Globalizing Print: Through the Standards Gateway

Printing industry experts believe that attention to standards requirements is especially important in the sector, where final product quality, workforce health, equipment safety, and environmental considerations are interdependent.

Iran's Ambassador of Arjan's Culture and Publishing Service, Sara Gudarzi: The wheels of Iran's printing industry are turning in a situation where the increase in production costs, fluctuations in the price of raw materials, the wear and tear of part of the equipment, and the need to maintain quality in addition to timely delivery of orders, the management of printing houses has faced many challenges, and in such a situation, compliance with technical, safety and environmental standards not only improves the physical quality of books and other products printing, but it is important in reducing waste, preventing rework, managing costs and protecting human health.

Printing houses, as one of the main links in the book and cultural products production chain, in order to continue their activities and be effective in the competitive market, besides the renovation and maintenance of equipment, they must also pay attention to the standard requirements in the production process and working environment conditions, and neglecting these requirements can have consequences ranging from errors in printing and binding and imposing additional costs on the publisher and printing house to the occurrence of occupational accidents and endangering the lives of employees.

From this point of view, the 22nd of October, World Standards Day, is an opportunity to review the position of standardization in Iran's printing industry and examine the question of how far the country's printing houses have been able to balance between production quality, work environment safety, and economic limitations, considering the history of the printing industry in Iran.

Standardization in the printing industry, beyond following a few technical guidelines, means creating a coherent framework for managing production processes, quality control, workplace safety and timely delivery of orders. Considering the importance of packaging in the supply chain of sensitive industries, especially pharmaceuticals and food, having documented and evaluable processes has become one of the requirements for cooperation between manufacturers and suppliers of printed items.

In addition, part of the country's printing houses still operate with the idea that the implementation of standards requires spending heavy expenses, stopping machinery and increasing administrative activities; While fundamental standardization can reduce production costs in the long run by reducing rework, preventing waste of raw materials and improving workflow. In the same context, Iman Hatfi, an activist of the printing industry, in a conversation with Ambassador Arjan, in explaining the importance of international standards and the obstacles to their expansion in the country's printing houses, emphasized the need to change the traditional view of this issue.

International standards, a necessity for cooperation with sensitive industries

The printing industry in the world operates based on a set of technical standards and requirements related to quality, safety and process management, these requirements help printing houses to produce a product that fits the customer's specifications and prevent errors that sometimes impose heavy costs on the collection.

Referring to the status of compliance with international standards in Iran's printing houses, Iman Hatfi said: Many printing houses do not take any action to implement them because they do not seriously feel the need to comply with the standards. However, printing houses that cooperate with pharmaceutical companies, food industries, and collections active in the field of cosmetics and health, have to comply with certain quality requirements.

He added: In these industries, the quality and compliance of the packaging with the set requirements is very important; because the final product must meet the relevant legal and technical requirements to enter different markets; Therefore, suppliers of printed items should also design and implement production processes based on relevant standards according to the needs of their customers.

This activist of the printing industry, stating that standardization makes the production path more transparent, stated: When a printing house operates based on specific standards, its production steps, control points and quality requirements are defined, and the possibility of deviation from the basic processes is reduced. In such a situation, the organizational knowledge of the group increases and with better control of the processes, production waste can also be reduced.

He continued: Although some printing houses find compliance with standards expensive at the beginning of the journey, it should be noted that reducing waste and rework in the long run can compensate for these costs and bring more added value to the organization.

Standard printing houses, pioneers in the global markets

Despite the importance of product quality, standards related to workplace safety also have a special place in the printing industry, printing houses deal with a set of mechanical equipment, moving machinery, electrical systems, chemicals, inks and solvents. Working with these equipment and materials can pose hazards to employees in the absence of adequate training, proper maintenance, or clear instructions.

Referring to the importance of standardization for the future of the country's printing industry, Hatfi stated: If the conditions of international activity for Iran's printing industry are facilitated and the possibility of wider cooperation with foreign markets is made possible, printing houses that follow standard frameworks and evaluable processes will have more chances to enter global markets.

He added: Pharmaceutical companies increasingly expect their suppliers to meet specific quality requirements, this issue is not limited to printed items and all types of packaging, bottles, cans, jars and other components used in the supply of products can also be subject to quality and control requirements.

Emphasizing the sensitivity of licensed companies, this printing industry activist noted: Compliance with standards is particularly important for collections that produce their products under license from foreign companies in Iran. Because the concessionaire company must be sure that the product and its packaging are produced in accordance with the set requirements and within the framework of basic processes.

Hatfi said: In such collaborations, just providing the final product is not enough; Rather, the supplier must be able to show that the production is carried out based on the defined processes and that the customer's requirements are met in a documented and evaluable manner.

work environment standard; From safety to waste reduction

One of the possible obstacles in the way of paying attention to the standards is the short-term view of their implementation costs; Some production units may consider it an additional cost to update equipment, train manpower, modify work space or establish quality control systems; While neglecting these requirements can also bring direct and indirect costs, paper and ink waste, unwanted stoppage of devices, rework, equipment failure, delay in order delivery, and occupational accidents are examples of costs that can be reduced by better management of the production process and attention to technical and safety requirements.

Hatfi, referring to the breadth of the concept of workplace standards, stated: Workplace standards are not limited to one or two issues and include areas such as safety, employee traffic routes, equipment placement, arrangement of equipment, and standardization of work processes, and compliance with these requirements can help improve timekeeping, timely delivery of orders, reduction of waste, and optimal use of energy and manpower, even the way of deploying equipment and designing work transfer routes between production stations is also important in this field.

