To determine what makes a solid business decision, Dungerwalla and partner Maya Hill ask themselves two key questions: what services are their clients looking for, and what can they afford to buy to service those needs?
It was listening to their clients that encouraged the partners to purchase their first digital wide format output device in 1996, an HP 2500 36-inch printer. To them it was not only a different product line, which complemented their small-format offset shop, but it was an entry into the digital world with a colour product.
The wide format market has became a profitable segment of Budget’s business. Three years ago the company upgraded to a Mutoh 64-inch solvent ink machine, and they are currently in the process of a second upgrade to a unit that will allow printing directly onto rigid substrates.
Once committed to a new purchase, Dungerwalla and Hill will search for a supplier, and their decision on the make and model will depend on the service available from the vendor.
“We are not afraid to ‘fire’ a vendor who doesn’t give us support. When we buy, we purchase the full technical support package and expect a good level of service. Once we find a vendor who works with us and supports our needs we are very loyal. The machine doesn’t have to be the best in the marketplace, but it does need to have good service and support,” cautions Hill.
The partners have encountered challenges when installing new equipment, but Dungerwalla says he values the experience. “When you learn on the job you think about things in a more creative manner and find unusual uses for the equipment. We (both owners and staff) find this exciting,” he offers.
A progressive attitude at Budget is fundamental to their culture. “If you are not investing and changing with the marketplace you will not be attracting the best staff. People want to work for a successful company because that gives them a feeling of a secure future,” adds Hill.
Even with great staff retention, most with over 15 years of service, Dungerwalla and Hill understand that skilled workers are hard to find, so they look to technology to create a more efficient production process. The first wide format purchase required laminating and dry mounting. The second machine eliminated most of the laminating requirements, and with the current upgrade the dry mounting will also be eliminated in many of the jobs. In addition, the machine will be twice as fast as their current model.
“Wide format printing is very different from traditional offset. You don’t need the same level of skilled workers, and it is a clean manufacturing process that helps to answer the clients’ demands for shorter run lengths and decreasing turn around times,” comments Hill.
The two owners have made a conscious decision not to have any sales staff. Although it gets hectic at times, they feel that being the person who talks to the clients has given them very important insight into what their clients want and need. They don’t try to service every need, using sub-contractors where necessary, but they’ve learned to concentrate on those requests which continually come from their regular accounts and incorporate those services into their business.
“Not all the ideas succeed, but the wide format output certainly has,” concludes Hill.
