B2 sheetfed workflows but invest into inkjet and by that, grow their services, be more flexible and more profitably print shorter runs.” Gelato, which has recently launched its GelatoConnect solution was founded after CEO Henrik Müller-Hansen identified an overcapacity within the print industry for production and a lack of software solutions to bridge all these technologies as the industry evolves. “As e-commerce has grown and as Shopify, Spotify, Etsy, and Amazon have grown, more and more of the industry has oriented around micro runs and as the production runs go down, the need for software goes up," he says, adding: "If a digital printer wants to support e-commerce, they need to expand their product categories. “When they do this, it’s more and more difficult to handle procurement effectively. If you sell all four of those categories, you probably have four different workflows. We replace all of those different workflows with GelatoConnect.” Another theme I noticed during the first week of the show was the number of mentions of the aging workforce and the lack of skilled workers. This is something that we’ve been talking about now for some time, but it was interesting to see manufacturers and software providers developing tangible solutions with this issue at the forefront of their R&D efforts. Having been designed as an easyto-use all-in-one solution, Müller-Hansen says GelatoConnect enables companies handing over to the younger generation to transition smoothly. “Many people that we meet are speaking about the next generation in their families. They have a print house or a company and they want that company to be handed over to their children. So I think that Gelato Connect is also a way for the owners of print facilities across the planet to prepare their company for the next generation. “The question they should ask is, will there be fewer personalised products five years from today or more? Will there be less e-commerce five years from today or more? And will there be more software in the production flow five years from today or more? All trends point to the creator economy, e-commerce, and software.” Another example is Frontline.io which provides the answer to several pain points in the industry such as difficulty sourcing skilled engineers, the time-consuming problem of having to send out engineers to sites creating downtime in the meantime, as well as sourcing machines for training. Frontline.io utilises Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies for remote inspection and servicing as well as to create digital twins of presses. Companies such as HP, Landa, and BOBST have all adopted these technologies and Landa has reported a 50% saving in costs as it removes the need to fly people around for servicing and training. As well as addressing the challenge of sourcing skilled engineers, Gilad Tzori, COO of Frontline.io, explains how this technology is also helping to bridge the skills gap by appealing to the younger generation. “The younger generation is looking for thrills and for things to happen fast. They don’t have the time to sit for six or nine months to learn the ropes. When they see this technology, see the AR glasses and the VR that they know from home, they really connect with it automatically. “The nice thing is you can take someone who’s never done any work on a press before, they just need to have the basic skills of how to use a screwdriver for example, and then with our technology, they can fix the press immediately without having to learn for a very long time. I believe it brings the young generation back to the printing industry.” As short runs and personalisation boom, software is becoming more and more of a pivotal part of the production process, as highlighted by Gelato’s Müller-Hansen and several other manufacturers in their press conferences. However, with hardware manufacturers such as Canon and Ricoh presenting such creative and impressive stand designs and others such as Fujifilm demonstrating such a broad and eye-grabbing variety of applications, it can be tricky for a software provider to have the same impact. That being said, we were impressed by the way exhibitors thought outside the box to get their messaging across. Gelato, for example, hosted daily ‘Scoop Sessions’ which included presentations and testimonials from customers as well as giving out free gelato. This went down well with visitors and acted as an extra marketing tool when these same visitors left their booth to walk around the rest of the show with a branded gelato tub in hand. Another company that presented its technology in a creative way was Antigro Designer. The company demonstrated its Sticker Builder software by encouraging visitors to take a selfie and have their images printed as stickers which they could place onto a large ‘Drupa Wall’, filling the white text with their faces. Hybrid Software Group, which is made up of six subsidiaries had a large presence in its hall and hosted regular presentations which were consistently packed with visitors. The company demonstrated its six brands across different areas of its stand with clear messaging and totem pole-style signage filled with information about each offering. EVENT SPOTLIGHT: DRUPA 2024 REVIEW – TRENDS AND THEMES 50 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk July / August 2024 - Issue 349 Bridging the Skills Gap Marketing Software Solutions Visually ▲Drupa gardens was an outside feature showcasing modern materials and printing solutions
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