Non-profit book publisher Bridge Publications, Inc. has a mission: to spread the word about Scientology, a religion based on the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard, across the globe. In 2006, the company decided to insource printing in order to produce its books and other materials economically, in quantities large and small, in multiple formats, in 16 languages, and on its own schedules. The solution: print, bind, and package its publications using digital, print-on-demand equipment. And bring CD and DVD production in-house. And so began a business overhaul that now serves as a model for the publishing industry, which is just beginning to explore the possibilities of digital printing.
“We were previously at the mercy of outside vendors’ scheduling and pricing,” says Blake Silber, president of Bridge. “Going digital gave us a platform where we could deliver in the volume necessary to keep up with demand. Since bringing production in-house, we have released titles in 50 languages. Before, we had to stock quantities with no real control over our print run sizes and reprint schedules. Now, we have increased the quantity of new titles available to release.”
Its transformation earned Bridge the 2009 Progressive Manufacturing High Achiever award for Business Model Mastery.
The eight-month, multimillion-dollar overhaul touched every as-pect of the business, as the company renovated a warehouse into a 40,000- sq.-ft. digital printing plant, worked with vendors to tailor machinery to Bridge’s needs, hired and trained machine operators, implemented an Oracle ERP-based system, and streamlined work processes.