• 0
    0
    1
    345
    1695
    Proactive Management
    169
    107
    1933
    14.0

    Normal
    0

    false
    false
    false

    EN-US
    JA
    X-NONE

    /* Style Definitions */
    table.MsoNormalTable
    {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
    mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
    mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
    mso-style-noshow:yes;
    mso-style-priority:99;
    mso-style-parent:””;
    mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
    mso-para-margin:0in;
    mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
    mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
    font-size:10.0pt;
    font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-fareast-language:JA;}

    Arkitektkopia
    is the largest reprographics enterprise in Sweden…..
    News
    Arkitektkopia
    launches Byggnet in Finland
    2013-4-26
    Byggnet is a group of cloud-based
    applications designed to streamline document management in the construction and
    real estate industry. There is already Byggnet well established in Sweden and
    Norway and is now being launched in Finland, which will strengthen its position
    as the leading product in this field.
    Byggnet Access helps companies
    simplify distribution of drawings and other documentation between multiple
    actors in a construction project. One of the modules within Byggnet helps to
    reduce and streamline the construction errors deviation by the claimed mobile
    app Byggnet Verify. Even Byggnet Subscribe and Byggnet Secure, included in the
    group, are developed by Arkitektkopia. The products have in recent years
    experienced very rapid growth in the Swedish and Norwegian markets.
    Introducing Byggnet in Finland
    together with partner Multiprint Oy. The company is a leader in pressure in
    Finland and has a strong presence in the construction industry. Multi Print is
    a barely twenty locations around Finland and Estonia. Multiprint already
    working with a wide range of applications, but has for some time been looking for
    the right type of cloud services to customers in the construction and real
    estate.
    “Arkitektkopia’s mission is to
    facilitate our clients’ communications with comprehensive solutions comprising
    applications, services, and information in printed and digital form. Multi
    Print is a really strong partner to Arkitektkopia in Finland and we are excited
    that this is just the beginning of an international expansion of Byggnet.
    Before the year is out we will have launched at least one other European
    country, “says Lars Franzén, CEO of Arkitektkopia.
    More information about Byggnet on www.byggnet.se

  • PRESS RELEASE
    May 21, 2013, 1:22 p.m. EDT
    WALNUT CREEK, CA, May 21, 2013 (Marketwired via COMTEX) — ARC Document Solutions, Inc., the nation’s leading document solutions company for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, today announced it was recognized as a global leader in managed print services by imaging research and consulting firm, Photizo Group. ARC was one of 11 independent providers that Photizo Group selected to participate in the 2013 MPS Leaders Index for channel providers, based on demonstrated leadership in MPS.
    “Over the past several years our team has built an offering that fundamentally changes and dramatically improves the MPS value proposition for enterprise customers,” said David Stickney, ARC Document Solutions’ Vice President of Corporate Communications. “It’s gratifying to receive recognition for the innovation and specialization we’re demonstrating in the marketplace.”
    The MPS Leaders Index is a collection of hand-selected, independent MPS providers from around the world that are regarded as the gold standard in managed print and document services. Criteria for selection includes financial and performance metrics; customer profiles; team structure; sales and marketing approach; service, support, and operations metrics; and key performance benefits.
    “As the managed services landscape continues to evolve, we are in need of measurable best practices and benchmarks built on real-world results by recognized leaders in managed print and document services,” said Ken Stewart, director of Photizo Group’s MPS Advisory Service. “These MPS leaders not only demonstrate leadership in MPS, but a genuine interest in the pursuit of best practices that benefit the industry and the customers it serves.”
    ARC Document Solutions’ MPS program drastically reduces costs in print management, is completely agnostic with regard to equipment, and minimizes IT and administrative support burdens. Abacus, ARC’s proprietary technology platform, offers comprehensive visibility across the print network, consolidates all print components and expenses into a single monthly invoice, and helps monitor and scale an intelligent print infrastructure that delivers ongoing cost reductions and performance improvements across the enterprise.
    ARC Document Solutions offers its services primarily to the architectural, engineering and construction (AEC) market, and is also positioned in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Managed Print Services, Worldwide.
    More information about ARC’s MPS program is available at http://www.e-arc.com/managed-print-services.
    About ARC Document Solutions: ARC Document Solutions is a leading document solutions company serving businesses of all types, with an emphasis on the non-residential segment of the architecture, engineering and construction industries. The Company helps more than 90,000 customers reduce costs and increase efficiency in the use of their documents, improve document access and control, and offers a wide variety of ways to print, produce, and store documents. ARC provides its solutions onsite in more than 7,000 of its customers’ offices, offsite in service centers around the world, and digitally in the form of proprietary software and web applications. For more information please visit http://www.e-arc.com.
    
