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Xplor’s Keynote Breakfast Panel Features Industry Leading Panelists

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Exploring the Role of Print in Today’s Customer Journey

Lutz, FL — August 30, 2017:  Xplor International today announced the final line up of leading industry experts who will be participating in the Xplor at Print Keynote Breakfast Panel on September 12th at McCormick Place.

The event, sponsored by Canon Solutions America, Compart, Pitney Bowes and Racami, will feature four panelists that include:

  • Bill Augustadt, Vice President of Digital Communications at Conduent
  • Robert Iantorno, Vice President, North American Operations, Document Fulfillment at KUBRA
  • Dave Johannes, Senior Vice President of Operations at IWCO Direct
  • Matt Pribus, Vice President of Correspondence and Remittance Services at First Data Corporation

The session titled, Exploring the Role of Print in Today’s Customer Journey will be moderated by Matt Swain of Keypoint Intelligence – InfoTrends.  Our moderator, along with our end-user panelists, will focus on the latest market trends, best practices, and the role of print in today’s customer journey.

The complimentary event is limited to the first 200 registrants, of which over 75% of seats are reserved. Registration includes admission to the panel session, a networking breakfast, and a Print 17 exhibit hall pass, all courtesy of the event sponsors. For more information, or to register for the event, visit the event page.

Event Details:
Date: September 12, 2017
Time: 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM (Breakfast starts at 7:30 AM)
Location: McCormick Place, Chicago, IL – Room S105ABC
Cost: FREE (Registration required and limited to the first 200 registrants)

For information about Xplor at Print 17, please visit the event website. You can also contact Xplor Headquarters at +1-813-949-6170.

About Xplor International
Xplor International is a not-for-profit association that provides thought leadership to the customer communications industry. As a community Xplor provides advocacy, education, training, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Our members are decision makers and recommenders who are involved in the conception, design, implementation production and delivery of multi-channel client, member and customer communications.

Xplor’s mission is to enhance organizational success and advance the careers of our members by providing research, publications, industry certification, professional development, web-based events, and conference programming. 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: twitter.com/Xplor_Int or @Xplor_Int

Xplor International Media Contact:
Chad Henk
Director of Marketing
+1-813-949-6171
Chad@xplor.org

Xplor International Announces Industry Analyst Workshop

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The Half-Day Workshop is Held in Conjunction with Xploration 17

Lutz, FL — January 23, 2017: Xplor International today announced the Industry Analyst Workshop as a part of the full-conference curriculum at Xploration 17 which takes place March 28-30, 2017. The half day event will close the event on Thursday, March 30th and is sponsored by GMC Software.

Tweet this: Industry Analysts Workshop to be a part of the #Xplor17 conference program; FREE to full-conference attendees! http://bit.ly/2jKgprS

The Industry Analyst Workshop will be a three-part adventure. The first part is moderated by Keypoint Intelligence/InfoTrends and will begin with the newest trends and data from their research, including the newest software investment surveys.

Following the trends will be two workshops designed to be interactive and educational, so audience participation and questions are highly encouraged! The first Genius Panel covers guidance on Customer Experience best practices. A few panel questions will start the conversation but the attendees will be driving the session with questions, experiences, and best practices.

The second workshop introduces a new group of Geniuses. With this group, the attendees are engaged on the document journey, talking about how customer communication is created and delivered in print and online. The discussion will be on the best practices in maintaining both legacy and new environments, print and online.

“We are very excited to offer this as a part of our 2017 program and I’d like to thank GMC Software for sponsoring the workshop.” says Skip Henk, EDP, President/CEO of Xplor International. “This workshop will be a great wrap up for Xploration 17 with attendees heading home with some new ideas that they can take back to their companies.”

About Xplor International
Xplor International is a not-for-profit association that provides thought leadership to the customer communications industry. As a community Xplor provides advocacy, education, training, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Our members are decision makers and recommenders who are involved in the conception, design, implementation production and delivery of multi-channel client, member and customer communications.

Xplor’s mission is to enhance organizational success and advance the careers of our members by providing research, publications, industry certification, professional development, web-based events, and conference programming. 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: twitter.com/Xplor_Int or @Xplor_Int

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

Providing a more relevant customer experience

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Submitted by Alexandra Truchot, Content Creation Specialist for Objectif Lune.
August 3, 2016

Do you dream of flexibility when communicating with your customers? Do you want to offer a better customer experience? Are your organization’s systems too inflexible, keeping you from using all the data you need to provide superior service to your customers?

More than ever, organizations are being asked to make dramatic changes to how they communicate with their end clients. There are many occasions for communicating with your customers: welcome messages, invoices, orders, confirmation of payment or invitations to evaluate the services.

Consumers have high expectations and demand personalized, relevant communications. They no longer want multi-page transactional records that do not take their uniqueness into account or highlight the relationship they have with you. Personally, I hate receiving useless paperwork. I don’t want to feel like just another number, and I will always choose a company that offers me service that looks like me.

