Investing for the future

Galloways are steeped in history, 150 years this year. Not a milestone you can achieve without continually reviewing and investing for the future. Despite the tradition and history of the company, Galloways constantly look at their working practices, client profiles and spending history as well as production machinery and solutions. This analytical approach has resulted in not only the drive to improve and evolve but also was catalyst for the recent £2 Million investment.

We asked MD Matt Galloway a couple of questions to get his insight on this significant change

Why make the investment?

We were conscious that our machinery was ageing. Yes it was still producing quality print but we knew there were more efficient machinery and technologies out there.

Our current systems were stand alone, meaning there was a lot of rekeying of information before we could start the different processes of actually producing a printed job. Re-keying information always is an alarm bell for me, not only is it a waste of vital production time but it also introduces a huge risk of error. The first step in our investment had to be freeing the manual input time up to allow our skilled operators to use their time on production tasks rather than admin tasks.

It’s easy to get caught up with the shiny all singing printing presses that churn print out at an amazing rate but if these are not integrated into the systems we have it is a false economy.

What does this mean for your customers?

Customer experience is a priority for us from enquiry through to delivery.

We knew from experience that deadlines are getting shorter and shorter, so online proofing was the first step on our recent investment journey. Being able to get a proof back to a client within minutes of them sending us the artwork means we can reduce the time prior to approval giving more time back to the physical production of the job.

We’d already invested in our Management Information System back in 2014 meaning we can give a quote based on the best production method for the customer’s budget. They don’t need to think is this a digital or a litho job. They can request a specific method but we’ve found that by giving them the best return for their investment has been more important to them.

With that in mind, there had to be no compromise on colour or quality based on how a job was printed. Investment in colour management was key to ensure that is the same across the different printing presses again means our customers don’t need to worry about this.

The biggest area we’ve seen huge improvements in production is for brochure work, the technologies on the new presses means we can set up in less sheets and move from section to section in less time – in fact we’re 90% quicker than on the old presses. Time and less material in just the set-up of the job means we are more competitive than ever!

We were recently told by Heidelberg that based on efficiencies we are now in the top 15 of printers worldwide…. yes, WORLDWIDE.

How do you see the future?

We’ve heard for a long time that print is dead, we’re always ready to argue that one!

Print has a place in marketing, and if used well alongside other media can have incredible results.

The current climate has shown us that companies have had to adapt with remote working being vital for the continuation of many businesses. We’ve also been inundated with digital content.

Humans are a tactile race, we like to touch and smell as well as see, and this is where print has the upper hand.

Targeted direct marketing will increase, with companies get smarter about how they promote and sell to their target market, long gone are the generic flyers produced in their millions.

We’re ready for all this, and more. We’ll continue to analyse the market and our clients, looking to what innovation there is that will enhance our offerings. We don’t stand still at Galloways, we’re looking to stride towards the next milestone. Infact, our unofficial company motto is ‘to have the financial stability of a 150 year old company, but to be as versatile and adaptable as a six month start up company.’

If you’d like to read more about the recent investments:

Litho

Heidelberg Case Study