Workflow

If 2007 goes down as “The Year of RR Donnelley,” it will do so as a result of a 65-day span at the turn of the year during which the conglomerate announced it would acquire three industry stalwarts: Perry Judd’s, Von Hoffman and Banta Corp. But the past year has been about more than consolidation and leveraged buyouts. North American printers continue to grapple with the mounting menace that is offshore manufacturing, fluctuating paper prices amid a series of mill shutdowns, and the ever-evolving technological demands of their customers. And yet, despite these challenges, there are also a number of opportunities facing the market.

As I was preparing for this column, I came across the following statement in a brochure prepared by Strategos, strategic planning consultants, that I picked up at an event a few years ago: “What’s amazing is how often top management is surprised when dramatic external change happens. Why the surprise? Is it that the world is violently turbulent, changing in ways that simply cannot be anticipated? Perhaps. But we call them ‘inevitable surprises.’ Think about it. In retrospect, you could have anticipated most of the disruptions in your industry. You can build this capability into your organization. You can be prepared—before your competition.”

Lightning Source Inc., a leading provider of demand-based book manufacturing and distribution solutions, announced this week that it will establish a third book manufacturing facility in Lehigh County, Pa. The new 130,000-square-foot manufacturing center will be Lightning Source’s second U.S. facility, and its third worldwide. The company said the facility is expected to open in June. The company’s headquarter facility is based in LaVergne,Tenn., near Nashville. A second facility, established in Britain in 2001, is located in Milton Keynes, England, near London. The new U.S. center is expected to expand capacity, speed of service for publishers in Northeast, Lightning Source representatives said. When fully operational,

Official government documents may not have topped most holiday wish lists in the past, but several such reports found their ways under Christmas trees with increasing frequency the last several years. “The Iraq Study Group Report: The Way Forward—A New Approach” hit bookshelves in early December 2006 and, like a couple of its recent predecessors, has earned overwhelming success. Already in its third printing at the time of this story, the book’s release was made all the more remarkable by the circumstances surrounding its publication: a 24-day turnaround time. Government reports have, on occasion, sounded blips on literary radar screens in the past—perhaps most

It’s more important than ever to get books to the market fast. More days in production can mean fewer days on the market and fewer sales. For many publishers, especially those producing many titles simultaneously, good production scheduling tools are essential in keeping projects easily trackable, on schedule and problem-free. Here, Book Business takes a look at some of the industry’s leading software providers and the software on the market to help you with the complex task of production scheduling. AEC Software Product: FastTrack Schedule 9 Description: Colorful timelines and calendars are designed to illustrate project deadlines, status and goals. Production details are centralized, aiming to control your

Hundreds of industry executives turned out Oct. 16 to honor North America’s finest print production projects at the 19th Annual Gold Ink Awards Banquet in Chicago. Attendees also witnessed the induction of four new members into the Publishing Executive Hall of Fame, including David Pelkey, Merriam-Webster Inc.’s director of manufacturing and a 21-year veteran of the graphic arts industry. More than 1,500 pieces were entered into 45 different categories for the 2006 Gold Ink Awards, and the gala—held during October’s Graph Expo at McCormick Place—recognized the winners for their achievements during a cocktail hour and dinner. Each of the Hall of Fame inductees

Xerox rolls out a new digital production product this weekend at Graph Expo 2006--it’s one that the company expects will change the way teacher’s editions of textbooks are produced. Incorporating a combination of a press retrofit and new software, school districts across the country will now have the ability to pick what content goes into their version of the teacher’s textbook to help meet the “No Child Left Behind” legislation at a much lower price. Printers will be able to produce the books more quickly and at a much lower cost, too. Tracy Yelencsics, manager of Production Color Marketing for Xerox’s Production Systems Group,

We’ve printed books locally, in Canada, and overseas. We’ve dealt with printing companies who couldn’t get much beyond the pre-press process and others that couldn’t manage shipping the final product. We’ve had companies use our projects to train their staff without our knowledge. We’ve had finished books held up in customs for months, sitting tantalizingly at a dock less than a day’s drive away. How, as a publisher, can you know what to expect from your printer? I’ve learned the hard way that, at least in the book printing business, size doesn’t matter. We’ve been burned by one of the 10 largest printers in the

Embracing the promise of a bright digital future, the world’s second largest publisher of science, technology and medical titles recently introduced a new program allowing for unlimited electronic access to thousands of its titles. In June, Springer Science+Business Media announced the launch of its eBook Collection program -- an online collection of more than 10,000 -- during the American Library Association convention in New Orleans. According to Ray Colon, the global manager of Springer’s eBooks, the daunting task to digitize every title Springer publishes each year, as well as a substantial back catalog of thousands of titles, began in January 2005. “The position was taken at the

One of the world’s leading book manufacturers has been recognized by Microsoft for being among the cream of the crop of companies world-wide using its business products to streamline workflow. Microsoft recently recognized Webcom Limited for the increased efficiency the Tornoto-based book manufacturer has found by integrating the Redmond, Wash. computer technology corporation’s business management system for print and online production of books, catalogs and directories. The 31-year-old independently-owned Canadian book manufacturer, which specializes in custom orders and e-printing technologies, produces nearly 30 million books annually. A recent case study and a less technical business-impact article were posted on Microsoft’s global Web site to summarize