The Dirty Dozen of Print Automation

The Dirty Dozen of Print Automation – Episode Summary

In this hard-hitting episode of The Print University, Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee bust the 12 most common myths holding print businesses back from achieving true workflow automation. Designed for teams evaluating prepress automation training (Kodak Prinergy, Esko), MIS software training for print production, or lean manufacturing training printing industry, this episode is a must-watch before any investment in software, processes, or integration.

Drawn from real-world print assessments across all segments—commercial, sign, packaging, in-plant, and direct mail—the “dirty dozen” includes broken assumptions like:

• “Our customers want to talk to us” (they prefer self-service portals)

• “Daily production meetings are essential” (they’re often time sinks)

• “Physical job tickets and job boards are necessary” (they create chaos)

• “Spreadsheets and email are good enough” (they’re silent workflow killers)

The hosts also address overlooked pain points like “sneakernet” file handoffs, shelfware (underused software), missing system integrations, and onboarding overload from too many customer submission paths. Each myth is paired with practical solutions—many low-cost or already available within your shop’s tech stack.

Most importantly, this episode stresses that automation isn’t a one-time project—it’s a cultural mindset shift toward continuous improvement, standardization, and measurable ROI.

You Will Learn:

• 12 pervasive workflow myths that sabotage print automation efforts

• Why “heroic employees” and manual workarounds hurt consistency and margin

• How to eliminate physical job tickets, email chaos, and spreadsheet silos

• Tools and tactics for automation: MIS, APIs, SFDC, e-tickets, self-service portals

• How to walk your workflow to find bottlenecks and start process improvement

Who This Course Is For:
Print business owners, production managers, IT leaders, and workflow specialists engaged in MIS software training for print production, prepress automation training (Kodak Prinergy, Esko), or adopting lean manufacturing training printing industry principles

Time to Watch:
Approx. 52 minutes