Unless you’ve been living under that proverbial rock for the past few years, you are passingly familiar with AI in some form. Maybe you’ve played with ChatGPT prompts, used an online assistant to answer questions, or taken advantage of AI-generated transcripts of meetings. Whatever the use-case, many in today’s connected world have at least dabbled with AI tools.
But how is AI impacting the print industry? There’s been a lot of talk, a lot of educational sessions, and even conferences dedicated to this and its usage. But the short answer is still: No one is really sure. AI is changing daily and as the technology behind it evolves, so are the tools used to access and harness its power.
For the average print professional, this can be a bit of a minefield. It’s not enough to do a bit of research or attend a single conference. Or even read a few articles around the subject. If you want to truly use AI to its fullest potential, it can be a full-time job staying ahead. And since most print shops likely can’t afford to have a full-time employee dedicated to this, here are a few things you can consider to stay ahead of the technology curve.
1. Assign an Internal AI Champion.
Wait, didn’t we just acknowledge most print companies can’t afford to have someone on payroll who solely handles AI? Well, yes. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have a person on staff tasked with keeping up with the trends as part of their duties. Ideally, find someone on your team who is already passionate about AI. Give them the bandwidth in their daily routine to dedicate an hour or two a week learning about AI trends and tools. Have them keep you appraised of anything new they think would benefit the business.
2. Focus Your Efforts.
There are a lot of neat tools out there. Every OEM, every software manufacturer, and every new third-party company popping up will all tout their latest and greatest AI abilities. They will sound amazing, and they will get your imagination fired up as to all the productivity you’ll be generating, all the money you’ll be saving, etc. But trying to do it all will just mean nothing really gets implemented or adopted throughout the organization. Instead, pick the areas of the company you want to focus on. This can be customer communication, workflow automation, estimating, scheduling, etc – and then be strategic about which tools to implement. This is where that dedicated person comes in. Have them focus on researching the tools that will make the biggest impact in your business and give recommendations on their top two or three choices.
3. Get Team Buy-In.
A lot of people are worried about AI, and your staff is no different. Sure, some people are excited about the future it is ushering in. But, many are more worried about whether AI is going to kill their livelihood than they are excited about using it to generate images for their social media. Make sure to reassure them, and get them involved in the process early on. Ask them what slows them down, where they face frustration. Have your AI person meet with that team to take in their pain points and find what they would love to see in an ideal tool. If you then present a tool that addresses those concerns, they will be excited to adopt and use it.
4. Experiment and Learn.
There are a lot of tools that make it easy to create your own AI tools. They make things like coding an application possible for someone with no coding background. While you might not make the next Flappy Birds viral sensation, the odds are good that the process will at least help narrow down which functions are actually useful for your team. This, in turn, will help your AI person further narrow down which tools are the right fit for you.
5. Leaders Must Stay Informed Too.
Yes, you should have a person who is dedicated to keeping up with the rapid pace of AI innovation on a regular basis. But doesn’t mean you shouldn’t also be taking some time to stay educated. Maybe it’s one hour a month going through and reading the articles your AI person has flagged for you. Or joining a local business leaders group focused on figuring out how to make AI work in a professional environment. It could be committing to attending at least one conference. Or at least one session about AI at a larger event — a few times a year. Whatever the frequency, you won’t be able to make the best decisions for your business if you don’t have a high-level understanding of its strength and weaknesses.
In the end, AI isn’t going to be a “one size fits all” for print businesses. The tools that will help drive one print shop to greater heights and profitability will bog another down. If you want to get the most out of modern tools, it’s not going to be as easy as picking one solution and calling it a day. You’ll need to embrace AI’s constant evolution and be ready to pivot as the tools — and your team’s needs — change. Do that and you’ll be the company everyone points to as the success story for the modern print age.
Toni McQuilken
Guest Blogger
NAPCO Media
