The fundamental premise of the MCP project is that today's web-enabled consumers are increasingly seeking access to an ever-expanding array of content in various formats through a range of delivery channels. The traditional book industry supply chain, based on offset printing and with its layers of clearly delineated functions - Publisher, Printer, Wholesaler/Distributor, Retailer - is not able to respond easily to the new and expanding demands of consumers. Digital technologies provide the means, but new flexible production pathways connecting creators with consumers need to be defined.
The project title, 'New Pathways for Multi-channel Publishing', points to numerous new delivery channels opened up by digital technologies - digital print, CD, web-based and e-book channels in a variety of file formats. This broad multi-channel publishing arena provided the context for the MCP project, but its primary focus was the print channel and investigation of new pathways for delivering digitally printed book products.
The issues raised in relation to the production and delivery of printed books in a digital environment - standards, copyright, pricing models, quality assurance, and so on - apply equally to other channels of delivery. While focusing on print, the project addressed the importance of establishing workflow systems and standards that provide for the multi-channel delivery options increasingly demanded by the end users of book products.
The MCP project was designed with the end users (consumers) of book products at its centre. Its starting point was to identify unfulfilled consumer requirements for content in book form and investigate the potential for these requirements to be met through the application of digital technologies, and specifically digital printing.
Traditional offset printing requires large print runs in order to be cost effective and achieve competitive unit costs. For highly specialised or customised content, levels of demand are too small for offset printing's minimum order quantities. What digital print technologies offer the book industry is a new process of manufacturing printed books where different cost structures apply.
Short print runs (generally considered to be fewer than 500 copies) can be produced within a short time-frame at competitive unit costs using a variety of binding options, including perfect binding. In the near future, even single copies will be similarly cost competitive. Being able to deliver 'small volume' at 'short notice' is why digital technologies are having such an impact on the book industry.
There are many examples of specialised or customised content required in book form, but only in limited quantities. These include university course packs, customised training materials, classroom resources for individual schools, customised product manuals, content needing frequent updating, content for niche markets, and self-published content. While online and CD delivery channels are increasingly being used for these types of content, there is still strong demand for hard copy versions.
Photocopying has provided the means to produce much of this content in hard copy, but this method is costly and inefficient, binding options are limited and the quality is inferior to a printed version. Books that are out-of-print or almost out-of-print are also potential candidates for short run digital printing.
The creation of a digital file enables any book to be kept 'in print' forever and digital printing promises a viable production method for books that are no longer being sold in sufficient quantities to justify a further offset print run.
Ad Rem - The Australian Book Industry - Challenges and Opportunities
Joint Industry Study - Book Production in Australia
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New Pathways for Multi-channel Publishing (pdf - 2189.6 kb)
This report investigates and maps out emerging opportunities within five selected market segments for applying digital technologies, and specifically print-on-demand, to book production and delivery in response to consumer requirements; and to define new production pathways and help develop business models consistent with capitalising on these opportunities in the short to medium term. |
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MCP - Supply Chain - Publisher Needs (ppt - 571 kb)
The needs of mainstream publishers and corporate/education |
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MCP - state workshops (ppt - 96 kb)
Project objectives and immediate findings |
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MCP - State forums (ppt - 207.5 kb)
Project overview, opportunities, conclusions. |
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MCP - Whole of Chain workshop (ppt - 129 kb)
Overview of previous workshops, case study - Printeam. |
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MCP - supply chain workshop (ppt - 410.5 kb)
Workshop presentation to booksellers/book buyers, publishers and printers |
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MCP - Print to Digital case study (ppt - 145.5 kb)
Issues in migration from print to digital - Thompson Gale case study |
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MCP - POD Case Study (ppt - 46 kb)
University of Queensland case study |
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