This is a huge issue today. Organizations that do not make the effort to optimize customer communications are going to quickly lose their clientele to competitors that have been able to get onboard sooner.

So, to keep your customers, your communications have to be responsive. And to do that, you have to be able to quickly and easily modify the documents you send them, based on their purchasing history, geographic location, or marketing campaigns in progress.

In addition to wanting to satisfy your customers, you have to fulfill numerous legal requirements related to transactional records. You have to add specific phrases to comply with a new law or modify certain segments of the invoice in accordance with more stringent laws in a country where you have a subsidiary. In these cases, you have to know how to respond quickly to comply and you really have no choice.

So what to do?

Take back control of your templates by modifying them in a tool specifically intended for document design. The design tool should give you access to advanced functions for personalizing your documents and give you greater flexibility when you want to modify them.

But obviously, you don’t want to get rid of the old templates created using your ERP system and start completely from scratch.

There are now business document composition tools that go beyond mere design. Getting a tool that functions like a middleware system and regenerates the old templates into something more dynamic and modern, will give you greater flexibility. You will not lose your old templates – you’ll improve them. You’ll make them relevant, customizable and interactive.

In addition, you will be able to take advantage of them to move to multi-source communications. A good tool will enable you to easily send your documents using various means. But to smoothly make the switch to digital, you can refer to my advice in my previous note.

AlexandraTruchot ThumbnailAlexandra Truchot – Content creation specialist with Objectif Lune. Writer and compulsive reader. Eager for unknown destinations and exciting encounters. Anything is possible, you just have to believe it. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

Objectif Lune has 20 years of experience developing Customer Communications Management solutions. Our solutions bridge the gap between systems and automate more personalized, relevant, multichannel customer communications. Learn more at: www.objectiflune.com.

“Xplor at Graph Expo” Event Sponsored by Industry Leaders

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Lutz, FL — July 26, 2016: Xplor International today announced that Canon Solutions America, Compart North America, Pitney Bowes and Xerox Corporation will be sponsoring this year’s Xplor at Graph Expo event being held September 27, 2016 during the Graph Expo show.

Customer Experience: A Critical Factor for Achieving Success will be moderated by Matt Swain of InfoTrends who, along with panelists, will address whether the advancements in technology and changes in human behavior make superior customer experience a moving target. A superior customer experience has emerged as a critical success factor for companies. It is about meeting, and ideally exceeding, the expectations of your customer.

The complimentary event is limited to the first 200 registrants. Registration includes admission to the panel session, a networking breakfast, and a Graph Expo exhibit hall pass, all courtesy of the event sponsors. For more information, or to register for the event, visit the event page: http://bit.ly/1U9jX6g

“Over the last couple of years the concept of delivering a great customer experience has taken center stage and has become a critical success factor for companies.” says Skip Henk, President and CEO of Xplor International. “Our panelists will discuss the critical success factors in delivering a superior customer experience, as well as the obstacles and how companies can overcome them.”

Event Details:

Date: September 27, 2016
Time: 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM (Breakfast starts at 7:30 AM)
Location: OCC North Building – Level 3, Room N310 E&F
Cost: FREE (Registration required and limited to the first 200 registrants)

For information about Xplor at Graph Expo, please visit: http://bit.ly/1U9jX6g. You can also contact Xplor Headquarters at +1-813-949-6170.

About Canon Solutions America
Canon Solutions America is a leading provider of digital document technology solutions.  The Océ brand has a reputation for delivering high speed, outstanding quality and rock-solid reliable production printers to some of the biggest industries and brands. From cut-sheet to continuous feed, monochrome to full-color, and toner to inkjet, these scalable printing and workflow solutions are customized for your business and backed by award-winning service. As part of Canon Solutions America, we have the brightest R&D minds advancing tomorrow’s innovations to help you grow your business, control costs, and practice environmental stewardship. Whether it’s improving productivity or opening new markets and applications, we can help you be ready for the future. Learn more at pps.csa.canon.com.

About Compart North America
Over the course of two decades Compart has helped over 1,200 companies worldwide, across a broad range of industries, to successfully implement output management solutions. Our international team has extensive technological expertise in providing output management solutions for complex enterprise environments. We work with you to design the ideal output management solution for your business. www.compart.com

About Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI) is a global technology company offering innovative products and solutions that enable commerce in the areas of customer information management, location intelligence, customer engagement, shipping and mailing, and global ecommerce. More than 1.5 million clients in approximately 100 countries around the world rely on products, solutions and services from Pitney Bowes. For additional information, visit Pitney Bowes at www.pitneybowes.com.

