Passing the Baton #3: Automation and Inspiration

Passing the Baton features a series of “letters” sent from Terry Corman, outgoing CEO of Firehouse Image Center (Indianapolis, Indiana) to his son, Ted Corman, who will be leading the business into its future. This series of communiques offers thoughtful views of a business undergoing generational transition, glimpses of the company’s history, and strong views to the realities of leadership.

In 1999, at a large trade association general assembly, the keynote speaker spoke on the topic of automation, claiming that with all technology, “What can be automated, will be automated, and everything in the printing business can be automated.” It was quite a startling claim, and it was accepted by very few at the conference.

In under ten years, the photo lab industry collapsed and consolidated into a few very large, fully automated operations. There are two technical reasons why photo labs where the first in the printing segment to be automated. But that keynote speaker was right.

Ever since that presentation, son, I have been focused on getting the technology that would allow our customers to submit a request for quote, or submit an order, and have that process happen in seconds.

Now, twenty-six years later, all the technical hurdles to fully automating the remaining printing segments have been overcome.

For Firehouse, it’s done. It works. All of our processes are fully automated. Clients can get pricing, order writing, packing slips, shipping labels, client notifications, prepress, color management, page layout, and file RIPing in a one entry process. A few of our clients already enjoy the remarkable speed and accuracy we offer, and the rest will be enjoying the cost-saving from the process soon. I am so very proud of what we have accomplished.

Take this baton and run with it. It’s my legacy.

Oh, and by the way, I was the keynote speaker at that gathering in 1999.