Commercial Printing
Increasing margins and capabilities
The commercial printing industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace. The needs of traditional print buyers have changed and a new generation of print buyers looking for agility and responsiveness. Print has become a rapid response component of their omnichannel strategies.
Premium services can still command premium margins but the definition of premium is dynamic and fluid. Staying ahead of the curve requires a deep understanding of market needs and trends, along with strategy and operational structure that permits you to take advantage of those opportunities.
Sparrow and Associates has worked closely with commercial printers, sign and display companies, and quick printers to capture additional margin while instilling a culture of continuous improvement. Companies with innovative cultures capture more margin and win more sales engagements because they understand the needs of their clients and have the agility to respond to them in ways that delight and impress.
By training your team in standard methodologies such as Lean Six Sigma, Design Thinking, and Agile (Scrum), as appropriate, Sparrow and Associates will give them the skills and guidance they need to make sustainable changes that improve your ability to compete, while reducing your cost of manufacturing.
We have a broad depth of experience in traditional and digital production processes and a stable of subject matter expert associates who help us to address the most esoteric of production issues.
Thinking about investing in a new plant, new equipment, automation, or a purchasing a competitor? Whatever your growth strategy is, talk to us first. We can help you to gain a much better understanding of your business and help you to determine where your growth dollar is best spent.
If your plant isn’t currently using standard methodologies and working from a control plan, we can definitely help you to improve your bottom line while gaining a competitive advantage. If a 3-5% margin improvement on your existing operations is compelling, you should give us a call for a free consultation.
Learn More
Reach out to us for a personal consultation either virtually or in person.
Services for Commercial Printers
Business Transformation
Business Transformation
Business Transformation
Our hallmark Everlean Business Transformation program is the perfect solution for printers who have struggled to increase revenues or as an assessment and improvement tool for newly acquired companies.
Cultural Assessment
Business Transformation
Business Transformation
Culture eats strategy for breakfast. According to a Standish study 84% of IT projects do not achieve their goals. One of the largest barriers to success is cultural resistance. Before you start on a major project, let us assess your culture and identify opportunities and strategies for improvement that will significantly improve your project's chances of sustainable success.
Operational Assessment
Business Transformation
Operational Assessment
Enterprise Value Stream Mapping exercises explore the movements of data and material, exposing waste across your business. Every facet of the business is explored in a current state study, and it is contrasted with a "future state" based on a mixture of current best practice and your business aspirations. You'll gain a comprehensive understanding of your business and a prioritized improvement plan.
M & A Consulting
Investment Studies
Operational Assessment
Are you interested in expanding your business through acquisition? Don't roll the dice! We can help you to determine the cultural fit and true value of the opportunity you're considering. We might also be able to point you in the direction of an appropriate opportunity or two.
Sales Training
Investment Studies
Investment Studies
Are your representatives and agents struggling with keeping up with your new capabilities. Value Selling is a powerful course that teaches your sales and marketing team Challenger Sales techniques for the Industrial Printing world. Using real world cases, we show how to use Design Thinking to adapt to and capture new markets.
Investment Studies
Investment Studies
Investment Studies
Are you about to invest millions in capital equipment, solutions, or infrastructure. Let us help you to ratify that decision with a comprehensive investment study. Using current state data we'll help you to determine the appropriateness of the investment and timing, weigh it against other priorities, explore alternatives and forecast potential outcomes, risks, and countermeasures. You'll make your decision based on a comprehensive data-backed study.
Lean Six Sigma Training
Lean Six Sigma Training
Lean Six Sigma Training
The average printing plant is rife with wasteful practices and "hidden factories." Lean Six Sigma training and mentoring, for key employees, can significantly improve your Overall Equipment Effectiveness, and dramatically reduce defects and missed deadlines. We can train and certify Black Belt practitioners in your plant using your improvement targets as kaizen exercises.
Succession Planning
Lean Six Sigma Training
Lean Six Sigma Training
You've had a long and successful run and you're thinking about retiring in the next few years. Whether you're wanting to sell or pass your business along to successors, there is a lot to think about. We'll help you prepare for the best possible outcomes.
Digital Transformation
Lean Six Sigma Training
Digital Transformation
There are tremendous efficiencies to be gained through automation, connected ecosystems, robotics, and robotic process automation. It's also a great place to spend a lot of money for little practical return. The difference between high and low returns is preparation. We can do a digital transformation assessment, giving you a comprehensive roadmap of recommended prework and activities to ensure your investment produces the desired outcomes and is amortized quickly.