    
  • 0
    0
    1
    463
    2271
    Proactive Management
    227
    143
    2591
    14.0

    Normal
    0

    false
    false
    false

    EN-US
    JA
    X-NONE

    /* Style Definitions */
    table.MsoNormalTable
    {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
    mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
    mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
    mso-style-noshow:yes;
    mso-style-priority:99;
    mso-style-parent:””;
    mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
    mso-para-margin:0in;
    mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
    mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
    font-size:10.0pt;
    font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-fareast-language:JA;}

    I’ve previously
    mentioned Art Post in posts on Reprographics 101; he’s extremely knowledgeable
    about the copier business, and anyone who has interests in the MPS segment
    should take the time to sign up for his blog.  
    Art was recently
    recognized as one of the top influencers in the Imaging Industry:

    Tuesday, May 28, 2013
    The Week in Imaging Honors Art Post One of Most Influential in Imaging
    Industry
    Ewing, New Jersey, May 28, 2013The Week in Imaging (TWII), a weekly online
    publication focusing on news, information, and commentary about the imaging
    industry, has named Art Post, founder of the
    Print4Pay Hotel and The MFP Solutions Blog as one of its Top
    40 Most Influential People in the Imaging Industry for 2013. This is the second
    time Post has been recognized in TWII’s Top 40, the first time in 2011 when the
    awards were first presented.
    Every other year The Week in Imaging presents its Top 40 Most
    Influential People in the Imaging Industry. The broad mix of individuals
    consist of those who make the tough decisions either at the top or at various
    levels within their organizations, those who others in the industry follow or
    emulate as well as thought leaders whose commentary and experience help them
    navigate through the ever-changing landscape whether it be hardware, solutions
    or services that make up the imaging industry.
    “While most of the folks on our most influential list are upper-level
    executives in dealerships; key executives with OEMs, services, and solutions
    providers; or industry consultants, it’s refreshing to know that plenty of feet-on-the-street
    sales reps and dealer principals still appreciate the opinions, sometimes
    controversial, of one of their peers,” states Scott Cullen, editor and
    publisher of The Week in Imaging. “What impresses us about Art is that
    he has thousands of readers all around the world, many just like him in sales
    positions, who appreciate his knack for telling it like it is.” 
    “I’m honored to be included among such a distinguished group of
    individuals, many of whom have made a huge impact on the imaging industry and
    are people I respect,” adds Art Post. “To be acknowledged for something that
    began as a hobby and has evolved into something that has been so influential to
    so many people is especially gratifying. I’m looking forward to sharing my
    insights in my blog and allowing others to share their best practices and
    opinions in our various Print4Pay Hotel forums for many years to come.”
    Here’s a link to
    Art Post’s blog:

  • 0
    0
    1
    1580
    7747
    Proactive Management
    774
    490
    8837
    14.0

    Normal
    0

    false
    false
    false

    EN-US
    JA
    X-NONE

    /* Style Definitions */
    table.MsoNormalTable
    {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
    mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
    mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
    mso-style-noshow:yes;
    mso-style-priority:99;
    mso-style-parent:””;
    mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
    mso-para-margin:0in;
    mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
    mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
    font-size:10.0pt;
    font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-fareast-language:JA;}

