Covid might be in the rear-view mirror, but Total Printing Systems VP RJ Lindemann says its impact on the way books are manufactured is permanent, with publishers accelerating their shift to short-run book manufacturing. “The days of printing 5,000 to 10,000 books at a time are quickly disappearing,” he says. “TPS is exactly where we need to be to help our customers make that shift an easy one.”
In business for more than 50 years, TPS is a full-service digital manufacturer specializing in print runs under 2,000, utilizing both inkjet and toner technology. The company’s signature offer is its hybrid inventory management and fulfillment solution. TPS offers print-on-demand for backlog titles and inventory storage and fulfillment for titles that are still being printed. This allows customers to entirely eliminate shipping costs from one warehouse to another while removing the headache of order fulfillment for customers who currently do it themselves.
The company’s approach combines automation with a commitment to personalized service, offering clients the flexibility to adapt to changing demands. “TPS has focused on maintaining a relationship-based business in a world that has become increasingly transactional,” Lindemann says. “Automation is changing the industry, but we know that not everyone fits perfectly into any one category. We’re committed to making customized solutions with efficient processes, allowing customers to have the low pricing that automation brings while maintaining a solution that’s right for them.”
Lindemann says the biggest challenge that publishers face today is meeting customer demands in real time without stockpiling excess inventory. TPS addresses this by offering print-on-demand as a supplement to its > Total Printing Systems short-run manufacturing service.
“A publisher can order what they think they’ll need for a six-month period, and if they run out faster than anticipated, they can immediately begin printing on demand, allowing for no delays for their customer as they wait for more books to be manufactured short-run,” he says. “This allows our publishers to be more risk-averse and keep less inventory on hand.”
With a 24-hour print-on-demand turnaround time and a less than 1% error rate, TPS staffers see the value of their decades of experience each day, and they’re less dazzled by emerging technologies like AI than many of their competitors. They’re watching that space but with a skeptical eye.
“While there are many automation advantages that are coming online now and in the near future, one thing that we don’t want to do is take the personal customer service out of the process,” Lindemann says. “We don’t believe AI has become a suitable replacement for a human touch—yet!—and we at TPS will not make that switch until we can be certain there will not be a decline in customer experience.”
That said, Lindemann sees many industry shifts that publishers need to pay attention to. With paper mills shutting down or moving away from traditional book papers, Lindemann believes inflated paper prices are here to stay. He also warns that book manufacturers are consolidating and that publishers should keep a watchful eye on who is printing their books, emphasizing the necessity to find a partner who will be around for the long haul.