This activist of the printing industry continued: When the equipment and raw materials are placed in a basic way, the additional movements of the employees will be reduced and the transfer of work from one stage to the next stage will be done more quickly and orderly. As a result, the wasted time will be less and the printing house can operate with higher efficiency.

Criticizing the unprofessional view of some of these issues in the printing houses, Hatfi said: Part of the problem is due to the fact that many collections have been managed in a traditional way and from generation to generation and they have not had enough opportunities to learn about new methods of production management and professional standards.

He added: If the international communication of the printing industry expands and the presence of external auditors and experts is provided to evaluate the production processes, the printing houses can better identify their defects and benefit from expert guidance to improve their performance.

Dispersion of orders, an obstacle to standardization

In the printing market, stable quality and timely order delivery are effective factors in maintaining the trust of publishers and other customers. A printing house that can accurately implement the technical specifications of the order, reduce production errors, and maintain the quality of its product in various orders, will be more likely to establish continuous cooperation with customers. Standardization of processes can also improve communication between different departments of the printing house. When quality control criteria, equipment maintenance methods, employee responsibilities, and error recording methods are clear, the dependence of the production process on individual experience is reduced and the transfer of knowledge among employees becomes easier.

Hatfi said that one of the reasons for the limited acceptance of standards by some printing houses is the dispersion of the types of orders and stated: Some collections think that standards are only applicable for special orders and sensitive products; While the principles of standardization can also be used in the production of ordinary products such as posters and envelopes.

He added: The implementation of standard processes for each product provides the possibility of better quality control, waste reduction and more regular order delivery. When the customer experiences stable quality, proper packaging and timely delivery, they will have more trust in the printing house, and this issue can be effective in retaining the customer and strengthening the competitive position of the collection.

Referring to the importance of the packaging of car parts, this printing industry activist said: sometimes there is an impression that for the packaging of products such as brake pads, it is enough to simply read the writings; But the packaging of these products should also be considered in terms of manufacturing quality, safety, ease of opening and the possibility of detecting tampering or fraud.

Hatfi continued: When a customer is faced with a standard and regular packaging, he gets more confidence in the authenticity and quality of the product; Therefore, the standardization of packaging is not only a technical requirement, but it can also play a role in improving the customer experience, strengthening the brand and increasing the competitiveness of the product; From the structural and graphic design of the packaging to its printing and finishing stages, processes must be defined so that the final product meets the customer's expectations in terms of quality, safety and appearance.

lack of awareness and concern about costs; Obstacles to the implementation of standards

Pointing to other reasons for the limited acceptance of international standards, Hatfi said: One of the obstacles is insufficient familiarity of some printing houses with related standards and how to access reliable sources; While some of this information is accessible through specialized websites, articles, and published resources, collections can use these resources to identify requirements related to their activities.

Stating that another obstacle is the misconception about the impact of implementing standards on production speed, he reminded: some managers are worried that the arrival of the quality control unit, filling out forms and recording information, will cause the machinery to stop and production time to be lost; While these measures, if they are designed according to the needs of the set and implemented correctly, they can prevent errors and rework in the next steps.

This activist of the printing industry, likening the process of establishing standards to the growth of a child, stated: the implementation of standards at the beginning of the path may require more training, time and follow-up; But gradually, as the processes settle in the organization and employees become familiar with them, doing things will become easier and more regular, and the group can benefit from its results.

Hatfi also considered another challenge to be the incorrect prioritization of orders in some printing houses and said: a group may not consider it necessary to implement quality requirements to produce a small number of medicine boxes; Because the major part of its daily activity is dedicated to the production of parts boxes, food products or other packaging. In such a situation, sometimes the quality control forms are completed only to be presented to the customer, without the actual production processes being implemented based on them. Pharmaceutical companies and professional customers usually pay attention to the documents provided and expect the documents to reflect the actual performance of the printing house; Therefore, formal completion of forms not only replaces the implementation of standards, but can also affect customer trust.

Investment in human resources and work environment is part of standardization

In Iran's printing industry, attention to technical, safety and environmental standards can play a role in improving the quality of products and managing production costs. The realization of this goal, in addition to the responsibility of printing house managers, depends on access to specialized training, awareness of related legal and technical requirements, proper maintenance of equipment and strengthening the culture of accident prevention.

In addition, the interaction between printing houses, trade unions, educational centers, and standard-responsible institutions can provide the field for the activists of this field to become more familiar with the related requirements. Practical training tailored to the actual conditions of printing houses, especially for units facing limited financial and technical resources, can play a role in the gradual and effective implementation of corrective measures.

Referring to the role of costs in the decision-making of printing house managers, Hatfi said: the level of attention a group pays to standards can be seen to some extent in the way the work environment is arranged, the condition of the equipment and the working conditions of the employees.

These examples show how much the management cares about production quality, safety and continuous improvement, of course, in the country's printing industry, there are also collections that have started moving towards standardization, and this action is valuable. The development of these experiences and the transfer of knowledge between printing houses can help to expand the professional view in the industry.

This printing industry activist also emphasized: standards should not be seen as a set of forms and additional costs; Rather, they should be seen as a tool for better production management, reducing waste, improving quality and increasing customer trust. The more printing houses follow this approach more seriously, the possibility of their more effective presence in the supply chain of sensitive industries and international markets will also increase.