Which makes more sense you, bringing the work to the printer or bringing the printer to the work? There have been a number of sea-change technological breakthroughs within the lifetimes of those of us who’ve been around since the 50s and earlier, and more than a few of them have to do with cutting the cord.
Remember the single corded telephone that sat in the wall nook in the central hall of the typical home? If you wanted to talk on the phone, you went to the phone; the phone did not come to you, and it certainly didn’t travel everywhere you went.
Remember the corded electric drill? Sure, I still have one: a powerful beast capable of boring large holes through the most stubborn lumber. But, I confess that I can’t recall the last time I actually used the thing, while my also-powerful 18-volt cordless drill sees regular use. Ditto the circular saw, jig saw and reciprocating saw that its batteries also power. Yes, there are places and times for the extreme capacity of corded tools, but they’re becoming increasingly rare as the cordless alternatives become ever more capable.
How detrimental is a cord? Well, consider the original Weed Eater. Texas inventor George Ballas revolutionized lawn care with the invention of the string trimmer in 1971 and earned a permanent place in landscaping lore by coining the brand name by which all string trimmers would be known for generations. Given Ballas’ competitive advantage of being first and owning string-trimmer name recognition, how did subsequent innovators manage to compete? They cut the cord. As soon as Mr. Smith saw Mr. Jones enjoying unrestrained, gas-powered trimming freedom, the cord-bound Weed Eater became just another brand.
But what’s this got to do with printing? No, I’m not here to promote gas-powered barcode printing – battery-power is power enough! But I am saying that reluctance to embrace wireless-communication and portable printing can, as with the Weed Eater, have a dramatic effect on your bottom line, a fact I was reminded of when reading Zebra Technologies’ recent white paper, Wireless Printing Delivers Efficiency and Cost Savings in Retail. Check it out for yourself.
By the way, George Ballas, world-class innovator, dancing instructor, father to renown ballroom dancer, Corky Ballas, grandfather to Dancing with the Stars’ Mark Ballas, and genuine American character, passed away in June of 2011 at the age of 85. Because I do remember the labor-intensive bad-old days of lawn care before his invention, he’ll always remain a hero to me.