Brian Platte Lifetime Achievement Award and Xplorer of the Year Presented at Xploration® 15

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Lutz, FL — April 21, 2015: Xplor International, the worldwide electronic document systems association, today named the recipients of the Brian Platte Lifetime Achievement Award and Xplorer of the Year. The two Xplor awards recognize individual contributions to the association and the industry in general. Both awards were presented at Xplor’s Annual Conference, Xploration® 15, on Tuesday, April 14.

Tweet this: Xplorer of the Year and Brian Platte Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients Recognized at Xploration® 15 http://ow.ly/LVCLm #Xplor15

The Brian Platte Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2007 and is given to an individual whose efforts and contributions have significantly changed the course and development of the digital document industry. This award is open to Xplor International members as well as non-members.

This year’s Brian Platte Lifetime Achievement Award goes to two recipients, both very different in terms of their accomplishments and contributions to the industry:

Malcolm Keif, PHD is Professor and Graduate Coordinator for the Printed Electronics & Functional Imaging program at Cal Poly State University Graphic Communication Department and Denise Miano, EDP, is President, CTO, and Founder of NEPS LLC.

“I am honored to present the Brian Platte Lifetime Achievement Award to these two outstanding individuals” says Skip Henk, President & CEO of Xplor International. “Both have provided unique contributions to the industry which if expounded upon would necessitate a small book.”

The Xplorer of the Year Award is one of the association’s most prestigious recognitions. It honors an individual’s outstanding service to the Association, dedication to the Xplor mission and notable achievements promoting the interest of the electronic document systems industry. Only current members of Xplor International, who are not on the Association Board of Directors, are eligible.

This year’s Xplorer of the Year is Roberta McKee-Jackson, EDP. “Roberta has been involved with Xplor since 1984 and has been involved both as a staff member and for many years as a volunteer” says Skip Henk, EDP, Xplor’s President and CEO, “Her contribution to the association over the years have been responsible for the success and expansion of many Xplor programs.”

Other Xplor annual awards, recognized and announced at Xploration® 15 include:

Application of the Year Award
Winner: Crawford Technologies and the City of Glendale
Honorable Mentions: BlueToad Inc and Canon Solutions America

Technology Application Award
Winner: GMC Software Technology
Honorable Mentions: Ultimate TechnoGraphics/Ultimate Bindery and AccuZIP/LIVINGMAIL

Chairman’s Award
Winner: The Xplor International Staff

 

About Xplor International
Xplor International is a worldwide, not-for-profit professional association that consists of thousands of users and suppliers of the products and services that create, modify and deliver customized information using a wide variety of document technologies. The association provides educational products and programs for its members and the industry at large through conferences, meetings and annual events. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world. Further information is available at www.xplor.org.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: @Xplor_Int

Xplor International Media Contact:
Chad Henk, EDA
Marketing Coordinator
+1-813-949-6171
Chad@xplor.org

Xplor Announces 2015 Technology and Application Award Recipients

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Award Recipients to Be Recognized in Orlando at Xploration® 15

Lutz, FL — March 25, 2015 – Xplor International, the worldwide electronic document systems association, today announced the recipients of its 2015 Technology and Application of the Year Awards. The awards will be presented at a ceremony Tuesday, April 14, 2015, during the Xploration® 15 event at the Wyndham Orlando Resort International Drive in Orlando, Florida.

Tweet this: #Xplor15 Tech & App Award Winners: @CrawfordTechInc @gmc_net @BlueToadinc @Canon_Solutions @accuzip @PrintImposition http://ow.ly/KGOex

Application of the Year Award:
The Application of the Year Award is presented to an individual, a company or an organization to recognize outstanding achievement in the imaginative application of current technology and/or unique implementation of existing document and communication systems. This award is open to members and non-members.

Xplor will award two honorable mentions in addition to the 2015 winner.

