InfoPrint Insights Blog

This blog post is contributed from our colleague, Paul Abdool, an international thought leader in the production print space.  He is the National Practice Manager for the Production Print and Mail Practice Group within the Enterprise Solutions division of Ricoh. 

Paul Abdool, National Practice Manager, Ricoh

Don’t “Just Do It”

Nike™ and Wieden+Kennedy, Nike’s primary ad agency, coined the now-famous slogan “Just Do It” for a 1988 Nike ad campaign.  This statement encouraged us to get moving and get fit.  It inspired us to stop procrastinating with our fitness and make a spontaneous-like decision to improve ourselves. 

Although I am a big fan of spontaneity, fitness and focus, there are a few things in this world that need to be thought out to “do it” just right. 

The Patio Builder

A few years ago, I was in the market for a new deck, or at least I thought I was.  I wanted a stable, flat surface for my barbeque, a place to put a patio set to eat dinner at in the summer and a place to catch some rays.  So being a “due diligence” kind of guy, I thought I would call a few companies to get some quotes.  The approaches by the companies were very different.  Wood deck builders wanted to know where I lived and the size of the deck I wanted.  The concrete patio guys said, “We would like to schedule an appointment to check out your backyard and discuss your needs prior to providing available times and pricing.”  So I received my quote via email from the deck company in the afternoon and the next evening I met with the patio “pre-assessment” fellow.  The gentleman from the patio company inquired about my needs, asked about my time constraints and measured the area.  In about 45 minutes he gave me a description of their process, the staff, provided references and addresses in the area so I could check out their work.  He then provided an estimate and asked if that was around what I was thinking about spending.

What did he really do?

• He listened to my needs – he did not provide a cookie cutter quote
• He created credibility – he explained the designs he had done for others with similar wishes
• He established my budget – he ensured that he was only going to do what I could afford
• He knew what type of effort it would take so that I knew what to expect
• He answered all of my questions

Now that I had an idea of the budget, the temporary disruption level and project timing, he sent in his “technical” crew leader to double check the quote, take final measurements, create a project plan and to ensure that he had a full understanding of my needs.  Ultimately, I was satisfied.  Why?  Because they did not “just do it”.

Why do we do assessments?

Like the patio builder, I do “pre-assessments” before digging into a project – pun intended.  The pre-assessments allow me to better understand the project and the potential for improving the current state.  I also conduct assessments or discoveries, as we call them, if the organization wants to optimize their document production operation and processes.

My point is simple.  Professionals from all industries conduct assessments. 

And here’s why:

• To establish a current state = this is critical for measuring against in the future
• customers need to know how much the proposed changes will improve their operation
• To build a Return on Investment model – in these times of shrinking budgets and shortened timelines, a good ROI is critical
• To create a plan = a well thought out plan is critical to reaching goals and measuring success

 So, why should you budget time and money for professionals to conduct assessments? 

• To gain access to technical skills -it is impossible to be an expert in all areas, professionals have tools and methodologies to gather information quickly, a specialist will notice things that you may not
• To experience and benchmark – since the specialist conducting the assessment does it every day, they are able to discuss trends and how you compare to others professionals will continually improve their processes to get better results for the next customer so you benefit from their past
• Because you don’t know what you don’t know – professionals have to stay abreast of the latest technology and offerings in the market they know the answers to questions you have not even thought of asking yet or how to find answers through their network of expert peers
• To deliver concise presentations – professionals can summarize goals, issues, data and other facts into a succinct message so all stakeholders involved understand the options and what is in it for them

Ben Franklin was right

In 1736, Ben Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”  He was referring to insurance but it certainly applies to anything that you can avoid messing up by doing your due diligence or homework – including print!  Anything that is significant to you or your organization, whether it is building a deck, running a business, or even selecting a new workflow should be thought through thoroughly to truly understand to meaning and value of your ultimate decision.  

What do you think?  Do you share my practice of assessing before making large business decisions?  Please share!

Best,

Paul Abdool