Challenge | Xplor International

Xplor International’s University Communication Design Competition has completed its first stage, which included participants from California Polytechnic State University and the Rochester Institute of Technology. As stated in Xplor’s recent press release, the contest was open to undergraduate university students and was created to challenge students and promote real-life application development of a multichannel medical billing statement. Quadient has sponsored the competition since its inception in 2017 and today I had the pleasure to speak with Avi Greenfield, Quadient’s Vice President of Product Management, who took a minute to sit down and talk about Quadient’s support and generosity which allow Xplor to encourage the next generation of communications management professionals.

Skip: Avi, thanks for taking the time to talk today about the design competition. Xplor, with Quadient’s support, originated this competition several years ago. What is behind your company’s continued sponsorship over the years?

Avi: For Quadient, it is about bringing excitement to the next generation of customer communications designers. We support the competition because we believe in the mission of Xplor to continue educating and inspiring professionals in the industry. The competition is one way to expose these students to career potential and opportunities for professional growth, which is important to us, as well.

Skip: We expanded the competition to include Rochester Institute of Technology this year along with Cal Poly. What are your thoughts on that?

Avi: I had the pleasure of being on the panel of judges last year. At that time, the two teams competing were both from Cal Poly. I was excited to learn that this year the competition was open to include Rochester Institute of Technology. Both have well-known graphic design programs coming from different ends of the country, so it will be fun and interesting to see what the two final teams present this year.

Skip: As a judge, how did you evaluate the projects that were entered last year?

Avi: The direction of the project was to remake a statement. The teams were challenged with redesigning an ordinary bland medical billing statement to make it more functional, aesthetically pleasing, and expand its purpose to include a marketing opportunity. I was one of four judges who made notes and rated them on many different criteria around the design, the presentation and organization, along with making sure the statement was appropriate for print, as well as digital channels, such as email, mobile apps and websites. The students came up with interesting approaches, such as using QR codes to help the consumer easily pay their balance, along with other creative design elements to improve the readability and call to action of the communication.

Skip: Do you think being involved in the competition, in addition to being exposed to the conference, brought any added benefits to the students?

Avi: Definitely. I think it really helped to expand their perspective and horizons. It made them appreciate the impact communications have on the customer experience and how a well-thought-out communication can drive both the experience and the business outcome. While the students were experienced in doing creative projects in Photoshop and InDesign, it was great to introduce them to the breadth and capabilities of the CCM solutions represented at the event.

Skip: Do you believe the investment in this kind of project has an ROI?

Avi: Yes, since it raises awareness of CCM software and how it is used to improve customer experience and business outcomes. I don’t think any of the students participating ever really thought about the availability of software that helps produce millions of customer communications at once, such as statements, insurance policies and contracts. They also may not have known about how CCM software provides creative ways to approach other essential communications. That was something that resonated with them and opened their eyes to the ability to produce mass, personalized customer communications that still could be relevant and meaningful to the audience. They saw the need for specialized software and it encouraged them to start thinking about different opportunities. There were multiple students I talked to that said, “Yeah, I really need to look into CCM as a real career path.” That vision for the future is exciting to all of us at Quadient.

Skip: Avi, on behalf of Xplor and the industry in general I want to thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me and to Quadient for their ongoing support of the competition and the industry in general.

Until next interview! Take care.

Skip Henk, EDP
President/CEO
Xplor International

An Interview with Scott Draeger, M-EDP, Architect of the EDP Challenge
By: Skip Henk, EDP – CEO of Xplor International

When I was asked to interview someone who has done something significant for the EDP Program that no one else has, I immediately thought of Scott Draeger, M-EDP, Vice President of Product at GMC Software. Scott is the architect of what we today call the EDP Challenge.

To give you a little background about Scott, he has been involved with Xplor now for over 15 years. Over the years, Scott has attended Xplor conferences, spoke at events, chaired education tracks, served as a board member, served on a variety of panels/committees, and much more. His insight and forward-thinking has really helped the industry and Xplor as an association.

Skip: Scott, thank you for taking the time today to speak to me about something I know you are passionate about, the EDP Certification program.

Scott: It is my pleasure as it certainly is a passion of mine.

Skip: When did you get your EDP and what drove you to strive for it?

Scott: When I graduated from UNLV, it was a tough job market. I applied for a “Document Designer” position at National Data Services of Chicago, and I was hired by Louise Wilhelm, EDP (then EDPP). She was especially passionate about the EDP program, because she was part of the first class. She invested time into her team, showing me and my coworkers how the EDP program can turn a job into a career.