    Construction
    software company Textura sets terms for $56 million IPO
    (From a post
    by Renaissance Capital on Nasdaq.com on May 28, 2013)
    Textura, which provides on-demand collaboration software for the construction industry, announced terms for
    its IPO on Tuesday.
    The Deerfield, IL-based company plans to raise $56 million by offering 4
    million shares at a price range of $13 to $15.  At the midpoint of the proposed range, Textura
    would command a fully diluted market value of $304 million.
    Textura, which was founded in 2004 and booked $16 million in sales for
    the 12 months ended March 31, 2013, plans to list on the NYSE under the symbol
    TXTR.
    Textura initially filed confidentially on January 9, 2013. Credit Suisse
    and William Blair are the joint bookrunners on the deal.
     – – – – – – – – – – – – –
    From
    other information found on Nasdaq.com:
    Textura:  Company Description
    We are a leading provider of on-demand business collaboration software
    to 
    the commercial construction industry. Our solutions are focused on
    facilitating collaboration between owners/developers, general contractors and
    subcontractors.
    Our solutions increase efficiency, enable better risk management, and
    provide improved visibility and control of construction activities for our
    clients.
    Our collaboration solutions offer robust functionality, data sharing
    and 
    exchange capabilities, and workflow tools that support several
    mission-critical business processes at various stages of the construction
    project lifecycle:
    • Construction Payment Management (“CPM”) enables the
    generation, collection, review and routing of invoices and the necessary
    supporting documentation and legal documents, and initiation of payment of
    invoices.
    • Submittal Exchange enables the collection, review and routing of
    project documents.
    • GradeBeam supports the process of obtaining construction bids,
    including identifying potential bidders, issuing invitations-to-bid and
    tracking bidding intent.
    • Pre-Qualification Management (“PQM”) supports contractor
    risk assessment and qualification.
    • Greengrade facilitates the management of environmental certification
    processes.
    In addition, we offer PlanSwift, a take-off and estimating solution
    used in 
    preparing construction bids, and Contractor Default Claims Management,
    which supports the process of documenting a subcontractor default insurance
    claim.
    Each of our collaboration solutions was designed from inception as a software-as-a-service (“SaaS”) solution with an on-demand
    architecture.
    Our collaboration solutions each use a single code base and we do not
    customize our solutions for any of our clients. Our technology platform is
    designed to be highly configurable, scalable, reliable and secure.
    We believe we are a leading example of a new generation of on-demand
    software solutions focused on enablement of business-to-business collaborative
    processes. Such solutions are by design on-demand, as they require neutral
    third parties to act as the platform for collaboration by multiple parties and
    to facilitate the exchange of data and documents.
    We believe the construction industry represents a large and growing
    market for technology solutions of all types. The industry, we believe, is
    especially attractive for our solutions and our growth because it is
    underpenetrated by technology solutions that enable construction industry
    participants to more easily collaborate and operate more effectively.
    We have established a strong market position serving this industry. As
    of March 31, 2013, since the date of launch or acquisition of our solutions,
    our clients have used one or more of our on-demand collaboration solutions to
    help manage over 13,000 commercial construction projects representing more than
    $125 billion in construction value as reported by our clients.
    Our collaboration solutions have been used by more than 3,000 general
    contractors, owners/developers, and architects. This includes 41 of the 100
    largest general contractors in North America, ranked as of May 2012 by
    Engineering News-Record based on annual construction revenues.
    In addition, based on management estimates, approximately 300,000 subcontractors were active on our solutions during fiscal 2012.
    Our solutions are used on construction projects of all sizes, from
    small remodels or renovations to multi-billion dollar developments.
    Our business was founded in 2004 and we were incorporated in Delaware
    in 2007.
    Our principal executive offices are located at 1405 Lake Cook Road,
    Deerfield, IL 60015, and our telephone number is (847) 457-6500.
    Our website address is http://www.texturacorp.com.
     – – – – – – – – – – –
    Textura Hopes Construction + Cloud = IPO Success
    Textura leverages cloud tech to help with construction
    projects
    Apr 8, 2013, 1:27 pm EDT  |  By Tom Taulli, InvestorPlace Writer & IPO Playbook Editor
    Textura looks to be the next beneficiary of
    the resurgent housing environment now that the company — which operates a cloud
    platform for the construction industry — has filed for an initial public
    offering.
    The company expects to list on NYSE under the symbol of “TXTR,”
    and the lead underwriters include Credit Suisse (NYSE:
    CS), William Blair, JMP
    Securities
    , Oppenheimer & Co. and Barrington Research.
    Textura’s software is a full-fledged system for
    developers, contractors and subcontractors. Some of the features include
    construction payment management, electronic signatures, processing of legal
    documents, review and routing of project submittals, estimates, bidding and
    risk assessment. It even has the capability to deal with the complicated issues
    of the environmental certification process.
    By being in the cloud, Textura’s system has the advantage
    of efficiently maintaining data, which can be accessed from web-based computers
    and mobile devices. It also is ideal for allowing for real-time collaboration
    with multiple parties. A key to this was a savvy acquisitions strategy, which
    included the purchase of GradeBeam and Submittal Exchange.
    Since inception, Textura’s system has managed more than
    12,000 projects with a value over $110 billion. More than 3,000 operators have
    used the system, including 41 of the 100 largest general contractors in the
    U.S.
    Things look good on the revenue front, with fiscal 2012
    sales coming in at $21.7 million, or 260% better than fiscal 2010. Still,
    losses are significant — Textura finished $18.8 million in the red, which it
    also did in 2011 — thanks to aggressive investment in its infrastructure,
    R&D and sales.
    Growth is likely to continue for some time, too. There has
    been little innovation in the construction industry, with a reliance
    primarily on applications like Microsoft‘s (NASDAQ:
    MSFT)
    Excel. However, the founders of Textura — which include top consultants from PricewaterhouseCoopers
    — saw a huge opportunity to help automate a laborious process. The benefits
    include not only lower costs but faster project times.
    Meanwhile, the construction industry is in the midst of a
    big rebound, and the long-term trends are positive, such as with continued
    population growth in the U.S. as well as the need to upgrade deteriorating
    infrastructure. According to Global Construction Perspectives, the growth in
    global spending on construction is expected to grow at an annual rate of 5.2%
    from 2010 to 2020.
    The IPO market has picked up on the trend. Some recent hot
    offerings in the real estate sector include Boise Cascade (NYSE:
    BCC), up 47% since early
    February, and Realogy (NYSE:
    RLGY),
    which has posted a gain of 66% since coming public in October 2012.
    Similarly, the cloud industry has been sizzling, with
    standout offerings including Workday (NYSE:
    WDAY),
    which has doubled in half a year, and ServiceNow (NYSE:
    NOW), which has risen 95%
    since its 2012 debut.
    In other words, the planets seem to be aligned for Textura
    success.
    Tom Taulli runs the InvestorPlace blog IPO Playbook. He is also the author of High-Profit IPO
    Strategies
    , All About Commodities,
    and
    All About Short Selling. Follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of
    the aforementioned securities.
     – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
    Textura
    Acquired PlanSwift (this transaction was previously mentioned on Reprographics
    101)
    2/12/13 TEXTURA
    PRESS RELEASE (Link to Press Release):

