A Better Way to Produce Books Locally and Fulfill Global Demand: Spotlight on HP Publishing Solutions (publishersweekly.com)

Through its global print partner network, HP offers publishers a more economic, sustainable, and resilient way to do business

Print-on-demand is not a new capability. In fact, publishers have been benefiting from POD for decades. “However, it’s typically been used for managing lower print volume requirements,” says Paul Randall, product marketing manager at HP Publishing Solutions. “But now the industry needs to address other challenges around the sustainability of its supply chains, as well as its ability to react quickly and with agility to changing market dynamics.”

As the publishing industry continues to cope with the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic, many publishers are finding that their supply chains are no longer sustainable. That’s where HP Publishing Solutions can help, with its global print partner network that offers publishers a better way to do business.

The adaptability of traditional publishing supply chains has long been an issue. Though these supply chains work for many publishers’ frontlists—particularly for bestselling titles—there are still problems with managing fluctuating demand levels and ensuring resilience when the chain is stressed. Put simply: disasters of all sorts can delay or derail publishing supply chains. “When Covid-19 hit, publishers had issues in getting their content printed because of their reliance on a chain of very few suppliers,” Randall says, noting that the limited scale of suppliers resulted in a tremendous amount of delay with shipping inventory to the desired locations. “Even more recently,” he says, “with the Suez Canal blockage, publishers have found their supply chains disrupted by shipments unable to reach their end destinations on time.”

There is currently a dire need for a more resilient publishing supply chain capable of offering global distribution, with consistency and quality—and one that reduces book miles to boost environmental sustainability. “As the publishing industry becomes increasingly aware of how and where the books are printed, the benefits of POD technology can become even more powerful,” Randall says. “Publishers can—and should—now be considering print strategies that can be more environmentally responsible while still being built to meet market demand.”
much more at source: https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/86523-a-better-way-to-produce-books-locally-and-fulfill-global-demand-spotlight-on-hp-publishing-solutions.html