On Tap in May, The 'Differentiation Drupa'

Forget about this being the "third digital Drupa" or the "JDF Drupa." Based on conversations with quite a few printers and vendors, plus keeping in mind the tone and content of many pre-show announcements since the first of the year, from my perspective at least, next month's international print media exposition in Germany likely will be known as the "differentiation Drupa."

Yes, it's traditional that each edition of the expo get to be known for something. In 1990, for example, electronic page makeup systems, color scanners, and imagesetters dominated the exhibits. The 1995 show was the CTP Drupa (more than 40 systems offered) and the occasion at which the first digital and direct imaging (DI) presses were unveiled; interestingly, the 1995 show saw the launch of the CIP3 organization, founded by 15 members (the group, now CIP4, currently consists of more than 200 member firms).

Drupa 2000 could have been called the "workable variable-data digital press" Drupa (granted, the NexPress system was presented in a "pre-prototype" stage), or the show featuring violet/thermal CTP, multicolor sheetfed perfecting, in-line production, shafted vs. shaftless web press designs, and, of course, the dot-com players, momentarily.

In any event, while this year's global exposition probably won't be the stage for never-before-seen products or technologies, I think it nonetheless will be newsworthy–-as all Drupa shows are–-for the technological innovations that will be on display. But more than at any time in the past, it appears that the innovations will be driven by the clear quest to hone the user's edge in differentiation, whether it's in the products offered, processes in use, productivity to be improved, or some other competitive or client-serving advantage.

Naturally, the press is the flashpoint of progress. Here, all the mainline manufacturers have developed innovations that separate out the novel products, the streamlined workflow, and the very efficient or the very cost-effective advantage achieved by means of higher speeds, quicker make-readies, and lower waste rates.

For all their efforts, I believe, these manufacturers are well on their way to achieving real progress, not just an enhancement or a nice-to-have feature here or there, but changing the means and the output, and therefore how the product is produced in a fast, simple, reliable, versatile, and high-margin way.

I for one am really looking forward to seeing breakthrough-level improvements in what's generally known as conventional systems, i.e., sheetfed and web offset.

There's one proviso to this issue of manufacturers providing printers with product differentiation. Because of progress elsewhere, the convenient option of outsourcing specialized products or processes, which has a long history of use and success in the printing industry, looks like it might affect printers' decisions on direct investment. In other words, commercial printers may choose to buy an edge rather than invest in it themselves.

On another matter, much conversation in Düsseldorf is certain be devoted to recounting and analyzing Heidelberg's situation: the company's wisdom (now unfair in retrospect) of committing more than seven years and many hundreds of millions of dollars to a digital strategy, its transformation from unchallenged leader to challenged leader, and so on.

What's done is done, however. At this point, it's better that Heidelberg look at the business proposition of much-reduced overhead and staffing for activities that were no longer sustainable nor core. We should also keep in mind that any number of companies in recent years have shed assets, recast their product portfolios, and returned to their fundamental competencies. Despite many diversions, the development, manufacture, and sale of sheetfed presses looks to be still a pretty good activity to bank your future on.