Bottomline Benefits
When Do You Plan to Make Purchases?
What’s driving these strategic decisions?
The answer reveals multiple goals and objectives at nearly every plant. Specifically, 67 percent of the sample want to update older equipment to realize efficiencies like labor savings, waste reduction and faster makeready. Fifty-nine percent stress enhancing competitive posture and 59 percent also strive to respond to, meet and exceed evolving customer demands.
Similarly, some 51 percent seek to expand offerings and another 51 percent hope to win new customers. Secondary reasoning seems to apply to entering new applications, at nearly 25 percent; introducing hybrid or multiprocess print, at 18 percent, and launching an expanded gamut (EG) printing program, at 14 percent.
Aftereffect
Flash Poll respondents believe installation of new, major pieces of printing and converting equipment will bring in additional business and generate additional need in the consumables arena. They forecast budgets and allocations will shoot up in several classifications.
How Will Purchases Impact Your Plant?
Ink leads the field, with 26 percent of the audience saying additional dollars will go toward such purchases. It is followed closely by plates at 24 percent, then anilox rolls at 21 percent. Also receiving mention—though at far less significant volumes—are substrates, doctor blades, cleaners, eco-friendly chemicals, print cylinders and pallets.Best Fit
Due diligence studies are underway. Lists of options are under assembly. Specification sheets are being collected and analyzed. Discussions focus on potential benefits of each option. And a good portion of respondents plan to travel to INFOFLEX in Indianapolis, IN, May 7-8, with wish lists in hand. There, the mission is to network with potential suppliers, whittle down the list of possibilities and come that much closer to determining the ever-elusive “best fit.”