InkJet Age

MAR 2014

Inkjet's Age, a print supplement to Quick Printing, is a business and technology brand dedicated to corporate and senior management and focusing on issues surrounding inkjet printing technology in all its forms. Inkjet's Age covers the industry news,

Issue link: https://quickprinting.epubxp.com/i/268657

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 18 of 29

www.MyPRINTResource.com MARCH 2014 • INKJET'S AGE 17 Each acquisition brought new applications, market- ing services, and customer relationships that needed to be aligned and integrated. According to Universal Wilde President John Sisson, this process did not hap- pen overnight. He explains, "After acquiring a firm, we need to determine which systems to integrate with Universal's production systems and which to abandon." The company built its service offering – which includes web-to-print, complex variable data, and cross-media applications—on common platforms from end-to-end. Investments in the latest technologies (such as the high-speed inkjet Océ ColorStream 3500) and inte- grating production and workflow infrastructures have enabled Universal Wilde to focus on customer relation- ships. Sisson notes, "As we acquired companies, we mi- grated to a common integrated workflow platform. We focus on the healthcare, financial services, education, and high-end commercial industries. These markets are focused on new customer acquisition and, Sisson continues, "You have to expand into helping custom- ers with both strategy and implementation." Universal Wilde has embraced this by providing services that help leverage all aspects of a customer's need. From data services for delivering highly effective and personalized output to finding the best postal discounts, Univer- sal Wilde offers programming, creative services, and technology to produce high-end 1:1 communications. High-speed inkjet has proven cost-effective for Univer- sal Wilde clients with no sacrifice to speed or quality. The results have proven much more satisfying than those of typical offset production components. "It's important to make investments in strategic re- sources to grow and build customer-driven solutions," Sisson adds. "Investments in IT skills, training for a sales organization, and strategic marketing resources are all critical components to becoming a powerful market- ing services provider. You need a concrete business plan, from concept all the way through distribution. If you don't have a vision for integration, you will fail. It's like building a house with no blueprint." Universal Wilde has built a successful business by backing its vision with a plan. Strategy and planning are in the company's DNA, and they have become key ingredients in its ability to integrate organizations with the right technology investments. ✚ F rom the very beginning, Universal Wilde Founder and CEO Bill Fitzgerald had planned to build a company that would serve its customers, "from thought to distribution." The company grew through acquisitions; in the beginning acquiring prestigious print- ing companies like Daniels Printing and Acme Printing Company. More importantly from a strategic perspective was the most recent acquisition of Wilde & Wilde Agency, a direct marketing agency. Today, the company generates revenues of $150 million and encompasses a 700,000-square-feet spread across six facilities in Massachusetts. Although every acquisition was instrumental in the company's success, the Wilde & Wilde deal was the final component in ful- filling Fitzgerald's vision. From Thought to Distribution End-to-End CASE STUDY INVESTMENTS IN technology such as the Océ ColorStream 3500 have enabled Universal Wilde to focus on customer relationships. QPsupp_17_0314 CSEnd-to-End.indd 17 2/18/14 11:43 AM

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of InkJet Age - MAR 2014