About Xerox Corporation
Xerox is a global business services, technology and document management company helping organizations transform the way they manage their business processes and information. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., we have more than 140,000 Xerox employees and do business in more than 180 countries. Together, we provide business process services, printing equipment, hardware and software technology for managing information — from data to documents. Learn more at www.xerox.com.

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: twitter.com/Xplor_Int or @Xplor_Int

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

Customer Experience: Put the patty on the damn bun!

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By Skip Henk, EDP, President/CEO of Xplor International

Over the last year I have been spending a great deal of time better understanding the varying intricacies of a customer experience, its relationship to our industry, and how a great customer experience can pay big dividends.

An article I read the other day by Warren Buffet said, “Your business will succeed if you execute this three word mission, DELIGHT YOUR CUSTOMER.” Speaking at the 20th Graduation of Goldman Sachs’ 10,000 Small Businesses at LaGuardia Community College, Buffett told the graduates: “Tomorrow morning when you look in the mirror after you’ve gotten up, just write — or just put it in lipstick or whatever you want — ‘delight my customer’ not ‘satisfy my customer.’ ‘Delight my customer.’”

This perhaps is the most descriptive and succinct definition of a the Customer Experience I have read.

(To read the article http://tinyurl.com/jxgghuy )

We have dozens of customer experiences each week which can vary greatly. Whether you are dropping your clothes off at the cleaners, going to the grocery store or ordering on Amazon we have plenty of opportunity to be delighted.

Some of the most mundane of interactions can be delightful with delight being driven by expectations.

Setting Expectations
Customer experience is how we expect to be treated in a given situation. When we go to the cleaners, we don’t want to wait in line too long to drop them off and we want our clothes cleaned properly and ready when promised. At the grocery store, we expect shelves to be well stocked, for the store to be clean and for there to be plenty of cashiers or self serve kiosks to minimize our wait when leaving. When ordering online, we look for availability, price, shipping costs and time. Then we expect our purchase to arrive on or before the date promised.

Expectations vary based on the task and whether we have high or low expectations. When expectations are met, it represents a good experience.

Put the Patty on the Damn Bun
I occasionally go to a fast food restaurant, typically with fairly low expectations. I do expect to wait if I go during a peak times and I automatically assume my order is will not be right, so I check it. I also expect that it is at least warm.  Reasonable but certainly not high expectations.

hamburgerLast week, I had a Big Mac craving and ventured to McDonald’s to order myself a Big Mac and fries.  (Don’t judge me, I know the Big Mac is 560 calories and fries add an additional 368 calories; this isn’t the point)  The “customer experience” was going along well, I did not have to wait long, the order appeared correct and I saw the fries come out the fryer, so they were nice and hot. I was good to go. I sat down to eat and opened my Big Mac finding BOTH patties were hanging halfway off the bun. Not sure exactly why it crossed me but it did.

As I looked at my burger I contemplated taking it back but decided not to do so. What I realized is that the customer experience can in fact be a moving target with expectations theoretically changing with each transaction. The same may hold true for our industry.

At the Xplor at Graph Expo breakfast session, September 27th in Orlando, our panel, moderated by Matt Swain of Infotrends, will try and answer the question:  “With advancements in technology and changes in human behavior, is offering a superior customer experience a moving target?”

If you are planning to attend Graph Expo, I invite you to attend our complimentary breakfast session sponsored by Canon Solutions America, Compart North America, Pitney Bowes and Xerox Corporation. For more information and to register, visit the event website.

As far as my Big Mac expectations, “Put the damn patty on the bun!”

skip_Henk_Photo_2011

 

Skip Henk, EDP
President/CEO
Xplor International

Xplor at Graph Expo Registration Now Open

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Lutz, FL— June 15, 2016: Xplor International today announced that registration for their keynote breakfast panel during the Graph Expo event, September 25 – September 28, 2016 at Orlando Convention Center, is now open. Registration is available here: http://www.cvent.com/d/xfqvqg

The breakfast keynote session, moderated by Matt Swain of InfoTrends is titled “Customer Experience: A Critical Factor for Achieving Success” and will focus on the importance of the customer experience, as well as understanding customer expectations, with end user panelists sharing their insights in their efforts to create the perfect customer experience.

This sponsored breakfast session is presented at no charge, thanks to sponsors Canon Solutions America, Compart North America, and Xerox Corporation. Space will be limited to the first 200 people who register.

When:  September 27, 2016
Where: Orlando Convention Center
Time: 7:30 AM-10:00 AM
Registration Fee: Complimentary (Registration Required here: http://www.cvent.com/d/xfqvqg)

Questions and requests for additional information can be directed to Xplor Headquarters via phone at +1-813-949-6170 or via email at info@xplor.org. Additional sponsorship opportunities remain open for the event. For more information on becoming a sponsor, please contact Deborah Green, Director of Sales, at +1-770-444-3845 or deborahgreen@xplor.org.

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: twitter.com/Xplor_Int

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