Top of the class
Ever been left wondering how one of your competitors always seems to be able to do jobs slightly quicker, or produce jobs that are that little bit better than you could achieve for a similar price? Well, the answer could just be in picking up your notepad and heading back to school.
Whether it is the latest re-adjustable vinyl technology or new software to help streamline your quoting, production and invoicing systems, there will always be new tricks you can learn to get the most from your business and improve the quality of its output.
Throughout the year there are a number of supplier open days which offer seminars from focussed business advice—such as those run by Nick Devine of The Print Coach—through to hands on demonstrations of new wide-format kit, to step-by-step vehicle wrapping demonstrations.
There are also always a host of education and training events run at exhibitions both in the UK and Europe such as Sign and Digital UK, FESPA, Viscom and Screenmedia Expo, which together cover almost every aspect of the industry’s possible output.
Importantly there are also a number of suppliers which provide ongoing education and training programmes to help their customers maximise the potential of their equipment, materials and inherent skills.
Dennis Poole of wide-format printer manufacturer Roland DG,
who helps to run its flagship Academy programme, says that
businesses across the spectrum in the sign industry can
benefit from getting further training and gaining skills to make
their business more efficient, and importantly, more profitable
I never realised
While almost all suppliers, especially those in the wide-format print sector, provide some training during installation or as part of the sales process, there are only a few that run fully designed training courses.
Speaking to Dennis Poole of wide-format printer manufacturer Roland DG, who helps to run its flagship Academy programme, he emphasised that more often than not students will always come away saying that they never realised how much more they could achieve with their current kit.
Opened in 2006, the Roland Academy—within the campus of Walsall College—is reportedly the UK’s only purpose-built training facility for the UK signage sector. It also offers a dedicated learning environment kitted out with the latest state-of-the-art equipment, with Roland DG explaining the focus is on building transferable skills for business and revenue improvement and maintaining the industry’s high skill-levels.
“The Roland DG Academy’s core aim is to help our customers get the most out of their printers. And on our Intermediate Digital Print course, we make sure we give customers all the knowledge they need on how to use their device, maintain it and get the optimum performance out of it. We also show them how to use the software which drives their kit, such as the VersaWorks RIP. Together this will make each job easier, quicker and more profitable,” says Poole.
Learning is what it is all about, from getting ideas about applications to finding out different ways to achieve the same objective more efficiently”
Within the Roland DG Academy a range of sign-making apprenticeships are also available that are designed to bring suitable candidates into the sign-making industry. Roland DG states that after completion of one of these courses, skilled sign-makers and technicians often find themselves working in a variety of different roles within industry. The courses on offer include; Apprenticeship Sign-making, Advanced Apprenticeship Sign-making, NVQ Diploma in Sign Making Level 2, NVQ Diploma in Sign Making Level 3.
Poole continues: “Learning is what it is all about, from getting ideas about applications to finding out different ways to achieve the same objective more efficiently. There are also lots of like-minded people together in one place at the Academy, who can bounce ideas off each other and learn collectively. From feedback we often find people learn a substantial amount from others attending the course in addition to the trainer.”
Roland Academy courses
Intermediate digital print
Packed with tips and tricks to improve print quality and production processes with particular focus on what effective colour management can bring to a business. The course also recaps on important maintenance routines, calibration topics and the constantly evolving areas of lamination and advanced RIP control
Basic application and finishing
A mixture of the theory and practice behind applying and finishing graphics for anyone new to sign-making or wide format digital print
Photoshop for digital print
All the necessary knowledge to get the most out of the industry standard software for digital imaging and graphic design from tips for the beginner to advanced skills for the expert
Vehicle wrapping
One of the most popular Roland courses, and the best-selling vehicle wrapping training in the country. Suitable for both new and experienced vehicle wrappers, extending knowledge and practical skills in this lucrative market.
Hybrid Services’—Mimaki’s exclusive UK and Ireland
distributor—marketing manager Duncan Jefferies says bespoke
training is one of the most important services the company
provides for its customers
Make the most of it
Another wide-format player who believes getting the most from available education and training is vital for industry members to get the most from their operations is Mimaki’s exclusive UK and Ireland distributor Hybrid Services.
The company has constructed an extensive in-house creative and demonstration centre, in which it runs a bespoke training service for its customers who either want to know how to achieve a particular job, or simply want to know how to broaden their kits’ output. In partnership with its reseller partners, Hybrid Services also has an extensive training programme which comes as part of the initial installation package. In regards to this, the company urges any sign-maker purchasing new kit with a similar training service attached, to really think about what they want to achieve and learn to take the most away from the experience.
“Training plays a very important part in the service we provide. Typically we respond to what customers want and their specific needs. To this end we customise each session and often focus on a particular product. An example would be higher level software RIP training,” says Hybrid Services marketing manager Duncan Jefferies.
He continues: “When we do on site training we asses the skills that will be particularly specific to their needs, how their business operates and most importantly how the kit fits into their workflow. Imagine a screenprinter putting in a Mimaki UJF-3042 desktop printer, and what a sea change this will make in how they operate. Printing can often be part of complex process, so we look and see how adding a new printer can affect processes up and the down line. We also encourage people to do the training with their files and materials, so it fits their requirements perfectly. The aim of these measures is to make the process as relevant and constructive as possible.”
Taking advantage of dedicated training programmes such as the
Roland Academy at Walsall College can help even the most
experienced sign-maker improve the quality of their output
Why should I?
Especially for smaller sign-makers and company’s within the wider industry, taking time out of a busy schedule to attend dedicated training courses such as those run by Roland DG can significantly impact on production lead times. So the important question remains; why should I go? I asked Poole the thinking behind the design of the course, and to defend his assertion that the benefits such education and training provides far outweigh the loss in manpower.
