Contracts with Colorful Capabilities
September 2003
|
Print shops welcome cost-saving opportunities by bringing ink technology in-house with the help of suppliers.
WHAT'S COOKING IN more of today's in-house ink kitchens are cost-cutting management practices and first-rate capabilities. Many converters can attribute this to special contractual agreements between ink suppliers and print shops.
The agreements, many developed more than a decade ago, have helped converters bring inking competency and ink professionals on-site, allowing them to focus on printing during a time when the ability to handle more short-run jobs and fast turnarounds is imperative to stay competitive.
From the beginning
Ink agreements run the gamut, ranging from complete overhauls of the existing ink room and the establishment of new inking facilities to simply the addition of new management approaches, experienced inking personnel, and technical support. No matter how ink suppliers intervene, however, ink agreements result in reduced raw material and work-off inventories, just-in-time ink access, and an overall well-managed ink lab. "Our ultimate goal is to try to create a situation where the right amount of the right ink is at the right press at the right time, and, hopefully, we will have eliminated [the printer] from having to spend additional resources to do so," said Mike Impastato, vice president of market development at Flint Ink (Ann Arbor, Mich.), which has been providing what Flint Ink calls graphic technical centers (GTC) for years.
To start, a converter has to be able to rationalize the initial capital expenses for new ink equipment and/or employees that it will accrue. According to John Kalkowski, marketing manager of Sun Chemical Corp. (Northlake, Ill.), "It's definitely to the converter's advantage, but they have to have a certain volume to really justify it."
Most ink companies determine the needs of an interested customer by auditing its current situation. The audit incorporates a needs assessment to ensure that the customer's "wants" deliver value to its operation, said Mark Cheatham, manager of customer site operations at Sun Chemical. Don Matthiesen, marketing manager at Environmental Inks & Coatings (EIC, Morganton, N.C.), added, "We work with our customers to find out their desires to ensure that we are making the best use of the agreement."
Adding up the benefits
The benefits of in-house ink labs are clear. A capable person in the ink room, using up-to-date technology and mixing bases to make just enough of the right ink when it's needed, eliminates delivery time and reduces inventory, saving the converter money over the long run.
WHAT'S COOKING IN more of today's in-house ink kitchens are cost-cutting management practices and first-rate capabilities. Many converters can attribute this to special contractual agreements between ink suppliers and print shops.
The agreements, many developed more than a decade ago, have helped converters bring inking competency and ink professionals on-site, allowing them to focus on printing during a time when the ability to handle more short-run jobs and fast turnarounds is imperative to stay competitive.
From the beginning
Ink agreements run the gamut, ranging from complete overhauls of the existing ink room and the establishment of new inking facilities to simply the addition of new management approaches, experienced inking personnel, and technical support. No matter how ink suppliers intervene, however, ink agreements result in reduced raw material and work-off inventories, just-in-time ink access, and an overall well-managed ink lab. "Our ultimate goal is to try to create a situation where the right amount of the right ink is at the right press at the right time, and, hopefully, we will have eliminated [the printer] from having to spend additional resources to do so," said Mike Impastato, vice president of market development at Flint Ink (Ann Arbor, Mich.), which has been providing what Flint Ink calls graphic technical centers (GTC) for years.
To start, a converter has to be able to rationalize the initial capital expenses for new ink equipment and/or employees that it will accrue. According to John Kalkowski, marketing manager of Sun Chemical Corp. (Northlake, Ill.), "It's definitely to the converter's advantage, but they have to have a certain volume to really justify it."
Most ink companies determine the needs of an interested customer by auditing its current situation. The audit incorporates a needs assessment to ensure that the customer's "wants" deliver value to its operation, said Mark Cheatham, manager of customer site operations at Sun Chemical. Don Matthiesen, marketing manager at Environmental Inks & Coatings (EIC, Morganton, N.C.), added, "We work with our customers to find out their desires to ensure that we are making the best use of the agreement."
Adding up the benefits
The benefits of in-house ink labs are clear. A capable person in the ink room, using up-to-date technology and mixing bases to make just enough of the right ink when it's needed, eliminates delivery time and reduces inventory, saving the converter money over the long run.
Companies Mentioned:
 |
|
|
Chemistry for the Graphic Arts
What the Printer Should Know About Paper