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Find out how APPi gained efficiencies and reduced costs by implementing printIQ
With over 30 years of experience, Associated Printing Productions, Inc. (APPi) is a versatile printing company specializing in high-quality, custom printing solutions. Along with its 30 employees, the company provides its growing list of customers with a wide range of print services, including digital and offset printing, binding, packaging and graphic design.
With a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction, the company caters to various industries, providing solutions tailored to meet specific needs. Their commitment to excellence and use of automation and advanced technology ensures efficient production, timely delivery and exceptional print quality.
After a successful 10-year U.S. Army career, John Beadel, made the move to Florida to join his brother in starting a printing company. Although he lacked industry experience, Beadel was anxious to make it work.
“Unlike my brother, I didn’t know much about the printing industry,” said Beadel. “He obviously enjoyed watching me try to figure things out along the way. But that whole experience was invaluable. It taught me to watch, listen and be prepared.”
Today, Beadel has full ownership of the company while also serving his third term as Chairman of the Board for the Florida Graphics Alliance.
printIQ gave APPi control of their print products through automation and by reducing touchpoints along the way. This reduces costs, time and errors. Moreover, efficiency gains are measurable as production meetings have evolved from handwritten notes to printouts and displays showing the status of jobs on which the company comes together to collaborate on each day.
“Change can be difficult, and initially it was tough for our team but now everyone is excited. Prepress is amazed at how easy the process has become, and clients are thrilled with the ease of the markup and approval processes.”
Under Beadel’s direction, APPi has grown the business by catering to the cruise line industry. Today the company supplies more than 20 resorts and nearly every cruise ship sailing the world with printed marketing and operational collateral along with signage. While a surge in business is welcomed news for any company, it also brings a new set of challenges.
“Our business depends on keeping pace with the needs of our largest customers. This means continually improving production efficiency while managing day-to-day operations and growth. To help with this I created a fulfillment system in the late 1990s.”
As business grew, rising demand put a strain on the company’s processes and legacy systems. It quickly became painfully clear that a more robust and automated solution was needed. A solution tailored specifically for the print industry.
“I had someone from the outside evaluate our system, and what they told me really opened my eyes. They said: Your company is so manual! I knew we needed to be more automated, but I didn’t realize the impact. From prepress and proofing to sales, and all the way to the client, we were experiencing a lot of touchpoints. At every touchpoint, time and costs were being added to each job.”
Despite the growing need, early attempts to upgrade proved ineffective. Frustrated with the lack of progress and excessive workarounds, Beadel reluctantly reverted to his original system knowing that an automated solution would be needed.
After surveying the market, APPi selected 5 commercial systems for a deeper evaluation. Key among the requirements was an intuitive cloud-based system created by print industry professionals especially for the industry.
“I wasn’t interested in a generic system that would require extensive customization. I wanted a system that would save us time and money by directing us to what is most economical and what makes the most sense.
An advisor recommended printIQ and right away, I knew that this was the answer. Unlike other systems that put the burden on us to make selections, printIQ is highly intuitive and smart enough to select the right equipment for us.”
Implementation
Change is uncomfortable for any company, especially when it comes to processes and systems. This is where a partner with print industry experience makes all the difference.
“The initial steps took some time and setting things up meant digging into the business to understand the process and get things right. But I kept the faith and put my trust into the printIQ team. They knew what they were doing, and their trainers were extremely effective and patient. A balance of dedicated resources from each side leads to success – and we developed a close partnership with printIQ throughout the implementation process.”
Integrations
Storefronts were critical for APPi’s cruise line business yet required interfacing with a very complicated system based on set budgets. The solution was to develop a streamlined integration between printIQ and PageDNA, a third-party system to handle the budget and orders.
The companies collaborated on integrating these systems and the result was a seamless process. A single system can’t do everything, but when companies actively cooperate, it provides a strong solution, a happy customer, and creates a unique package for the industry.
To help manage financials, APPi has integrated printIQ into QuickBooks online. This allows the company to use the system to track purchases and receivables. Beadel said that although the transition was difficult, they recognized that it had to be done.
“Our traditional accounting practices were simply inadequate for the volume of business we were doing. Now we make all purchases in printIQ where the data is captured, and our financials are updated in real time. From accounting through production, the software provides complete visibility to the cost of jobs and profit margin.”
With printIQ, APPi is documenting measurable improvements across the board – from production efficiency and cost reduction, to collaboration among teams and clients.
“This experience has made me really love my company and the fact that everyone is freely collaborating,” said Beadel. “Going forward, we will continue to automate and digitize the workflow. We’re looking at expanding our printing capabilities and are interested in automating bindery – which is an expensive process when done manually. In addition, automating our prepress operation is another area that would lead to a quick ROI.”
Beadel recommends that, regardless of type or size, all printers should take a close look at printIQ.
“The printIQ system is extremely customizable and offers the flexibility to fit with any print business. With industry variables built into the program, printers can easily tailor printIQ for their requirements and business. Plus, you can take comfort in knowing that the system is backed by print industry professionals at a highly reputable company.”
“I wasn’t interested in a generic system that would require extensive customization. I wanted a system that would save us time and money by directing us to what is most economical and what makes the most sense.”
John Beadel, Owner
APPi