  • 0
    0
    1
    977
    4790
    Proactive Management
    479
    303
    5464
    14.0

    Normal
    0

    false
    false
    false

    EN-US
    JA
    X-NONE

    /* Style Definitions */
    table.MsoNormalTable
    {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
    mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
    mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
    mso-style-noshow:yes;
    mso-style-priority:99;
    mso-style-parent:””;
    mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
    mso-para-margin:0in;
    mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
    mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
    font-size:10.0pt;
    font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-fareast-language:JA;}

    During the period August 1, 2012 to May 25,
    2013, Reprographics 101 was hosted on /
    published on
    the IRgA web-site.  The
    “old” IRgA web-site was discontinued on or around May 31, 2013, and, in order
    to preserve a record of the posts that appeared on the Repro 101 Blog during
    the above-mentioned period of time, we printed all of those posts to “pdf”
    files.  Each pdf file contains multiple posts.
    This document contains a “date-range” index
    (in reverse order) to the posts put up on Reprographics 101 during the above
    mentioned time period.
    Please note the following:
    These files
    are hosted on Google Drive (formerly known as Google Docs)
    These
    archived files are in pdf format.  Most
    of the files contain 12 to 15 individual blog-posts, so, when you click a link
    to a pdf file, give the pdf file some time to load.
    Many blog
    posts contain links to documents that
    originally appeared on other blog-sites and web-sites or to blog-sites or
    web-sites.  If you want to get to the
    document (or web-site) the post linked to, it will be necessary for you to
    “download” the pdf file.  Once you’ve
    done that, the pdf file you downloaded should contain “active” links.
    If you
    cannot find a blog-post you’re looking for, contact
    joel.salus@mac.com, and I will do my best, time permitting, to
    find the blog-post you’re looking for.
    DATE RANGES AND LINKS:
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 1 – May 13 to May 25
    2013
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 2 – Apr 26 to May 11
    2013
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 3 – Mar 30 to Apr 25
    2013
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 4 – Mar 20 to Mar 30
    2013
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 5 – Mar 8 to Mar 20
    2013
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 6 – Feb 18 to Mar 7
    2013
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 7 – Feb 1 to Feb 16
    2013
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 8 – Jan 23 to Jan 31
    2013
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 9 – Jan 7 to Jan 22
    2013
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 10 – Dec 4 2012 to Jan
    7 2013
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 11 – Nov 6 to Dec 2
    2012
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 12 – Oct 21 to Nov 6
    2012
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 13 – Oct 6 to Oct 17
    2012
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 14 – Sep 25 to Oct 6
    2012
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 15 – Sep 14 to Sep 21
    2012
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 16 – Aug 30 to Sep 13
    2012
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 17 – Aug 17 to Aug 29
    2012
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 18 – Aug 14 to Aug 21
    2012
    Repro 101 on
    IRgA site – Page 19 – Aug 1 to Aug 12
    2012

