By Howie Fenton for RSA – As we continue to plan for the recovery from the pandemic, we have to recognize that while some changes will disappear (masks and social distancing) others are likely to remain, such as staff working from home. This was discussed recently by both Andy Paparozzi the Chief Economist for the PRINTING United Alliance and in-plant managers in an In-plant Impressions webinar entitled “Workflow Automation’s Role in Post-COVID Recovery.”
Paparozzi presented a recent webinar and explained the current state of the sign and graphics production industry, based on the results from a survey covering the first quarter of 2021. The forecast by my former NAPL colleague was very positive and Andy explained that it is because the economy itself is showing signs of robust improvement in 2021. He explain that leading economists are projecting the fastest growth the economy will have seen since 1984. And, he said, “if one thing hasn’t changed about our industry, it’s our dependence on the economy.”
However, he also said that not everyone will benefit or fully recover from this severe downturn and he listed some actions or what he called “must-do’s” that will help companies prepare to emerge stronger. One of his suggested must-do’s involved acknowledging some of the permanent changes to the working environment. Quoting from an article entitled “Adapt Your Business to the New Reality” on the Harvard Business Review website, Paparazzi divides change created by the pandemic into four quadrants: displacement, boost, innovation and catalyst. (see graphic).
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SOURCE Rochester Software Associates
