, in the US, that are eligible for a Hybrid Mail solution. They are produced by the Insurance, Financial Services, Brokerage, and Retail industries and are sent out, by individuals, without being checked for adherence to corporate Branding Standards.
Why is a Hybrid Mail Sea Change about to take place? Conditions have finally made Hybrid Mail a reality:
• Color printing is cost effective so pre-printed elements can be eliminated.
• Most companies have excess print capacity.
• Internet bandwidth is cheap.
• Many companies have outsourced mailroom functions.
• Document composition systems have risen to the challenge.
Real PrintSoft Americas customers, in Australia, have saved millions of dollars using Hybrid Mail to re-engineer their Business Processes:
Dun & Bradstreet
• Reduced document templates from 400+ to 14.
• Gained greater control over document content.
• Obtained labor savings.
• Allowed more focus on the Core Business.
Myer Furniture
• Saved $2,000,000 annually.
• Replaced Telemarketing with Direct Mail.
• Reduced customer response time.
• 5 out-bound Call Centers reduced to a single in-bound Call Center.
Coles
• 200 Retail stores handled their own customer communications.
• Hybrid Mail offered corporate control.
• Document templates held by print provider.
National Australia Bank
• Hybrid Mail rolled out to each desktop.
E-Letter Solutions
• Owned by Australia Post, increased revenue 50% by using Hybrid Mail.
Hybrid Mail offers clear values for the sender by enabling cost and labor savings; opportunities for process re-engineering; and enhanced document control. Higher margins and increased print volumes are the clear values for the document printer.
Our final speaker was Don Scrima, EDP, Sr. Systems Analyst Workflow and Inkjet Printing Solutions, Kodak VersaMark (pic4). His talk was titled, “AFP - An Xplor Document University Course Preview”.
Don is one of the subject matter experts designing courses for Xplor Document University. There will be 2 full days of courses; 10 sessions; each 50 minutes long.
A course listing is available on www.xplor.org and also letter templates for your management to gain their support for your attendance. Don then gave a pre-view look at the course, AFP – Introduction to Advanced Function Presentation Architecture, to show what Xplor members can expect when they attend Xplor Document University.
2006 was a great year for the Xplor Chicagoland Chapter thanks to the Xplor membership and the continued support of our vendors. We are looking forward to 2007 and the new and improved Xplor International.
For a PDF copy of these notes, click on the icon. 