  • 0
    0
    1
    235
    1152
    Proactive Management
    115
    72
    1315
    14.0

    Normal
    0

    false
    false
    false

    EN-US
    JA
    X-NONE

    /* Style Definitions */
    table.MsoNormalTable
    {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
    mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
    mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
    mso-style-noshow:yes;
    mso-style-priority:99;
    mso-style-parent:””;
    mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
    mso-para-margin:0in;
    mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
    mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
    font-size:10.0pt;
    font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-fareast-language:JA;}

    0
    0
    1
    231
    1135
    Proactive Management
    113
    71
    1295
    14.0

    Normal
    0

    false
    false
    false

    EN-US
    JA
    X-NONE

    /* Style Definitions */
    table.MsoNormalTable
    {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
    mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
    mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
    mso-style-noshow:yes;
    mso-style-priority:99;
    mso-style-parent:””;
    mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
    mso-para-margin:0in;
    mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
    mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
    font-size:10.0pt;
    font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-fareast-language:JA;}

    News Release from 3D Systems Corp (NYSE: DDD) (May 23, 2013)
    Create Printable 3D Content with the Tip of Your Finger, Download for Free
    in the App Store
    3D Systems launched Cubify Draw, a mobile 3D printing app for iOS.
    Cubify Draw empowers anyone with an iPhone, iPad or iPad Mini device to create
    printable content with their fingertips. Users can digitally doodle with their
    finger or trace an imported picture and then enhance it with features like
    adjustable line thickness and height, auto-fill and auto-connect. Users can
    upload their drawing directly to Cubify or have the STL file emailed to them
    for printing. Cubify Draw is available in the App Store today via free
    download.
    Cubify Draw deconstructs the barrier to entry for creating quality 3D
    printable content through a delightful paper-like user interface and easy
    upload process to Cubify.com for sharing and printing, making the digital-to-real
    experience seamless. The app is ideal for drawing and printing cookie cutters,
    pendants, ornaments, bracelets and simple toys.
    “Cubify Draw takes digital doodling to printable reality”
    said Sarah Stocker, Senior Director of Cubify for 3D Systems, “This
    boundary breaking app is our latest gamified installment in our commitment to
    democratize content-to-print entertainment on Cubify.”
    Cubify Draw is available for download in the iOS App Store today.

  • 0
    0
    1
    177
    868
    Proactive Management
    86
    54
    991
    14.0

    Normal
    0

    false
    false
    false

    EN-US
    JA
    X-NONE

    /* Style Definitions */
    table.MsoNormalTable
    {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
    mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
    mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
    mso-style-noshow:yes;
    mso-style-priority:99;
    mso-style-parent:””;
    mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
    mso-para-margin:0in;
    mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
    mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
    font-size:10.0pt;
    font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-fareast-language:JA;}

    From AECbytes.com, Feature Article, May 29, 2013
    Article
    Summary
    This
    article captures the results of a recent survey conducted by AECbytes comparing
    Bentley’s ProjectWise with Autodesk’s Vault Collaboration AEC for data
    management and collaboration in AEC. The results are shown in three categories:
    the first capturing the overall responses; the second showing the responses for
    those who selected ProjectWise as the solution implemented by their firm for
    data management and collaboration; and the third showing the responses for
    those who selected Vault Collaboration AEC. This enables a quick comparison of
    Bentley ProjectWise and Autodesk Vault Collaboration AEC from an implementation
    perspective.
    Article
    Link