  • The 2nd Honorable Mention is being awarded to Bluetoad, Inc., an Orlando based digital publishing software company, for utilizing their digital publishing platform that assists the healthcare industry in delivering personalized digital editions of customer-facing documents.
  • The 1st Honorable Mention is being awarded to Canon Solutions America’s published “Designers’ Guide to Inkjet”. The guide is a comprehensive resource for agency and in-house designers that provides guiding principles, best practices, and real-world recommendations related to the exciting world of inkjet.

The winner of the 2015 Xplor Application of the Year is the City of Glendale and Crawford Technologies. Utilizing Crawford’s RIPTIDE product, the City of Glendale was able to automate the distribution and output management of case files stored in the repository.

In the words of the Glendale city government project manager, “the RIPTIDE solution made all the difference, changing ‘days and hours’ of work into ‘minutes and seconds’” as the tasks of copying, collation, and hand stamping were eliminated. One of the key results was that staff was able to be reallocated to more productive tasks. 

Technology of the Year Award:
The Technology of the Year Award honors an individual, company or organization that has conceived and developed an original concept leading to a significant advancement in the industry.  This can be a new program, product, or technology that notably enhances the capabilities of document and communication systems.

Like the Application of the Year award, Xplor will present two honorable mentions, in addition to the winner of the award, due to the large number of submissions.

  • The 2nd Honorable Mention for the Technology of the Year Award is being awarded to Ultimate TechnoGraphics/Ultimate Bindery. Ultimate Bindery provides a unique and new value to document production with software dedicated to bridging the gap between prepress and printing processes with the final stage of production.
  • The 1st Honorable Mention for the Xplor Technology of the year award is being awarded to AccuZIP/LIVINGMAIL. LIVINGMAIL allows mailers to send automatic voice messages, texts, and/or e-mails to the mail recipients with customizable scheduling. All of these communications are triggered off of an IMb and/or QR code on the mail piece.

The winner of the 2015 Xplor Technology of the Year is being awarded to GMC Software Technology for their Inspire Dynamic Communications. Inspire Dynamic Communication enables the creation of immersive, digital customer statements that deliver intuitive and attractive charts, graphs and other graphical representations of customer financial information.

Inspire Dynamic Communications fully addresses the rapidly-growing demand for relevant information while on the go, delivering optimized and abbreviated experiences based on user context.

“Once again the Awards Committee had the difficult task of selecting the companies and individuals to be recognized as each submission represented compelling technologies and their use.” said Skip Henk, EDP, President and CEO of Xplor International. “We thank everyone who submitted a nomination as well as the efforts and commitment of the Awards Committee.”

Xplor International will also be announcing the recipients of the Xplorer of the Year and Brian Platte Lifetime Achievement awards at Xploration® 15 on Tuesday, April 14, 2015

About Xplor International
Xplor International is a worldwide, not-for-profit professional association that consists of thousands of users and suppliers of the products and services that create, modify and deliver customized information using a wide variety of document technologies. The association provides educational products and programs for its members and the industry at large through conferences, meetings and annual events. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world. 

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: @Xplor_Int

Xplor International Media Contact:

Chad Henk, EDA
Marketing Coordinator
+1-813-949-6171
Chad@xplor.org

After 5 … People Do Amazing Things

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Submitted by Skip Henk, EDP, President/CEO of Xplor International
March 19, 2015

After writing about technology I decided to deviate a little and talk about some of the amazing people in our industry that do amazing things, for others, after 5 (and on weekends).

A few weeks ago I was honored to speak at the Neopost USA sales kick off meeting in Dallas, Texas. I spent three days with hundreds of people from across the country, observing first hand who Neopost was, their culture, and the people that drive the success of the company.

Mike BogadAfter 5
At the end of the day a group of us met in the pub to relax a bit which is when I met Mike Bogad, Director of CCM Channel Development.  After talking about his role in Neopost, our conversation drifted from work to our families and onto the things we do outside of work. Mike spoke passionately about his support of The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers, providing survivors long, healthy lives.

His involvement started when a high school friend invited him to a “shave event.”  His friend’s son played hockey with a boy named Dawson who died from childhood cancer. Mike is on one of the hundreds of teams across the US who help raise money for childhood cancer research. His team, Dawson Hairless Heroes, is based St. Louis, Missouri.