From that meeting, I had a personal goal of getting my EDP as soon as possible. I moved on to a different position in the industry, gained my five years of experience, and then went for my EDP. I asked Louise to be my mentor, and she agreed. We put together a portfolio, and I was awarded my certification on stage in Dallas in 2004. I was proud to be recognized as an EDP by a large new group of peers, and I am grateful to Louise for introducing me to this community.

Skip: What does it mean to you personally to be an EDP?

Scott: Being an EDP means that I can prove longevity and dedication in a profession that has a deep well of knowledge, a requirement to constantly learn, and a commitment to improving our craft. EDPs care about how we can improve things, why we are doing these projects, and increasing the impact of the things we to in the design, creation and delivery of electronic documents.

It also means that people often ask me, “What’s an EDP?” (M-EDP in my case.) I love telling them about Xplor, the EDP concept, and how our industry is committed to leading valuable changes that streamline the business aspects of our projects while we are bringing new features and channel to the customer experience.

Skip: Has the certification helped you professionally throughout your career?

Scott: Most often, this has helped when I meet people. Every time someone asks, “What’s an M-EDP,” I get a chance to show passion about our industry. This passion then reflects positively on the work I am doing as well as the company I represent. Many times in my career, other EDPs and I have networked to solve some difficult technical, business, or Xplor-related topics. EDPs can find and resolve difficult problems.

Skip: A few years ago, you approached me wanting to put your company through an “EDP Challenge”. You have since done it for three years and you’re looking at a fourth. How did the EDP Challenge come about and why did you push for your organization to do an EDP Challenge?

Scott: I was on the EDP Commission, and I saw that the numbers of applicants appeared low to me I know that it is a great program that has added value to my career. I realized that the numbers were low, because I wasn’t doing my part. I looked around at my colleagues and saw a bunch of great potential EDPs. Adding EDP to a business card or an email signature brings credibility to a person. Even when it brings a question, “What does EDP Mean,” it is a chance to show passion for our skills, industry and work.

Once I realized there were many great candidates with a low level of awareness, I looked around for some budget, and negotiated a way to get a large number of EDPs through the program on a single portfolio submission price. Then, it was a matter of hosting some lunchtime webinars about the designation, the process, and the program. The first one generated over 20 new EDPs from several countries.

Skip: What does the certification mean to all the people you’ve guided through the program?

Scott: Over the years, I have mentored or assisted over 50 people through the program. However, I am the worst mentor in all of Xplor’s history, as I believe I have the highest portfolio resubmission rate. I started to notice that a lot of new skills were becoming requirements for some of the projects. I noticed that a lot of “electronic documents” were moving away from projects run by Xplorers, and moving to some digital, mobile or web agencies. So, I worked a bit with the Xplor EDP Commission to get some of these new skills recognized. Today, applicants can get points for some of these web, mobile, and marketing skills.

This is usually because I am trying to bring people with new roles into the program, because our industry is changing rapidly. Some of these experiences have made earning the EDP designation more valuable for both me and the EDP (they all passed.) Some of the people I have mentored have gone on to achieve some wonderful things in this industry and have even mentored other EDPs. As Xplorers, we need to stop the erosion of communications to fragmented digital projects, so younger EDA applicants with new types of experience are of particular interest to me.
Skip: What does it mean for your company to be investing in their people?

Scott: At GMC Software, two of our shared corporate values include Performance and Passion. We are looking to constantly improve our skills and make sure we are excited about what we do. We invested time in 2 EDP Challenges at GMC. This helped people see that our industry has a lot of skills.

Once they go through the process, Support people see a deeper importance of sales and marketing. Marketing people see the depth of knowledge needed to make great campaigns that speak to potential clients, and the product owners learn more about the deep requirements of integrations into larger processes. So, every applicant learns to appreciate the value of the part they contribute as well as how their part fits into the larger process. Once people see this mix, they have more pride in their work and more awareness of the value of their work in the wider world.

Skip: Who do you think should attain their certification?

Scott: I think people who go through the process will be surprised at how large the return on investment of time can be. So, I think that anyone interested in learning about themselves should attain this designation. If you are mildly interested in this as a career, get an EDA. If you’ve been here for five years, and you think you have a story to tell, go for an EDP. I promise you have three great stories to tell, which is the basic criteria for a gret EDP portfolio. I can also promise that going through the process will improve your perspective about where you fit in the industry. With some passion, this context, and an EDP, you can take your career to some amazing places based on the personal insight you gain through the process.

Skip: Thank you very much Scott for taking the time. I look forward to seeing you in Orlando from March 28-30 for Xploration 17 where your newest class from your EDP challenge will be awarded!