The focus of every company and customer should be on the now instead of solely on the future. That was the main message from recently appointed EFI CEO Jeff Jacobson at his keynote presentation at EFI Connect.

According to Jacobson, the now and future pendulum needs to work in tandem, with businesses keeping sight of what they are doing now and how it will impact the future.

“There is sometimes conflicting interests between the now and future conversations. Why do we need to choose between the now and the future? Why can’t we have them both?” he questioned.

“Throughout my 30-plus years in this industry I’ve always been confronted with this same question from my team – do we want more revenues or profits? Why can’t we have both?

“The now and the future is the same debate as analogue and digital. But isn’t it about the convergence of the two? We want to be the now and we want to be in the future.

“You cannot afford to eliminate everything that you own and invested in if you come up with something new every year. This is the print and digital convergence, the co-existence of analog and digital, legacy versus new, and mature versus developing. So, you need the now in order to fund and migrate to the future.” 

Jacobson identified four pillars of futuristic thinking, that includes:

1. Being present

He said not many people talk about the present before addressing the future.

“Almost everyone wants to talk about the future and where we are going. I hear few people talking about the present first. We should let the present be a part of defining the future,” he said.

“We should plant the seeds first before pruning the flowers. Let the seeds germinate and take place. We need to make every single day count.”

2. Continually testing the status quo

Taking risks is fundamental in thriving in this industry, according to Jacobson as those that take measured risks stand apart from the pack and profit from it.

“If you want to discover new shores, you must lose sight of your shore. Don’t be held back by the fear of moving forward or being held accountable for taking risks. Companies will not move forward if they don’t take risks and lose sight of a shore,” he said.

As a leader, Jacobson said the balance lies in bringing together people within a company, their different personalities and skill sets, and their risk-taking aptitudes.

“Leadership is hard; it’s rare that everyone on your team will agree. Being a leader is blending those who are risk averse with the risk takers, as well as taking on the now and the future pendulum,” he said.

3. Becoming an expert generalist

Adaptability is the key to a successful journey, said Jacobson. 

“Very few people can become hardware experts, software experts, ink experts, or consumable experts but the key is to understand the market and where it’s moving, and to mobilise all the expert resources within a company and bring it to the customers,” he said.

At EFI, Jacobson mentioned that customer success defines the company’s success.

“Customer success and satisfaction are the basis of company success. If you can bring value to your customers, you can always bring value to your company. In essence, become the general contractor for the house you are building,” he said.

4. Making life simple

His key message was that the transition from the now to the future needs to be simple.

“None of our customers have ever asked for more complicated solutions or products. At EFI, our commitment is to provide you with the best of the technology, keep at the forefront of technology, and to keep things simple,” he said.

“No company in this industry has the depth, breadth, and ecosystem that EFI has. When I speak about keeping our customers at the forefront of our technology, there is no company in a better position to do so,” he mentioned.

“Serving our customers with Fiery, providing EFI productivity software, to the broadest industrial general offerings to the industry – from display, ceramics, corrugated and textile – EFI is committed to serving its customers.

“We love that we are your now and we will do everything possible to be your future.” 

This was the first keynote Jacobson had on stage as CEO of EFI, following Bill Muir stepping down from the role in August 2019 for personal reasons.

Jacobson took on the role at EFI as a result of the 20-year association he has had with the business, having worked in companies that had affiliations with EFI.

“EFI is the only company I would have come back to the industry as CEO for. It’s focus on quality, service and technology enhancement investments are a focus for the long-term, as is our constant commitment towards our customers,” he said.

“Without our customers, we are absolutely nothing but technology looking for a home.”

Sprinter travelled to Connect in Las Vegas as a guest of EFI. 

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