What differentiates being a member of the “Dawson Hairless Heroes” is that some of the more daring ones volunteer to have their head shaved by participating in “the shave event”. Mike is one of those daring individuals.

Amazing Things
Already in his fourth year, Mike’s goal for 2015 was to raise $7525. He finished at $8750, 121% of his goal and secured the #4 spot in fundraising out of 613 “shaves”!  Their event raised 500K. On Saturday, March 7th at 4:45 pm, he stood in solidarity with kids being treated for cancer and had his head shaved!

In Mike’s words, “When I started 4 years ago, I never imagined we could surpass $3000, now we’re over $8,000! My involvement is because of a friend who invited me to a shave, I knew I had a lot great friends that would help!  Since then, families we know and love have been impacted, thus pressing me forward to remain involved.”

This year’s event is over but the need still exists. To learn more about St. Baldricks visit www.StBaldricks.org or if you would like to visit Mike’s site go to http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/mypage/739394/2015

To Mike Bogad and all the others in our industry that do great things after 5, thank you.

Next up …. Ken Leslie, (Former Xplor Chair) and founder of 1Matters.org ,whose mission is to house as many homeless veterans nationally as they can, as fast as they can

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Skip Henk, EDP
President/CEO
Xplor International

Xploration® 15 Expands Vendor Forum Participants

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Thirteen New Companies Join Xploration Vendor Forum

Lutz, FL – March 18, 2015 – Xplor International, the worldwide electronic document systems association, today announced the addition of thirteen new participating companies as part of the Xploration® 15 Vendor Forum. Xploration® 15 is being held April 14-16, 2015 at the Wyndham Orlando Resort International Drive.

The Xploration vendor forum has sold out the last four years and currently has only one remaining booth available.

Joining Xploration for the first time in 2015:

  • 360 Advanced
  • Accuzip, Inc.
  • BCC Software
  • B.L. Fletcher & Associates
  • Business Forms Management Assoc.
  • BlueToad
  • Ecrion
  • Indellient, Inc.
  • Level One
  • PDF Associations
  • Satori Software
  • Ultimate TechnoGraphics

“The electronic document and customer communication industry continues to change, driving the need for Xplor to expose our members and the industry to the latest in technology and best practices”, said Skip Henk, EDP, President and CEO of Xplor International. “Our new Vendor Forum participants support Xplor’s expansion of our document and educational space and represent a broad and expanding offering of products and services.”

Returning to the Xploration Vendor Forum:

  • Bell and Howell
  • Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.
  • Canon Solutions America, Inc.
  • Crawford Technologies
  • Doxee
  • Eclipse Corporation
  • Essociates Group, Inc.
  • FIS
  • GMC Software Technology
  • HP
  • ISIS Papyrus
  • Mail-Gard
  • MPI Tech
  • Neopost USA
  • NEPS, LLC
  • Oracle
  • Prinova
  • RenderX
  • Ricoh Americas Corporation
  • Riso, Inc.
  • Sefas
  • Solimar Systems, Inc.
  • Transformations
  • Xerox Corporation

Registration to the three-day event (April 14-16) includes access to all 60+ educational sessions, panels, keynotes, general sessions, and daily networking events that include two lunches and a breakfast on Thursday.

For more information, or to register to Xploration 15, please visit the conference website: www.cvent.com/d/l4qklv

Vendors interested in sponsoring or exhibitor should contact Xplor’s Director of Sales, Deborah Green at +1-770-444-3845 or deborahgreen1@earthlink.net.

About Xplor International
Xplor International is a worldwide, not-for-profit professional association that consists of thousands of users and suppliers of the products and services that create, modify and deliver customized information using a wide variety of document technologies. The association provides educational products and programs for its members and the industry at large through conferences, meetings and annual events. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: @Xplor_Int

Xplor International Media Contact:
Chad Henk, EDA
Marketing Coordinator
+1-813-949-6171
Chad@xplor.org

Do You Wanna BOK?

