Department - Author 1
Graphic Communication Department
Degree Name - Author 1
BS in Graphic Communication
Date
12-2009
Primary Advisor
Mike Blum
Abstract/Summary
In a transitioning printing environment, where most of a company’s traditional operations are becoming obsolete, it is expected for all printers to look into adopting digital solutions to service customers more efficiently to keep up with their fast-paced demands. One solution that can provide rapid efficiency is Web-to-Print software, which serves as an online ordering platform for customers. Web-to-Print software not only keeps track of online order specifications for customers but also keeps records of all the transactional information including the most popular products purchased by clients, which can be used as a marketing advantage in tracking the most profitable customers. The purpose of this study was to see how responsive customers are to Web-to-Print providers and in turn, how customer responsive Web-to-Print providers are to customers. This study took into consideration the entire ordering cycle from the time Web-to-Print providers first market to their target customers to the time the customer places an order on the printer’s website through the time the printer executes the order inside his or her printing facility. The only obstacles that stand in the printer's ways are processing and production constraints that must be overcome to deliver the customer’s product on time. This study analyzed those constraints in relation to the product's total production time to see how operationally efficient a Web-to-Print provider can be with those production constraints involved. The more under control they have these production constraints, the shorter their execution time, (or cycle time) will be in producing the customer’s ordered product. Results from five Web-to-Print company responses demonstrated the degree of operational efficiency in the Web-to-Print industry.
URL: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/grcsp/6