But while (too) many of the headlines of late have been about job losses or company closures, there has been plenty of good news.
For example, according to ONS statistics it seems that print is a UK productivity champion.
Not only does the industry outperform the nation’s productivity average in terms of improvement, it also outperforms its manufacturing peers too and both gaps only look like they’re set to widen in the future.
A lot of that is down to the industry embracing new efficiency boosting technologies, from CRM and process management systems through to more productive hardware in all its forms.
And this is ably illustrated in the number of kit investment firsts featured in this issue, including [drum roll please]: First 4 Direct Mail; Graphic Works, John E Wright; KJS Print; Printondemand-worldwide; ProCo; Ultimate Digital; and Your Print Partner to name the most recent.
Proof positive that the industry is as keen as ever to embrace innovation in all its forms.
Of course, it’s also fair to say that boosting productivity has been driven by necessity as increasing efficiency and driving down waste are crucial weapons in a company’s battle for success.
But culture also plays an important role.
Not only a culture of investing in the best technology, but also investing in the best people - because it’s an industry’s foot soldiers that ensure its ability to win the productivity war, technology can’t do it alone.