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Submitted by Skip Henk, EDP, President/CEO of Xplor International
March 17, 2015

When you read the title, what was the first thought that came to your mind? I am hoping some of you were asking yourselves “What is he talking about? What is a BOK?” That was my dilemma.

Although I have been active and involved in the industry for many years, I did not know what a BOK was or why it was important to our members and the industry in general.

According to our friends at Wikipedia:

a body of knowledge (BOK) is the complete set of concepts, terms and activities that make up a professional domain, as defined by the relevant learned society or professional association.

EDBOKMaking It Relevant
I must admit I was a bit slow to come around to the whole idea of having a BOK for the association. The idea that a document could or would contain the “complete set of concepts, terms and activities” for our industry was difficult to conceive. Looking at the “complete document lifecycle” and all of the inherent components, the different technologies, methodologies and disciplines that put end to end defines our industry would be a monumental task.

Climbing The Mountain
At Xploration® 13, a group of Xplor EDP members got together and determined that it was time our industry had a Body of Knowledge for the Electronic Document Industry. The “Limited Edition” was presented at Xploration® 14 with the first edition being published and released last year at Graph Expo. In all, almost forty people contributed in one way or another to the creation and delivery of our industry BOK. The scope of the book is impressive and includes:

  • Document Development Lifecycle, requirements gathering, business analysis, technical analysis, stakeholder agreement, architecture, information design, project design, development, critical communications recovery(disaster recovery), test and QA, production launch, maintenance
  • Document Production Workflow, data, data objects, composition, print streams, transformations, print management, electronic presentation, web and mobile delivery, archiving, print technology, inserting technology, delivery process.

The end product has become the basis for our industries knowledge and the platform that now drives Xplor’s educational mission.

Who Cares? You Should.
Anyone in our industry, no matter what role you play, will benefit from reading it. If you are in a technical or operations role, this book pulls it all together, filling in the blanks and expanding your overall understanding of the electronic document industry. If you are in sales or marketing, it will give you an end to end view of the industry, the various components and the knowledge will certainly differentiate you from your peers.

Special thanks to all those responsible for bringing this ground breaking document to fruition.

The project team: Matt Riley edp, Project Chair, Neil Merchant m-edp, Project Manager, Pat McGrew m-edp, Editor, Scott Baker, Roberta McKee-Jackson edp, Chad Henk eda

The technology contributors: Paul Abdool edp, William Broddy m-edp , Franklin Campbell edp, Tim Ciceran, Brett Dashwood edp, Christine Durfee, Carol Fiore, Franklin Friedmann edp, Neal Gottsacker , Chris Halicki edp, Cheryl Kay, Kevin Lantaff edp, Robert Linsky, Wendy MacMillan m-edp, William McCalpin m-edp, Linda McDaniel edp, Roberta McKee-Jackson edp, Neil Merchant m-edp, Denise Miano edp, Tim Nelms, Stephen Poe edp, Rebecca Rodgers m-edp, Kevin Tondreau edp

So, Do You Wanna BOK?
For more information on the Electronic Document Body of Knowledge (EDBOK) visit the EDBOK information page under Career Development.

 

skip_Henk_Photo_2011
Skip Henk, EDP
President/CEO
Xplor International

HP Exstream Takes Customer Communication Management to 11!

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Guest post by Deborah Corn

I can’t resist a Spinal Tap reference, and in this case it’s easy to work in. I was hanging out in the HP High Speed Inkjet area at DscoopX last week and Heather Oliver from HP Exstream was just a few feet away manning their demo station. I was able to catch her in a brief moment between customer and attendee visits, and she was kind enough to talk to me about HP Exstream and the upcoming Xploration 15 Conference. I had no idea this software did all that it does – like spell check MEDICAL and LEGAL terms, and now with the launch of Empower customer communications can be managed online, and by a group of people!!! So actually, maybe this product goes to 12!

Check out the Xploration 15 Pre-Conference Workshop I am presenting with Trish Witkowski from Fold factory and Joanne Gore from Avanti on April 13th: Rescue Your Printshop’s ROI… Online Strategies For Offline Success

See you in Orlando!

