Roos painted a grim picture for the future of traditional print saying by putting new technology into a dated business model the only thing a print shop owner will reap is a decline in value. He did however, balanced his presentation with the opportunities that can arise from a changing industry.

He says, “Traditional print is in decline, there will always be good niche producers and there will be good opportunities in new developments. But for traditional print things are not looking good.”

“The successful companies are the ones that provide in depth solutions and services, offer niche products and have highly trained staff.”

He says as the format of business transactions evolve, printers should be aiming to offer their customers a solution rather than a service, which gives the print shop the ability to price on performance.

Roos says, “Printers need to adopt a platform thinking method. It’s not about saying ‘this is what I have and here is my price list’, but about asking the customer what outcome they want.”

During his presentation Roos shocked attendees by claiming Australia’s business managers are “second rate” compared with other developed countries, adding that cost cutting was the non-thinking manager’s response to a competitive environment.

He also says that Australian have a tendency to spend very little staff training, which prevents many companies from moving forward.

He says, “There is a strange attitude in Australia with people thinking they have left school so there’s no need to go back. But how can you evolve your business if you’re not developing your skill set? Remember: no training, no development, no capability, means no money.”

“There should be an unspoken contract with staff that by working for you they will become more employable, and in return they will make your business more successful.”

In his sum up Roos provided some practical advice for printers saying there was a need to develop a technology roadmap, to help companies make informed decisions and increase managerial competence.

He says, “The traditional linier business format, providing a service to a customer and getting paid, is gone. Today it’s much more complex and you need to understand exactly where you stand and where you can gain revenue.”

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