Addressing the immigrant labor shortage through automation

A significant percentage of our customers depend on immigrant labor, especially for finishing operations. But immigrant labor isn't just used in the print industry. Data shows 40% of US construction workers are immigrants and the hospitality industry is heavily dependent upon immigrants.

The list goes on and on, but the net impact is that there will be fewer workers available across the entire economy, especially workers who want to work in relatively unskilled jobs such as hourly paid jobs in the print industry.

At Kodak, we're helping customers address this challenge by reducing the need for unskilled labor through innovation that increases in automation and productivity.

A typical offset press requires at least two operators to run. If properly set up, one operator can run two KODAK PROSPER Presses. Our presses are roll-fed, which means that they are able to connect to in-line finishing for applications like books, direct mail, catalogs, magazines, and other consistent paper applications, further reducing the need for low-skilled labor.

And with our PRINERGY software, we can reduce manual touchpoints and errors. PRINERGY creates a unified workflow for both offset and digital printing, leveraging PDFs for job proofing, imposition, and processing. Kodak has a 50+ year history in managing variable print data, giving us an experience advantage over competitors -- especially when it comes to managing complex print environments running both offset and high-volume digital printing.

Our SONORA Process Free Plates streamline the workflow by eliminating the chemical processing step. And our CTP devices offer enhanced automation features that improve productivity by keeping manual intervention to a minimum.

Given all the uncertainties around the availability of qualified labor, Kodak is focused on providing solutions that maximize productivity and efficiency through greater automation and speed.

Read the previous blog in this series:
Mitigating the impact of rising wages