Industry Leaders Line Up in Support of Xploration® 15

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Annual Customer Communications Conference – April 14th-16th in Orlando, Florida

Lutz, FL – March 3, 2015 – Xplor International, the worldwide electronic document systems association, today announced the lineup of conference sponsors for their annual conference event, Xploration® 15, being held April 14-16, 2015 at the Wyndham Orlando Resort International Drive in Orlando, Florida.

“This event would not be possible without the support of our conference sponsors,” said Skip Henk, EDP, President and CEO of Xplor International. “Each year our sponsors step up allowing Xplor to put on a great educational venue not only for our members, but the industry at large.”

The vendor forum area has sold out the last four years and currently has only two remaining booths. A couple of Xploration® 15 sponsorships opportunities are still available.

Xploration® 15 Conference Sponsors include:

Conference Bags – Canon Solutions America
Lanyards – HP
Beverage Service – Solimar Systems, Inc.
Opening Reception/Trivia Pursuit/T-Shirts – NEPS, LLC
Evening Party – Crawford Technologies and RenderX
Keynote Speaker/Devon Harris – Neopost USA
Onsite Guide – Cincinnati Financial
Media Sponsors: E-Document News, In-Plant Graphics, Printing Impressions, Print Media Centr
Co-Location Sponsors: Acadami, Madison Advisors, Print Media Centr

Registration to the three-day event (April 14-16) includes access to all 60+ educational sessions, panels, keynotes, general sessions, and daily networking events that include two lunches and a breakfast on Thursday.

For more information or to register please visit the conference website.
Vendors interested in sponsoring or exhibitor should contact Xplor’s Director of Sales.

About Xplor International
Xplor International is a worldwide, not-for-profit professional association that consists of thousands of users and suppliers of the products and services that create, modify, and deliver customized information using a wide variety of document technologies. The association provides educational products and programs for its members and the industry at large through conferences, meetings and annual events. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida with affiliated offices around the world.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: @Xplor_Int

Xplor International Media Contact:
Chad Henk, EDA
Marketing Coordinator
+1-813-949-6171
Chad@xplor.org

Want To Earn More Money? Attend A Conference!

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Submitted by Skip Henk, EDP, President/CEO of Xplor International
March 2, 2015

A couple weeks ago I read the 2015 InPlant Salary Survey and certainly was heartened to find that salaries are in fact on the rise. In fact, in the InPlant world, they have risen 9.9% over the last two years.IP_Clip

The survey was very well done and included a wide variety of statistics. InPlant did their typical great job. Of particular interest to me was that of the 231 usable responses, 44% of the managers who attended conferences (up from 27.5% in 2013) made 17.2% more than those that did not. That is a significant number.

The question is why?

Today, one can go to the internet and find almost anything they wish. The internet has become the go to source for information but as Albert Einstein once said “Information is not knowledge.”

To experience knowledge one must not only find facts and information but also acquire skills through experience or education.

So it simply makes sense that those who invest in expanding their knowledge by attending conferences, and learning from the experiences of others are more invaluable to their company.

Besides making more money, Why Attend A Conference?

  • Conference attendees benefit from people who have the same challenges and are willing to share them in order to help others learn from their experience. To learn what to do as well as what not to do.
  • Meeting people face to face and expanding ones professional network has many benefits that will impact your career. Your professional network can become a sounding board, a venue for new ideas, a place to find solutions or in some cases a future employee (or employer).
  • A good conference is a great place to keep up on all the latest technologies and trends.

Just one idea from a conference event can save or make a company a great deal of money. Here is what just one attendee stated after a conference.

“XPLOR one year gave me answers to take home a $500 Million dollar savings to my company! That being said, I was nominated employee of the year!” – Gene

All conferences are not created (or executed) equally

Attending a conference is an investment, one that can pay big dividends but all conferences are not created equal. When choosing a conference you should look for several things.

  • Does the agenda have topics of relevant interest?
  • Are there sessions that will take you beyond what you are doing today? Expand your knowledge of the industry.
  • Are the educational sessions a blend of users and vendors speaking?
  • Are there plenty of networking activities?
  • Does the agenda include best practices and industry trends?
  • Will you walk away with new ideas and motivation?

