Big Picture - September 2016 - 46

BIG PICTURE September 2016 Behind the scenes at Direct Edge Media is a machine of many moving parts, but they seem to make it look easy. 46 material and shipped to 38 locations. Talk about a logistical riddle. Another of Direct Edge's regular clients, a Californiabased, warehouse-style grocer, orders 250 kits per week with anywhere from three to 24 elements. The turnaround time is three or four days. When this is your typical workload, it pays to have the software on your side. Efficiency and Imagination More so even than streamlined software, a business' success really lies in the strength of its people. One hundred employees may sound like a small number, but efficiencies in corporate structure can be just as critical as efficiencies in production. Brueckner knows how to run every device and does most of the training himself. The shop also stresses cross-training: The sheetfed cutter operators know how to run the Zünd, the Zünd operators are familiar with the large-format printers, and so on. "This is also important because then you get the weigh-in from five different operators on how to add efficiency," says Brueckner, who will spend a day here and there running a machine himself, taking note of certain inefficiencies, which he passes on to the production manager. Each department - sheetfed offset and cut-sheet digital, large-format printing, and large-format cutting - has its own production manager and dedicated prepress team. Once a month, or sometimes even on a per-job basis, the staff will gather to consider how recent work could have been processed more efficiently. The talents of Direct Edge's staff extend beyond basic imaging, as well. The shop also employs four structural designers who work on art for the more innovative projects, and the team has been essential for a number of lucrative ones that have come through in recent months. A Nintendo-themed job for shoe retailer Vans "required something special to reflect the classic video game feel," says Clark. The structural team engineered custom motors with parts cut from acrylic and Dibond, using the shop's Zünd flatbeds, to move custom-made Mario figures throughout the display. The graphics were imaged on an Inca Onset Q40 UV (Falconboard, B Flute corrugated cardboard, and styrene) and a Fujifilm Uvistar Pro8 UV (Ultraflex blockout banner media). The window display alone, which Direct Edge supplied for more than 350 locations, rung in at 10 times the average cost, and Clark says it's absolutely worth the investment. "They're going completely against the grain," he says. "Most mall [stores] have a mannequin and a background banner, and then next door you've got the Nintendo window with Mario jumping up and down. ... They're continuing to put some money towards these kinds of projects because their traffic is up in comparison to the national average." Vans also once commissioned a "Star Wars"-themed display featuring custom-made lightsabers - and they aren't the only ones exploring the reaches of this type of investment. Direct Edge has done projects such as a foamcore hamburger that was printed, routed, and filled with neon lights. They've even sourced barbecues and coolers for a Billabong Fourth of July campaign. It all boils down to saying "yes" when others are saying "no." Clark says the shop prides itself on its contemporary, go-for-it mindset; they see competitors who are unwilling to change and innovate, and interpret that as a window of opportunity. Pressing On Of course, not every risk pays off. In 2008, Direct Edge created a digital signage branch with a network of more than 300 units nationwide. "But when the world fell off a cliff, that industry was the first one to go. ... We lost big," says Brueckner, adding that many of their clients eliminated digital signage departments altogether. He predicts the market may see an upturn in a few years when equipment becomes more affordable. The moral of the story, however, is that they didn't take their eyes off the future. They kept taking risks, kept innovating, and are constantly doing so today. Clark says being willing to experiment has won them friends among their suppliers; they've done beta testing for Xerox and are currently awaiting a new Fujifilm press. He also points to the bottleneck in the finishing department and says "we'll definitely be the ones experimenting" with innovations such as robots that can be programmed to load and unload parts from one, or even multiple, finishing tables. What else is on the horizon for retail? "I don't know how turnaround time is going to get smaller, but it will," says Clark. "If you can shave one day from getting artwork to [having the job] in a box, you really do hold all the keys."

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Big Picture - September 2016