Powerful artificial intelligence (AI) solutions from Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and other developers
have already revolutionized the image creation process. Forbes has written that AI could be the key to unlocking the $14.7 billion 3D printing industry’s true potential, making additive-manufacturing processes more efficient and less costly. What might AI be able to do for your business?
Establishing a robust AI strategy is crucial for future industry leadership, according to the Boston Consulting Group. Companies that fail to adopt this disruptive technology risk falling far behind. All print companies should learn how to use AI to streamline customer interactions, create innovative solutions, and revise internal processes. Sure, AI can be intimidating but, truth be told, most people have been using it without really being aware.
Essentially, AI relies on algorithms to make “dumb” machines appear smart. For example, your printing business may already track quantities of paper, ink/toner, and spare parts delivered using AI. You may also use AI to track website traffic, and it may drive your sales and service teams’ appointment calendars. Generative AI can troubleshoot by analyzing sensor data from printing equipment to predict potential failures or maintenance needs before they occur, thus minimizing plant downtime.
From chatbots, remote equipment monitoring, and training/educating employees to cultivating prospects, managing customer relationships, recruiting, and equitable hiring, this AI thing seems to permeate all around us. “AI is so broad and vast that it can be challenging to navigate,” observes Rob Wellen, founder of new Chicago-area startup Growth AI Partners (GAIP). He cites three basic ways in which print service providers (PSPs) can harness AI’s power for competitive advantage:
- Use AI to improve your marketing content generation.
- Employ AI to assist with managing website leads.
- Facilitate online customer support with AI.
Obviously, “you can’t do everything,” Wellen says, so he advises clients to pick one. “Focus on a single aspect at a time and move forward.”
AI “In Print”
Five print-specific examples that emerged from the drupa 2024 trade fair in Germany this past spring:
- Esko-Graphics showcased its Phoenix solution, which simplifies short runs in offset and digital printing by integrating AI for planning and estimation. The automated preproduction imposition software is designed for packaging manufacturers.
- Esko also announced an AI enhancement to its new Job Onboarding Application. The cloud-native solution addresses the challenges of shorter run lengths, increased job volume and the need for efficient onboarding–especially for customers with infrequent low batch orders requiring extra support. The AI component transforms onboarding into an interactive experience, seamlessly linking customer specifications with technical requirements. Process duration reduces from six days to just a few hours, thanks to AI capabilities and the power of Esko’s waste-reducing S2 software platform in the cloud.
- Also in the packaging space, eProductivity Software
(ePS) demonstrated using AI to revolutionize web-to-print workflows by democratizing design, enhancing user experience (UX) and unlocking new business opportunities.
- Fiery (the EFI spinoff) previewed its newest AI-driven features, including InkWise for ink stock management and a new intelligent job-ticketing assistant. Fiery InkWise addresses the complexities of manual ink management by introducing an AI-powered assistant. It predicts when and how much ink to order, allowing customers to keep reduced inventory levels. The new AI-driven ticketing feature analyzes jobs and automatically prepares job tickets covering media selection, prepress processes, finishing, and more. “We are continuously exploring how AI technology can make Fiery workflows as easy as interacting with a virtual assistant. Leveraging AI in the job ticketing process helps boost productivity, enabling operators of all skill levels to quickly process a variety of print jobs," said CEO Toby Weiss.
- In post-press, too, Bobst is harnessing machine learning and AI to elevate and optimize packaging production.
AI advancements have moved swiftly in 2024. Where is the tech headed in 2025 and beyond? “We are betting on more strategic uses,” projects GAIP’s Wellen. “Companies will continue to figure out the best ways to tie AI to their businesses.” Better predicting employee turnover is one example. “There’s software that can do this now, but AI will take it to the next level,” he believes. Using data science can help to obtain better customer insights, which we may see more of as well.
A major upcoming trend, according to Wellen, will be using artificial intelligence to create more customized offers. “Business strategists are learning how to infuse it into their product and service offerings, creating their own versions of AI, if you will. We think this will be the next big differentiator.”
Though the pace of AI development and implementation is staggeringly fast, print company executives need to keep up as much as possible. With such an accelerated pace, falling behind the competition could be easy to do.