Yes, I am a bit biased. 

Being the president of Xplor, I may be a bit prejudiced but I believe Xploration® 15 is a unique event that encompasses all six points mentioned above “when choosing a conference”, because it was designed that way.

“The conference content is selected by our members, Xplor HQ just handles the logistics.”

Xploration 15 is April 14-16th at the Wyndham Orlando Resort International Drive in sunny Orlando Florida.

  • 60+ Educational Sessions
    • Featuring end users, industry analysts and subject matter experts
  • Daily Networking Events: The number one networking conference in the industry!
    • (2) evening events, (2) lunches and (1) breakfast
  • 35+ Industry Partners in the Vendor Forum
    • Meet with leading edge vendors
  • Motivational & Industry Keynotes
    • Devon Harris, three-time Olympian and 1988 Jamaican Bobsled team member which inspired the Disney movie “Cool Runnings”
    • John Biehler, Top 10 Influencer in 3D Printing
  • Acadami’s Electronic Document (BOK): Production Workflow Basics Track
    • A great program for anyone who wants to get a better “end to end” understanding of the document lifecycle.
  • Optional Pre-Conference Courses
    • Print Media Centr – Rescue Your Printshop ROI Workshop
    • Madison Advisors – CCM Intensive

For more information, or to register, please visit the conference website.

Hope to see you in Orlando April 14-16, 2015 ….. (If not, at some conference somewhere)

skip_Henk_Photo_2011

 

Skip Henk, EDP
Xplor President/CEO

Madison Advisors Returns to Xplor Conference to Share CCM Insights

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Half-Day Pre-Conference Event Helps Kick Off Xploration® 15

Lutz, FL —February 24, 2015—Xplor International, the worldwide electronic document systems association, today announced that the Madison Advisor’s Pre-Conference Intensive will once again be part of Xplor’s Annual Conference, Xploration® 15, April 14-16, at the Wyndham Orlando Resort International Drive in Orlando, Florida. The pre-conference program will take place April 13, 2015, from 1:00 to 5:00 PM.

Tweet this: @Madison_Advisor Pre-Conference Intensive again returns to Xploration® 15 in Orlando, Florida #Xplor15

Madison Advisors provides thought leadership, strategic consulting, and market research to clients in the customer communications management (CCM), electronic delivery, and print industries. Their industry-neutral expertise enables end-user organizations, service providers, and vendors to achieve their strategic objectives around transactional customer communications and publishing services.

This year’s pre-conference program will feature three sessions that include:
• Archives: Not Just for Documents Anymore
• Measuring What Matters: Dashboards and KPIs
• Minding Your Print & Queues: Job Scheduling, Tracking & Optimization

Pricing
Attendance to the Madison Advisors pre-conference program is not included with the conference’s Platinum Passport. However, attendees can purchase this pre-conference program during the registration process for Xploration® 15. For Xplor Members, the cost is $200 USD and non-members, $225 USD.

About Xploration® 15
Xploration® 15 is being held at the Wyndham Orlando Resort International Drive from April 14-16, 2015. Pre-Conference Programs will take place on April 13, 2015.

For questions about Xploration® 15, please contact Xplor Headquarters at +1-813-949-6710 or by email at register@xplor.org.

Registration to the three-day event includes access to all of Xploration® 15’s 60+ educational sessions, panels, keynotes, general sessions, evening networking events, networking lunches and a breakfast on Thursday.

A limited number of exhibit spaces are still available. Vendors interested in becoming an exhibitor or event sponsor should contact Xplor’s Director of Sales, Deborah Green, at +1-770-444-3845 or via email at deborahgreen1@earthlink.net.