  • 0
    0
    1
    116
    574
    Proactive Management
    57
    36
    654
    14.0

    Normal
    0

    false
    false
    false

    EN-US
    JA
    X-NONE

    /* Style Definitions */
    table.MsoNormalTable
    {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
    mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
    mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
    mso-style-noshow:yes;
    mso-style-priority:99;
    mso-style-parent:””;
    mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
    mso-para-margin:0in;
    mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
    mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
    font-size:10.0pt;
    font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-fareast-language:JA;}

    May 21, 2013 from AutoDesk
    WHAT EXPERTS ARE
    SAYING:

    “What used to take us days
    of communication back and forth and lag time is now taking us hours and minutes
    with being able to instantly and in real-time update drawings,” said Jim
    LaPier, Designer and IT Manager for Chesapeake Design Group. “With AutoCAD 360,
    we are able to accomplish what a larger firm would do, but with a much smaller
    workforce.”

    Link:

  • 0
    0
    1
    627
    3074
    Proactive Management
    307
    194
    3507
    14.0

    Normal
    0

    false
    false
    false

    EN-US
    JA
    X-NONE

    /* Style Definitions */
    table.MsoNormalTable
    {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
    mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
    mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
    mso-style-noshow:yes;
    mso-style-priority:99;
    mso-style-parent:””;
    mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
    mso-para-margin:0in;
    mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
    mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
    font-size:10.0pt;
    font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-fareast-language:JA;}

    Blog Publisher’s comments:
    Sorry, this one has nothing to do with reprographics!
    But, I couldn’t help myself; I just had to “say
    something” about this news!
    First, growth in demand has nothing to do with two
    companies in the same business merging together.  Mergers of this sort are all about one thing
    – increasing profits.  Those increased
    profits come from doing two things – a) economies of scale serve to reduce
    manufacturing and operating costs, and b) Increased market-share strength leads
    to “pricing power.”  I don’t think any of
    us will be surprised, if, over the next few years, prices for funeral services
    and for coffins go up, not down.  As that
    saying goes, “the only certain things in life are …. death and taxes.”  Demand for funeral services or coffins have
    never been cyclical in nature (i.e., they are not affected by recessions);
    demand grows as deaths grow.  (That’s a
    horrible thought, huh?)
    And, now for a brilliant idea for
    reprographers.
      Last night on
    NBC Nightly News there was a segment about a craftsman, an artist, who creates
    one-of-a-kind coffins, coffins that are art! 
    One of the examples shown was a coffin that looked like a Lion.  It was beautiful …. and quite unique.  When there’s a 3D printer that’s large enough
    to “print” a coffin, that would allow designers to come up with incredible
    ideas for “containers” to serve as coffins. 
    After they are designed, print them “on-demand”, one by one.  Will probably require a 3D printer that
    prints hard plastic objects.  My grandson
    likes the yellow rubber ducks I bought for his bath-time.  It might please him, when my time is up, if I
    was buried in a giant yellow duck coffin. 
    At least that would give him some reason to smile.
    Okay, here’s the press release:
    Top two U.S. funeral companies merge as baby boomers boost
    demand
    Wed May 29, 2013 12:42pm EDT
    (Reuters) – Service Corp
    International (
    SCI.N) agreed to buy Stewart Enterprises Inc (STEI.O) for $1.13 billion, merging the two largest U.S. funeral home
    operators as the industry gears up to offer more services to aging baby
    boomers.
    Large-scale consolidation in the
    highly fragmented funeral
    business has long
    been on the cards, with the industry looking to sell more pre-planned funeral
    contracts to the 76 million baby boomers in the United States.
    Service Corp, which failed in a bid
    to take over Stewart in 2008, said on Wednesday the combined company would have
    a backlog of future revenue exceeding $9 billion from pre-planned bookings.
    The group would own 1,653 funeral
    homes and 515 cemeteries in 48 states, eight Canadian provinces and in Puerto
    Rico, and have proforma revenue of nearly $3 billion.
    Shares of Service Corp, which had
    revenue of $2.4 billion in 2012, rose as much as 11 percent, suggesting
    investors were happy with the deal, which was priced at 24.5 times Stewart’s
    forward
    earnings.
    The number of funeral homes and
    crematories owned by both the companies would be about 20 percent or less of
    the total in the United States, said Barbara Kemmis, Executive Director of
    Cremation Association of North America.
    “I see this as evidence that
    there is room in this industry for economies of scale and consolidation,”
    she said.
    Just under 25 percent of the U.S.
    population was over the age of 55 in 2011, up from 20.4 percent in 2000,
    according to the Census Bureau.

