Commercial Convergence: W2P and Automation

For the past few years, the printing industry landscape has been facing digital disruption. There are many reasons contributing to this transformation. Hardware commoditization, the rise of customization, and COVID are a few of them.

Out of this, COVID has acted as a catalyst that boosted this digital transformation. With lockdowns and restrictions on all kinds of mobility, even the staunch supporters of traditional printing methods had to look for Web-to-print (W2P) solutions. W2P made it simple for users to place their printing orders straight from their homes.

Amidst the COVID crisis, the global market for W2P is projected to reach the revised size of $1.5 billion by 2027. It will grow with a CAGR of 6.6% for 2020-2027. These stats show the upward trend of W2P in the coming years. 

E-commerce, coupled with wider adoption of Web-to-print solutions, is ready to transform direct-to-consumer sales. It also means there will be a smaller number of intermediates and sales relationships in print orders. By 2030, experts believe the entire world will depend on online specifications; this will make online ordering a norm for printing.

Thus, more companies will invest in Web-to-print software solutions, and W2P will become as segmented as ride-hailing apps. 

There is also a complementary trend from e-commerce where orders are shorter, but there is a great expectation of faster turnaround, which includes next-day deliveries in some cases. These trends will enable the rapid adoption of efficient workflows and automated print.

Having a W2P solution means you are going to receive a large number of orders. That is a good thing, but it also means there will be a higher cost of fulfillment. If print owners decide to reflect this rise in costs, it may increase the prices, causing them to lose customers. To avoid this situation, printers often look for workflow automation.

Print workflow automation uses software, interconnected devices, and specific hardware to automate those processes that were done manually. The main aim is to cut those physical touchpoints that need human intervention. Automated workflow systems can streamline the process, reducing the cost of fulfillment, which in turn reduces the final price. 

According to NAPCO Research, automation in the print workflow can also significantly impact the job turnaround. The research involves data from around 201 commercial printers, with a prime focus on workflow automation. High automation is a clear winner in the bracket of four hours or fewer, four to seven hours, and 24 to 47.9 hours section. This is because printers with highly automated workflow save more time due to lesser chaos and confusion.

The W2P industry is an emerging one, and emerging industries have more scope of experiment and improvement. Automation has the potential to transform a business substantially, in terms of switching up and making the workflow more efficient and error free. Print businesses will benefit greatly the sooner they get start investing in W2P with these areas in mind.