Tag: kodak

TommyLog – Focus on the Core

When will it end? Companies sending out product after product, making a small tweak and the releasing a new version. Division after division of the same crap!! In this day and age of HUGE companies collapsing under their own weight, when will they learn? Why don’t they focus on their core products?

How many different models of Dell laptops are there? Sony, HP? Hundreds! Before the collapse of GM, how many different divisions did they have? They ditched Oldsmobile, Pontiac, SAAB, Hummer, and Saturn to focus on their core. Apple in the early 1990’s up the return of Steve Jobs had many different lines, PowerMac, Performa with numbers like the 8150, 7100, 6105 etc. Once Steve came back he put his foot down and nixed all that. Do you know how many laptop lines Apple has now? Apple has 2, MacBook, Air and MacBook Pro. The largest company in the world, at last look, really only has 7 major product lines, iPhone, iPad, Mac Mini, Macbook, iMac, Mac Pro and iPod. That’s it. Well there is the Apple TV also, does that count?

What does this type of efficiency get them? Better distribution, saved support calls to name a few. Maybe we should take a look internally and see if we are focusing on the core.

The core being family. Are you focusing on what’s important? Think about it!

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Proofer, Proofer, Who’s Got a Proofer?

Here is a a Blog posting I wrote for the Kodak “Grow Your Biz” blog. I appreciate being asked to guest blog!

Not so long ago, while working at a small mom and pop shop called Banta, now RR Donnelley, we received a 1500 page catalog with a set of proofs. This business-to-business catalog was nothing special, some product shots, some body copy explaining the items, pricing and tables. You know the usual catalog fare. The customer expressed to us the “critical” nature of their color needs and we told them that we would take good care of their files. They asked for contract grade proofs on their cover, chapter openers and random pages throughout the catalog.

So we generated our highest quality Fuji Final Proofs for this customer. After receiving the proofs, we received an irate phone call from them saying we didn’t do what they asked. They complained that the color on our proofs was way off!!!? We scratched our heads in disbelief, and looked back at the last time the proofer was calibrated. Things seemed in check, as our proofer was calibrated to SWOP recommendations. Investigating further into the process with the customer, we found out that we hadn’t matched their proofs. We tried digging into the job jacket to get a sample of their proofs, thinking for a moment they were Kodak Approvals or some other high quality dot generated contract proofs. Well…not even close. Their proofs were all generated with an inexpensive, store purchased, desktop ink jet printer.

They said, “We like the reds and blues better on our proofs, please match out proofs!”

Needless to say, any customer who asks us to match proofs generated from a cheap desktop printer is in no mood or mindset to talk CMYK gamut and ink sets. At the end of the day, a few new calibrations curves for our plates seemed to satisfy the customer somewhat, but they were not truly 100% happy.

Helping customers understand expectations with regards to proofing is a hard task in this day and age of commodity-based printing. Clients come and go to the printer with the best pricing and with the advent of desk top publishing, almost any Tom, Dick or Harry can put together a catalog, or so says their boss!

It’s so important to have proper UPFRONT communication with your customer to help alleviate these types of situations. Many times we say we don’t have time to educate our customers, but we certainly found time to build new calibration curves and reset the customer’s expectations. This process would have been so much easier if we were able to do this before the fact.

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Welcome to the United States

I’m such a softy. Ultimate softy. I have no idea why I am the way I am, but when the customers agent said “welcome to the United States!” I got teary. Maybe its all the time away from home and missing my family, maybe its pride, but one thing is it’s not any less pride and love for my great hosts here in Vancouver. I love Canada, make no mistake, but my home is my home and I miss it so.

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GUA 2010 Days 2 and 3 in Vancouver, BC

Tommy is spending all his time networking and entertaining at the #GUA2010 conference. He certainly didn’t bring enough business cards. He is darn near out. Many people to meet and give out his new card too. Many people to explain the new job, many congratulations and some in shock. So many great people to meet!