  • 0
    0
    1
    694
    3404
    Proactive Management
    340
    215
    3883
    14.0

    Normal
    0

    false
    false
    false

    EN-US
    JA
    X-NONE

    /* Style Definitions */
    table.MsoNormalTable
    {mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
    mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
    mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
    mso-style-noshow:yes;
    mso-style-priority:99;
    mso-style-parent:””;
    mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
    mso-para-margin:0in;
    mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
    mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
    font-size:10.0pt;
    font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
    mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
    mso-fareast-language:JA;}

    Blog Publisher’s comment:
    Well, someone help me with the math!  Below, it says that 48,000 visitors visited
    the “AllPrinting” web-site during the first two months it was in
    operation.  That’s an impressive number,
    for sure.  But, how many customers, who
    visited the web-site, actually placed orders? 
    If I multiply 85,000 Euros x 1.30, that comes out to around $110,000
    USD.  If 48,000 visitors placed orders,
    and I divided $110,500 by 48,000, that would yield an average order value of
    $2.30 per order.  Or, if half of the
    visitors, say 24,000, placed orders, that would yield an average order value of
    $4.60 per order.  Is my math
    correct?  Am I missing something?
    Here’s a link to the Spanish-language version of
    SP’s Press Release:
    And, courtesy of Google Translate, here’s how that
    press release, according to Google Translate, translates into English.  (As always, keep in mind that Google Translate
    does not produce perfect translations!)
    ____________
    “Service Point Norway has launched
    “AllPrinting” the greatest online store in Norway”
    The website is receiving over
    24,000 visits per month
    € 85,000 billed in the first two
    months
    The online offer is promoted in
    its 21 stores
    Barcelona, May 27, 2013. Service Point Norway, under the brand Allkopi Service
    Point, just launch their new online print shop (www.allprinting.no). The online
    store, which is directed to all kinds of audiences, can choose from more than
    25,000 templates to customize greeting cards,
    reminders and invitations for all
    occasions, color and high quality.
    With lead times of 48 hours and 21
    outlets to promote the website, this online store is important step forward to
    achieve diversification plan Service Point in new markets.
    In its first two months of operation,
    the website has achieved a turnover of
    € 85,000.
    “For us it is a pilot
    program,” said Carl Peter Clampit, Chief Marketing Officer at Service
    Point Solutions. “We want to build our production base to enter new
    markets growth and that means developing our online channel. Instead of just
    competing with other companies online using Google Ads, we will leverage our
    stores to complement our online offer promoting a model of touch and feel,
    which is to touch and feel the products and services. “
    Customers can see in the stores all
    the information online http://www.allprinting.no supply. It offers discounts, bonuses
    and can discuss their doubts, which makes buying online.
    “Allprinting” to experience
    the vast possibilities of personalization of the cards. Thanks to the digital
    printing revolution, customers can participate in an interactive and unleash their
    creativity. The customer satisfaction they get when they use the online store
    is very high, thus the usability of the application as the printing quality and
    service.
    So much so, that customers are
    receiving visits from the business. Increasingly, are printed restaurant menus,
    complimentary cards, event invitations and other commercial and marketing.
    Service Point has also launched a
    website for professional printing in Germany (
    http://shop.koebcke.de) for small and medium businesses, offering a quick online
    printing from your digital printing
    Berlin, one of the most advanced
    production facilities in Europe and has become the third largest supplier of
    photo album of the continent.
    “Although Service Point has been
    slow to launch its online service offering digital printing, we are recovering
    a lot of ground with very fast and effective development, “says Clampit.
    “We believe we are the
    only company that can make an offer
    online services, with a portfolio of 44,000 customers, physical presence and
    shops 60 centers in Europe and a brand that is associated immediately print
    services to the largest companies in the world. “
    For more information:
    Luis G. Canomanuel
    LUCA Corporate Communications
    Tel: +34 91 435 December 17
    lgcanomanuel@lucacom.com