About Xplor International
Xplor International is a worldwide, not-for-profit professional association that consists of thousands of users and suppliers of the products and services that create, modify, and deliver customized information using a wide variety of document technologies. The association provides educational products and programs for its members and the industry at large through conferences, meetings and annual events. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida with affiliated offices around the world. Further information is available at www.xplor.org.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: @Xplor_Int

Xplor International Media Contact:
Chad Henk, EDA
Marketing Coordinator
+1-813-949-6171
Chad@xplor.org

About Madison Advisors


Madison Advisors, an advisory firm, exists to advance the print and electronic communications objectives of Fortune 1000 companies. The company’s analysts provide advisory services for a range of content delivery strategies, particularly those addressing enterprise output technologies and customer communications. Through short-term, high-impact engagements (measurable in days or weeks, not months), Madison Advisors offers expertise and advisory services that directly help clients achieve hard and specific return on investment (ROI) related to their enterprise output goals and objectives. The company’s analyst team has an extensive background in the enterprise output industry, enabling Madison Advisors to offer its clients unique, objective perspectives and unparalleled guidance for their print and electronic communications initiatives. For more information about Madison Advisors, visit the company’s web site at www.madison-advisors.com or call (817) 684-7545.

What Was “Old, Stale, and so 1990s” Is New Again!

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Submitted by Skip Henk, EDP, President/CEO of Xplor International
February 24, 2015

The roar from our members had finally reached a crescendo that it was time to do something. I find Inaction under the guise of “not enough time” could no longer be an excuse.

And so it goes for www.xplor.org

The “Ah-hah” Moment

Over the last two years I have received comments about our website. Comments such as: “The site looks old”, “you need to be mobile friendly”, “stale”, “so 1990’s” to name just a few. BUT we were busy, did not have enough time and really could not deal with it at the time. (A bit short sighted)

The “ah-hah” moment came when one of our members called me and flat out told me she was frustrated with the site and would not recommend any of her colleagues or friends to visit the site.

That simple phone call hit home. When your own member would not recommend your site your credibility is called into play and the logical assumption is you are not acting in the best interest of your members, whether intentional or not.

“For every customer who bothers to complain, 26 other customers remain silent.” Source: White House Office of Consumer Affairs”

Your Website Is the Face of Your Company

A company website is many times the “first impression” one will have of your company. Since many people opt first to go to a company website to get information your website design needs to meet their needs. (Not yours) If the design of your website is unappealing, information is not readily available or hard to find, you most likely will lose a potential customer (or member).

• According to business2business community: (46%) of people say a website’s design is their number one criterion for determining the credibility of a company.

• “94% of people cited web design as the reason they mistrusted or rejected a website.” – ironpaper.com

Getting it Done

Like any project you have to commit, come up with a plan, allocate resources and execute. An organization must also realize its limitations and sometimes look outside for a solution.

That is what we did. We committed and incorporated outside resources into the plan. Turning things over is a difficult thing for most organizations but looking back me getting out of the way was the best thing that could have happened.

Our Marketing Coordinator was tasked with getting it done. He worked with Deborah Corn of Print Media Center, who coordinated the project with our web designer, Elementary Digital.

A Statement of Work was created, reviewed and agreed to. Work began and as much as I would like to take you through the process, I received occasional updates and assurances things were going well, and continued to stay off to the side.

The site was launched last week, they still are doing a bit of tweaking, but I feel Xplor has arrived and our “face” to the industry is new, fresh, intuitive and serves our membership.

Things to Think About

• Listen to your customers, they know what they want (and what they don’t)
• No excuses, short-term savings equals long term loss. Commit.
• Get people involved that do it for a living, you don’t have to do it all
• Spend time on the Statement of Work. What the end product will be.
• Do your homework, there are a lot of web designers. They are not all created equal.
• Do it … and enjoy the results

Your plan needs to be forward thinking and include not only viewing on a PC but tablets and mobile devices.

“Only 22% of marketers say they’re ahead of the curve when it comes to responsive design. 29% say they have “average” experience level, 23% say they’re behind the times, and 4% say they’re hopeless. (Source: eMarketer)”

Special Thanks to Deborah Corn at PrintMediaCentr, Andy Holland of Elementary Digital, and Chad Henk of Xplor for making what was old, new again.

And a big thank you to you for stopping by! We would love to hear your comments on the new site! Sound away!