New year predictions: Alison Branch, Park Communications

Park Communications managing director Alison Branch knows the value of good customer relations - and gravy! Here she shares her forecast for the year to come and thinks printers should be preparing for an uptick in volume as market conditions improve.

What are your new year’s resolutions for your business next year?

To further strengthen Park’s position and brand as a provider of the highest quality products and services.

What’s at the top of your Christmas wish list?

That every one in our team has a happy Christmas.

What business or technology trend do you think 2013 will be remembered for?

Printers having to get to grips with cloud-based technology. An example of this would be the move by Adobe to only provide their Adobe Creative Suite products via their 'cloud portal'. This past year has given opportunities to us all to use technology to gain greater efficiencies.

What do you think will represent the single biggest opportunity for printers in 2014 and why?

Being in the right place and condition to satisfy the higher requirements of old and new customers who are (at last) increasing expenditure on printed marcomms.

What do you think will represent the single biggest threat for printers in 2014 and why?

Cashflow, as customers continue to stretch credit. This will be exacerbated if sales volumes pick up and higher levels of work in progress have to be funded.

What’s the one thing that the industry should do more of, or do better, in 2014?

Focus on value, rather than price.

What was your highlight of 2013?

An important customer telling me that the reason she uses Park is the value we place on the customer, and the absolute confidence she has that Park will give her the product she wants, on time and to budget.

What are your hopes for 2014?

A more clement economic environment.

What was the most important thing that you learned in 2013?

How important it is to make time to listen.

What will you do differently in 2014?

Look to see how we can facilitate a wider staff involvement in our improvement programme.

What does the industry need to do differently in 2014?

It needs to spend more time asking what customers are trying to achieve with their communications, and then advising them how our services can better achieve these aims.

What will you be having for Christmas dinner?

Traditional: the full works with stuffing, bacon, brussels, bread sauce and lots of gravy… what a treat!