What we have here is a failure to communicate the benefits of a Fiery DFE.
I recently spoke to several companies that offer digital printing services about their experiences with their EFI Fiery digital front-end (DFE). I was curious about why they selected Fiery, their experiences, and what workflow components within the Fiery ecosphere they were using regularly. I also asked them whether they purchased their digital printer from the OEM or a dealer.
The biggest surprise for me—well, maybe the second-biggest—was the difference in experiences between an OEM supplier and a dealer. I’ll get to the biggest in a moment, but overwhelmingly, those who were least satisfied had acquired their digital printer and Fiery DFE from a dealer. Why? The primary reason was the lack of adequate training about the DFE for them and not really understanding how it could benefit their productivity and profitability when properly configured. The primary focus of the sales/technical staff, in most of these cases, was on the printer itself. The DFE was an afterthought.
Most of the people I spoke with made their choices based on recommendations from their dealer or OEM. In some cases, of course, Fiery is the only choice for a DFE. So, it boiled down to what configuration they should get—do they go with embedded or external? What were the pros and cons of each? For most of those who purchased from a dealer, the distinction was never really explored. It was simply a matter of which cost less as far as the customer was concerned, or they just accepted the base recommendation that was provided to them without questioning it. But once it was installed, they often found they had problems with the embedded version, especially if they found themselves sending large files or complex variable data.
The biggest surprise for me was that many of them, especially the smaller companies, had no idea about the various options they could add to their Fiery to create a more automated workflow or enhance the quality of their output. Sure, Impose was frequently used, but very often they did their imposition in the Adobe suite and sent the imposed file to the printer. The same with variable data. Creating those files and generating a giant PDF in the Adobe suite really slows down the RIP, as opposed to using an application like Fiery FreeForm Create that allows the reuse of objects without the need to RIP them every time. The decision about where to do these tasks was usually left to the graphic designer or the prepress department, and the printer operator was stuck with fighting through the outcome.
But many users were completely unaware of solutions like JobFlow, JobBase, JobExpert, and even Color Profiler Suite. They may also have had other applications like an MIS that could have been integrated with Fiery, but they either didn’t know they could or didn’t know how to integrate it. Many also were unaware of the tremendous number of resources available on the EFI support site—free tutorials, webinars, the Fiery user’s group where they could ask questions, etc. They also mentioned that quite often, the technicians would toss any documentation that came with the equipment. Personally, I hate when that happens! If I buy something, I want all the documentation or at least guidance as to where to download it. By the way, that issue wasn’t restricted to the dealer community.
It’s true that, especially in smaller print shops with smaller staffs, everyone is focused on getting the work out the door. But if they can take 15 minutes off the job prep time per job, that adds up, and it’s not that hard to do with today’s technology. But they don’t know what they don’t know, and the dealer or OEM should know and should take the time to make sure the customer knows.
What’s the point of all of this? EFI claims to have some two million Fiery users around the world, and I only spoke with 30, although I did speak with a couple of the franchise networks so that bumps up the feedback numbers quite a bit. Still, it’s a small sample of the whole. However, based on the consistency of the feedback I received, I felt like I needed to speak out.
While the bulk of the revenue may come from the print engine, the DFE is still a critical part of the configuration. And it can significantly increase customer satisfaction and retention. Most of the people I spoke with have been using Fiery for a long time and feel like they know the interface, so they consider the inclusion of Fiery a non-negotiable for future purchases. But it was shocking how little many customers knew about what else Fiery could help them with in terms of productivity, profitability, or even new client acquisition. This was more pronounced among those who used a dealer than those who worked directly with the OEM.
Because the DFE these days is such an important part of a digital printer purchase—not just an RIP anymore—it behooves those who are selling these systems to educate themselves as completely as possible about all the various configuration options available, the pros and cons of each, and better position themselves to guide customers to the right decision.
Let me give you an example. I spoke with two of the largest print franchisors about how they work with their franchisees to determine the best configuration when acquiring a new digital printer. Both told me that the first reaction of a franchisee is often asking what’s the most affordable option. Both indicated that perhaps that was not the right question to ask. You can save a few dollars upfront getting an embedded Fiery, but that decision may end up costing you more in the long run. As production volume or job complexity picks up, throughput slows down. Both recommend to franchisees that they purchase the highest-end DFE available. It costs more upfront or increases the lease payment, but in the end, the center is able to work much more efficiently. And that adds up to more growth and profitability, and a more satisfied customer for the dealer/OEM. Plus, everyone is struggling with finding enough labor, so being able to make the staff they have more efficient is even more critical than ever before.
As the owner/operator of a dealership, especially one that serves OEMs that support Fiery, ask yourself:
- Are your sales and technical staff well trained and positioned to provide the best advice to customers?
- Do you encourage solution selling—meaning, not just pushing the box, but truly taking the time to understand a customer’s operating environment and needs? Are your folks a true partner to their customers?
- Do you invest in ongoing staff training to ensure they stay current as things change?
- Do you and/or your staff take advantage of the free learning opportunities available from your OEM partners and EFI?
An additional step that can be taken—and should be taken by at least one staff member at any dealer working with EFI Fiery—is to pursue certification. That gives your dealership more credibility with the customer and your staff more confidence in their ability to provide the best possible customer service.
One story that sticks out from my discussions is this: The press operator at a smaller business in the Southeast upgraded his printer, which involved adding a new Fiery. He complained to me that it was a real hassle because he had to completely configure the Fiery from scratch. The next time he upgraded, he asked the dealer technician if there was any way to avoid that. The answer was, of course, let’s archive your existing Fiery first, and then we can just upload that archive to the new one. The operator was kind of appalled, asking the technician, why didn’t you tell me that last time? The answer? Well, you didn’t ask. Yikes. I hope that kind of thing doesn’t happen in your dealership. Sadly, we heard several stories like that, situations that could have been prevented with a little more education and a lot more solution selling/support.
By the way, not only does this approach drive customer satisfaction and retention, but by fully understanding and being able to articulate the value of the full suite of workflow options that go along with a DFE these days, you can not only provide the customer with the right configuration from the get-go, with a growth path mapped out, but obviously, it increases revenue per sale as well.
Coincidentally, just as I was wrapping up this article, this landed in my inbox: https://learning.efi.com/fiery_certification_programs. Half price on Fiery certification! The universe is telling you something here!
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