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Communisis chief executive Steve Vaughan, has urged print managers to stop chasing revenue, a practice he described simply as "vanity".

Speaking to a packed house at Stationers' Hall on Monday, Vaughan stressed the importance of technology in adding value and generating a decent margin for print managers.

He spoke alongside industry high-flyers including St Ives managing director for UK sales Simon Ward and Bespoke managing director James Mollard.

Vaughan said: "If you're buying print and charging a mark-up then technology has already killed you off. You might not have realised it yet, but it will get you in the end."

Helping customers to print less, to get products to market quicker and to pay less VAT were identified by Vaughan as areas where "new print managers" could add value.

He said: "Adding value is not simply buying for less – your customers may love it but you'll make no money."

Meanwhile, Mollard described the print management process as "an effect and not a cause" – a sentiment that Ward echoed.

Mollard said: "In my experience, the print manufacturing sector lacks sales skills and leadership. There is a need to proactively recruit sales talent from other sectors."

Ward said that print management companies existed because printers had historically been poor at customer service, although he added that some print managers were equally bad.

"There are some appalling print management companies, but there are some appalling printers as well," he said.

"Any customer who doesn't want their supplier to make a profit doesn't deserve to be a customer."

Ward praised the "good" print managers who added value to both their suppliers' and customers' businesses.

Other speakers at the event, which was organised by Reed Business Information global procurement director Martin Bloomfield and supported by PrintWeek, included Unity Publishing managing director Andrew Wilson, Claritum managing director James Samuels, Print & Procurement director Matthew Parker and Webmart managing director Simon Biltcliffe.