Sign up for The Key Point of View, our weekly newsletter of blogs and podcasts!
The IPMA (In-plant Print and Mail Association) 2023 conference, themed “Beyond All Limits,” brought 142 in-plant attendees from 88 companies to Bonita Springs, Florida. The conference aimed to guide, educate, and support in-house print and mail professionals in their growth and service to their parent institutions. The event featured more than four days of educational sessions, a vendor fair, networking opportunities, and recreational events.
Key Findings
- In-plant business is healthy: In-plants are growing stronger. They are expanding their services, including wide-format printing, mailing, fulfillment, copier fleet management, and flatbed printing.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) is on everyone’s mind: AI was a prominent topic discussed in numerous sessions and informal conversations exploring its potential applications in the printing industry.
- In-plants are embracing automation: In-plants are increasingly adopting automation, surpassing previous years’ trends. Their activities include utilizing automated equipment, outsourcing work, and hiring student workers to cope with labor shortages.
- Services shifting to wide format applications: In-plant businesses are rapidly moving away from cut-sheet printing and focusing more on wide-format applications. Wide-format services, including posters, banners, wall graphics, floor graphics, and graphics installation, are gaining popularity.
Noteworthy Presentation Summaries
The event included more than 40 sessions, a 49-company vendor fair, and numerous networking opportunities. Here are a few of our observations from some of the most noteworthy sessions:
Advancing Your In-Plant: This session discussed the current state of in-plants, including labor shortages and measures to cope with them. It also highlighted the expansion of services and the increase in page volumes, particularly in wide-format printing.
AI In Print: Separating the Hype from the Hope: The session focused on defining artificial intelligence, its potential in the printing industry, and recommendations for in-plants to prepare for its arrival.
How to Use Workflow to Drive Your In-Plant Operations: This session explored the importance of workflow automation, data-driven solutions, and reducing touchpoints. It emphasized the impact of workflow on staffing, skill shortages, turnaround times, errors, reprints, and customer satisfaction.
Beyond All Limits – Your Fast Track to Success: This presentation discussed the importance of having a vision for in-plants, focusing on integrated resource centers that transcend traditional print services. It also highlighted key statistics and challenges faced by in-plants.
Go Beyond the Obvious with Workflow Automation: This session emphasized the role of automation in the printing industry, including time and cost savings, error reduction, and increased productivity. It also discussed the importance of software throughout the printing process.
Expand Your In-Plant’s Possibilities with Wide Format: This presentation showcased the experience of Christus Health in utilizing wide-format printing. It highlighted cost savings achieved through internal production, automation solutions, and expanded capabilities.
Automation Retains In-Plant Relevancy: This session emphasized the importance of automation in maintaining the relevance of in-plants. It shared successful implementation examples, discussed agile methodologies, and stressed the significance of team training and collaboration.
Wide Format Roundtable: This discussion, led by John Cruzer from Bloomberg, featured panelists Wesley Troup from the World Bank Group, Tammy Golden from the State of Tennessee, and Erica Linn from Lockheed Martin Corporation. They discussed fabric printing, sewing, sustainability, installation services, in-plant awareness, and their five-year visions, emphasizing collaboration, innovation, and providing creative solutions in their respective organizations.
Keypoint Intelligence Opinion
The IPMA 2023 conference provided valuable insights into the state of in-plant printing and mail operations. The event highlighted the industry’s embrace of automation, the shift towards wide format applications, and the significance of having a vision.
The in-plant market segment is rapidly evolving, and in-plant managers, decision-makers, and relevant vendors need to understand this seismic shift. Very few in-plants offer offset printing as a primary service. Almost none are centralized reprographics departments (CRDs) anymore. Instead, in-plant services are increasingly migrating from document production to wide-format printing and related services. Bringing these high-margin services in-house dramatically impacts in-plant parent organizations, with multiple managers claiming 65% to 75% savings over commercial alternatives. Automation is a significant reason for these results.
Keypoint Intelligence Production Workflow Service subscribers can access our complete conference analysis and a video recording of our general session presentation covering AI in print. But even those cannot fully document the depth and breadth of educational sessions spanning nearly a week. Adding automation, inkjet production, wide format printing, and installation services are fraught with risks and challenges. If you are an in-plant manager or considering creating an in-plant in your organization (and there were several recently formed in-plants in attendance), mark your calendars for next year’s conference in Des Moines, Iowa.
Log in to the InfoCenter to view additional research, reports, and studies on AI and print automation solutions in our Production Workflow Advisory Service. If you’re not a subscriber, contact us for more info by clicking here.
