The Role of Consultant in the World of Inkjet

Roland Biemans, LMNS, will be exhibiting at Consultancy Corner next week at InPrint

At InPrint next week, there is a feature called ‘Consultancy Corner’ where the industries inkjet consultants will be providing some independent advice and solutions for visitors. Roland Biemans, of LMNS in this article, provides some insight into the relevance of consultants for inkjet projects throughout the industry and some more info on Consultancy Corner.

How did LMNS come about?

LMNS was born out of an independent need to create solutions for Inkjet. I got a lot of inquiries after my time at Kiian. People contacted me in need of help with different projects, needing a particular solution, for a specific problem and didn’t know where, or how to get it. What they really needed was some independent know-how and advice. I could help with some but couldn’t answer all the questions. But I knew of other people who did, so it became clear that by launching a business that could connect those dots, we could help the market make better decisions and help solve people’s tech problems as well. What started as a personal necessity, soon turned into a rather unique collaboration of equal-minded professionals who, together, we’re much more agile and complete in addressing the needs of customers.

What kind of work do you do?

About 50% of what we do is helping manufacturers and integrators with technology and product development based on market, application and process know-how. Often, they have already begun work and call on us to assist with the further development of concepts and solutions and get those launched into the market. Most of that is the translation of application requirements to process definition.

Then 30% is practical hands-on work at print production businesses, where we help to integrate and optimize workflow, color management, design stages and technology implementation. This keeps us rooted in the every-day praxis of using print technology on the production floor.

The remainder of our time is spent on industry support and market research. We assist in due diligence and M&A cycles, write articles, run workshops, deliver presentations, help organize events and promote initiatives such as the Eindhoven based Innovation Cafe. People in our team are also running the ESMA Academy and Inkjet Essentials programs. Furthermore, I am an avid promoter of the Eindhoven Brainport region.

In fact, we are now working on developing an Eindhoven based PrintLab. It is to be an independent and open facility for practical trials and practical workshops. With the possibility of adding training programs for schools and the industry itself, we think that we can push our industry forward, connecting design, application and technology in a practical way.

What is the advantage of working with a consultancy such as LMNS?

Firstly, we are independent, and we are agnostic to process and partner. We are not affiliated to any one provider of technology. How we like to work is by focusing on the specific application problem first, and then we develop a solution and deploy the right process or technology for the job at hand. Sometimes, this means we find answers outside of our industry. Most of the time, it means we can come up with solutions or an approach that might otherwise not be considered.

Secondly, we are practical consultants. What I mean by that, is that we act as an external colleague, diving into the work as hands-on partners. On occasion, even if inkjet is not the right solution, we will connect with 3rd parties in our network to develop an alternative tech solution that is better for the specific problem.

Last, but not least, is the expertise that we combine and the areas we can cover. While I am more of a generalist, with a specialty in textile print production, the rest of the team surpasses me with their detailed knowledge of coatings, pre-treatments, software, color management, glass, packaging, formulations and what not.

I think our network is extensive and well established with experts we can trust through consistently working at events, with association partners like ESMA, SGIA and FESPA and a willingness to connect with new people all of the time.

What problems do you see with technology development and integration?

I have said before in a previous FuturePrint interview that our sector is at times guilty of innovating by thinking and focusing too much on the tech first, then dealing with the actual problem second. In this article I pointed to single-pass textile machines that were developed, I think, with the wrong market in mind. Why develop a hugely expensive solution for a low-cost production market? Why try to optimise something far away, while the trend is to get more local production for local markets in a lower-volume set-up?

Whilst there have been some sales, it hasn’t been the revolution that some expected. The mid-range scanning machines were far more appropriate for the market in my view. At LMNS we like to help people make the right innovation decisions at the start of the project. This is of course mostly based on technology expertise, but we also take into account what the market needs and whether it makes sense from a commercial perspective.

We see that some tech enters the market having been adapted from work in other segments. While this may seem to be a good approach to maximise on development efforts from the past, it also tends to restrict the capabilities of the final product if not executed correctly. If it’s not transformed bearing in mind what changes need to be implemented to fit the process requirements, it often turns into a disappointing offering that doesn’t work as expected.

There is simply a greater chance of failure if some of these principles are not adhered to. In our opinion, good consultants will focus on the problem and in so doing create a solution that is right for the customer, and the wider market. Our view is that if we help the inkjet community to grow by solving our problems and helping our market, this drives the market forward and we all benefit. When projects go wrong this has the opposite effect, and this is something that we all should want to avoid! And we are committed to helping by sharing our knowledge and insight at InPrint through this new concept, Consultancy Corner.

What is the point of Consultancy Corner at InPrint?

We see a need for people to openly and freely discuss early on with consultants before they tie themselves up with one party. The Consultancy Corner offers specialists a platform to collaborate, but also provides visitors with an independent group of people that can comment on market insights, compare and contrast information and give advice that could help visitors to make the most out of their InPrint Show experience.

Generally, people are being fed the tech and the machines of an individual company. And such company has got a vested interest in selling their products. This is fine but sometimes I am sure things get sold that may not always be 100% correct for the particular job at hand. Conferences allied to shows can be helpful, but an exchange such as our corner may well provide extra value over and above with 1:1 meetings with no obligation to work with us at all. We think that this helps the show to develop a more practical approach for their visitors and based upon its success I am sure it will grow in its use in the future particularly if we can help people to make the right decisions early in the project.

At InPrint you can meet LMNS but also other consultants who provide expertise across a variety of disciplines both technical and commercial.

For a complete list of the Consultancy Corner Team at InPrint and to book your appointment check out this link.