“Students will be inspired with what can be done with the machines, share knowledge, learn new tips and tricks for software and printers as well as have some real fun .”
It is very important to continue to get input from everybody and review its content to make sure it’s relevant and this makes it that much more valuable to the attendees ”
Pool continues: “We discussed the content of the course not only internally but with our international partners. We also had extensive consultations with our resellers and customers to see make sure it would be relevant. It is very important to continue to get input from everybody and review its content to make sure it’s relevant and this makes it that much more valuable to the attendees .
“One of the key things we show on the course is how to get the very best out of our VersaWorks software. It’s one of those things which you can learn by yourself, but we can take the customer through all the shortcuts so they can save time and money during a job. Too many people factor in their costs, but forget to include the expense of time itself. So by cutting down the duration of the job you can actually add significantly to your long-term profitability .”
Poole points out that it is also a case of making sure the students are doing the basics properly so they can exceed their clients expectations and secure repeat business. He argues this is not the only advantage of seeking further training, but also that with the insider tricks taught, they can ensure a reduction in wastage, faster job turnaround, improved efficiency and ultimately higher turnover.
“A client may not know what they want in terms of how a product is printed, but they will know what they want in terms of quality. So if a shoddy job is delivered then repeat business is unlikely. It is a tough time out there in the industry and it is becoming almost mandatory to produce top quality product in shorter time spans or lose out to the competition .
“Customers in general are also becoming much more aware of just what is possible with modern technology and what they want. So it is hard for sign-makers to come out with new things all the time, so the course also really helps in this respect as there are so many ideas floating around .
“At the Academy you can also learn wider skills like vehicle wrapping, and this is certainly an area where your speed and expertise will be enhanced greatly by being taught by a seasoned professional. Another important area we cover is pre-sales training, where we can help customers understand how they can make a Roland printer deliver profit for them —the aim being to help the industry as whole and of course encourage them to buy Roland,” concludes Poole.
Clarity Software runs weekly training sessions to help its
customers get the most out of its systems, stating that
such sessions become really value six to nine months
after purchase
The cutting edge
A new frontier has also opened up in terms of entirely new skill sets which can be learnt by sign-makers. Clarity Software, a division of Touch Systems, has seen impressive traction in the signage industry with its management information systems (MIS), which for its flagship system Clarity Pro 4.2, include modules for bespoke e-mail marketing, dedicated sales control and data manipulation, as well as proof of delivery. New elements being rolled out also include functions such as web form capture, whereby information passes from your website, via code, directly into the Clarity Marketing module, which creates a specific list to help with targeted e-mail campaigns.
It is now widely accepted that such software systems are of real value, especially those designed specifically with sign-makers in mind such as Clarity. They are also easy to get started with and use at a basic level, but as the company’s marketing manager Emmerson Welch explains, there is so much more potential that can be harnessed by going back to school: “We operate workshops every Friday and we have a complete rotation of subject areas so people can come in and learn about specific parts of the software. The details of these are on our website under the events tab, training workshops.
“Training from our point of view is obviously for people who have bought the software. But the aim is to help customers get the most out of the systems and optimise the value which they get from their investment. We appreciate that they have bought the software because they want to make their processes better and put the building blocks in place to be able to scale their business. And also perhaps their business has grown to a point where they now need to integrate everything and organise it more efficiently.”
Welch continues: “That’s the headline picture, but if you drill down into each specific area then for instance we will do training on CRM (customer relationship management). This in itself is the front end of the business, so you would be learning how to generate leads through marketing campaigns and then bringing that through into the sales side and generating quotes using our estimating and quoting tools to ultimately get the right price and make sure the business is worth taking on and is as profitable as it can be.
“The learning also covers all areas of communication with your customers and prospects. So what the purpose of the training sessions we have is to not only help people get the most out of that but also give them support based on our experience because we have been in the digital print and sign market for more than ten years. Embracing training and education such as this will help sign-makers and printers take their business to the next level.”
There are also further training opportunities run by Clarity, such as online tutorials in the form of ‘webinars’. This form of training has also been really well done by company’s such as Delcam for its range of CAD/CAM system for cutters and routing.
It’s more than just product training as there is a lot of time devoted to fulfilling a business consultancy role on our part, so we can show them not just the steps in operating the software, but more importantly how to use it to grow their business”
Welch along with Poole both stress the industry should take more advantage of such opportunities as when people buy kit for first time there are headline priorities to achieve, but that there are so many subliminal benefits, which can be understood with further training six to nine months after installation.
Welch also agrees strongly with Poole on another issue, as he explains: “It’s more than just product training as there is a lot of time devoted to fulfilling a business consultancy role on our part, so we can show them not just the steps in operating the software, but more importantly how to use it to grow their business.”
Hybrid Services Crewe headquarters houses an extensive
in-house creative and demonstration centre, in which it
runs a bespoke training service for its customers—helping
them to learn a particular skill or diversify their
products and services
A good report
The number of avenues available to the signage industry today in terms of formalised education and training is far better than it was a decade ago. While many of these programmes come tied with the purchase of a particular supplier or manufactures products, there are also a host of opportunities, a selection of which I have mentioned, that do not.
However, if you simply do not have the time, or cannot afford the man power, then resources such as our very own singlinktv.com are a good option to pick up hints and tips. The video sharing website is packed with videos showcasing how to get the best out of kit and materials, so spending half an hour browsing its content could pay dividends—or if you are in a benevolent mood perhaps share your own knowledge for the benefit of the industry.
Whichever course you choose, the common denominator seems to be that with the current pace of technology and intense competition in the market place, it will always pay to get some more learning under your belt.