Thursday, January 26, 2017

Senior Management Position (General Manager for Central Print/Repro Operation) for a very large enterprise based in the Seattle Market Area

A friend of mine asked me to reach out to my blog audience.  One of his clients is looking to fill a newly created Senior Management (GM) position.  This position is not for an A/E/C enterprise, but it is for a very large, high-profile enterprise.  Based on the type of enterprise his client operates, most of the repro/print is small format.

This position involves managing the business of print-operations for the enterprise, enterprise-wide.  The enterprise operates a central repro/print operation.  The enterprise also outsources print work to outside vendors.

My friend’s client has determined the need for three managers, two of whom will report to the GM.  The two positions that will report to the GM are Operations Manager and Metrics Manager, and these two positions are being filled by team members currently employed by the enterprise.

If you feel you may be qualified to handle the GM position, please contact me by e-mail: joel.salus@mac.com

Or, if you know of a person who may be qualified for the GM position, please have that person contact me.

About this "position", the very first sentence below (in blue type) is a comment that was made by my friend's client to my friend.

"I anticipate the job being a Sr. Manager.   Degree required.  Travel required.   Must have 8 years + running print business operations."   

The remainder of the information below is from the write-up my friend did for his client.  

3 key resources (l.e, people) to manage Print Business Services (see below for outline of position requirements)
Outline of positions:

1.     General Manager ****
2.     Operations Manager (position already filled)
3.     Metrics Manager (position already filled)
General Manager****
1.     A working knowledge of central repro / production print operations is necessary.
2.     The enterprise's business is....... a $10 million business, so good business management and financial / budgeting skills are required.
3.     People management skills will be important.  The GM will be motivating, inspiring, directing and interfacing with end users, senior management, the external vendor and his direct reports.
4.     There are a large number of variables that must be constantly juggled and managed.  Good organizational skills will be a must.  This person has to run the business, interface with end users at all levels within the enterprise, coordinate / manage the vendor and work with the transportation team.
5.     The individual must be customer centric.  This entire operation services the end users.
6.     Even before we start, we know that "print business services" will change significantly over the initial 18 months and again over the next 5 years. An innovative forward thinker with a focus on automation, efficiency and productivity will be critical for this position and the business.
7.     The mind-set must be aligned to continuous quality improvement and customer satisfaction. 
8.     The enterprise will encourage this person to be a Change Agent on a continual basis.
9.     This individual will assist with a complex transition from the current state to the modeled target state.  Logistics planning and excellent organizational skills will be required.
10.  The Operations Manager and Metrics Manager will report to his person.
Operations Manager
1.     A good working knowledge of central repro / production print operations is necessary. A technology background specific to central repro would be of value. 
2.     The enterprise will apply sophisticated electronic job submission and management software to PBS (print business service).  It will be the core of the operations.  The Ops Manager must be able to grasp and harness the power of that software and fully utilize it to the advantage of PBS and the end user community.
3.     PBS will require a delivery and scheduling expert. This business is run on deadlines and delivery schedules.
4.     People management skills will be important.  The Operations Manager will be motivating, inspiring, directing and interfacing with the vendor, the vendors assigned operations staff, and end users.
5.     This individual must be highly organized. There will be lots of scheduled and unscheduled jobs flowing through PBS.  Good organizational skills will be a must. 
6.     The individual must be customer centric.  This entire operation services the end users.
7.     The mind-set must be aligned to continuous quality improvement and customer satisfaction.  The enterprise will be looking to this person for operational efficiencies on an on-going basis.
8.     This person will help establish vendor quality and delivery SLAs (service-level-agreements) that are acceptable to the end users and the vendor.
9.     The Ops Manager has full responsibility for the efficient operations of the StoreFronts.
10.  Create and maintain file protocol standards for customer submitted files.  This combines the best available from software, with the vendor and end user requirements.  Establishing software standards will be one component of this assignment.
11.  End user communications, training and education programs will be a responsibility of this position. End user will need to know what is available and how to utilize the service.
Metrics Manager
1.     The Metrics Manager must have a strong background in financial management and print metrics analysis / interpretation and metrics reporting.  (i.e. Accounting background)
2.     A general knowledge of central repro / production print operations would be beneficial.   
3.     To effectively run PBS, the General Manager, Operations Manager and the enterprise's (senior) executives will require metrics based reporting that includes financials, key ratios and % calculations.  The intent would be that this person know the numbers better and quicker than the vendor can provide them.  (i.e. lead vs follow)
4.     Invoice tracking, management and approval will be a big task that this individual will have to assume responsibility for.
5.     The Metrics Manager will generate the necessary Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Key Sustainment Indicators (KSIs or “green” metrics).  Customer satisfaction performance metrics will also have to be established, measured and managed.
6.     Usage stats and financials tracked and reported by department and/or business group will be required.   
7.     Establish and manage the budget.
8.     Benchmarking service levels and costs against the industry.   Trends analysis.
9.     Interface with the Print Business Services software to pull any and all available metrics for interpretation, processing and analysis.

10.  Report to the General Manager.  Work closely with the Operations Manager.

Friday, January 13, 2017

Request for Information regarding Computer Software System(s) for Quotes, Work-Orders, Invoicing/Billing and for Accounting (General Ledger, etc.)

I’m a bit out-of-date on this subject.  I am familiar with MV Software’s Profits-Plus for reprographers and with Thoroughbred’s Solutions for reprographers.

What software system is your company using to generate Quotes, Work-Orders and Invoices?

And, how’s that working for you (would you recommend it to other reprographers)?

What software system is your company using for General Ledger, A/P, Inventory, A/R, etc.

And, how’s that working for you (would you recommend it to other reprographers)?

Please send your replies to my e-mail address: joel.salus@mac.com

Thank you.


Thursday, January 12, 2017

Reprographer offering "same price" for A/E/C plan prints, black & white OR color

When I first heard that HP would be coming out with a “wide-format” system that would be really, really fast, handle high-volumes of output, and generate both black & white AND color prints at the same speed-of-output…. and that the cost to produce A/E/C prints, whether black & white or color would be close to the same cost, I predicted that some reprographers would, not long after HP PW XL systems began shipping, decide to offer b/w plan printing and color plan printing at the same price rate.

Here’s a printer (I’ll refer to them as a “reprographer”, since they do offer A/E/C print services) who advertises on its web-site that it offers b/w or color plan printing “at the same price”.  (There are exceptions, that’s the small print.)

“What Our New HP PageWide XL 5000 Can Do For You”

Link to the page on Replica’s web-site where Replica talks about prices:


Wednesday, January 11, 2017

Jeanette Roberts, formerly with ARC Document Solutions, is now with Autodesk

Noticed on LinkedIn today that Jeanette is a “Named Accounts Executive – Federal Solutions” with Autodesk.  She joined Autodesk in November 2016.

Best wishes to Jeanette for success in her new position.

Prior to joining Autodesk, Jeanette had been with ARC Document Solutions since at least March 1996; i.e., OVER 20 years!

While with ARC, Jeanette held these positions:

 > Director of Facilities Management (Mar 1996-Mar 2006)
 > Global Solutions Executive (Mar 2006-Jul 2013)

 > Director of Global Services (Jul 2013-Nov 2016)