How to Stay Informed in a Remote World
Someday we will reflect on how the world changed in 2020 with perspective. Right now, as businesses continue to adapt to new ways of engaging employees and customers, the single focus is how to get the work done.
At the start of 2020, in-plant print mail operations planned to make investments in technology. They intended to attend in-person conferences and trade shows to review requirements and compare solutions from a variety of suppliers. Those gatherings also allow for interactions with and recommendations from peers. Beginning in March these events were canceled with the hope that they would happen in the fall
Fall is around the corner and the question is how to make the right decisions for new equipment and technology without live events. Should organizations continue to postpone capital investment decisions? As we move into the last quarter of 2020 it is time to make many decisions.
Here is a list of ideas to help you through this year:
Do the Research
The industry has moved to sharing information in virtual events of every flavor. The number of webinars and online sources has increased dramatically since the beginning of March. Equipment manufacturers, software companies and media companies are attempting to educate and engage customers about their solutions. People seeking information about new technology bear a larger burden to identify trusted sources and make the investment of time to learn about equipment and technology. And often without seeing solutions running live, managers need to determine what is the best fit for their production environment.
Listening to webinars, online panels and virtual demos is not easy. It requires concentrated attention to understand the important nuggets of information and to ask questions specific to your needs. Luckily, there are a many reliable sources to learn about inkjet and related technologies to make informed investment decisions.
Industry Resources
News and analysis on every segment of the printing and mail industry can be found on several well-respected websites. Some of the content is sponsored by OEMs and software providers. Much of the content is written by independent journalists, analysts, and consultants. New product announcements and comparisons can easily be searched via your browser.
Major publishing and media sources include: