Print-on-demand service does it by the book
by Staff Writer,
2013-11-28 12:09:37.0
THE Accenture Innovation Index was open to companies of all sizes, yet the organisers were impressed with the ability of smaller companies to overcome many challenges by using innovation as a key focus.
Paperight, which turns any business with a printer and an internet connection into a print-on-demand bookstore, won the Accenture Innovation Master Apex award for an organisation with an annual turnover less than R40m. It has even been described by Parliament as an "ingenious solution to the widespread book shortages in the developing world".
By registering with Paperight for free, businesses have access to an online library from which they can legally print out books, magazines and other documents for their customers.
The days of expensive and inaccessible books are over. Paperight lets publishers earn licence fees from the print-outs, cutting out expensive distribution and printing costs, and passing on those savings to customers. Paperight print-outs are, on average, 20% cheaper than conventional books.
Founder and CEO of Paperight, Arthur Attwell, says at present the book industry in South Africa is supported by as few as 2-million people — which leaves about 48-million people who are not part of this ecosystem and are unable to buy books.
To address this issue, the Paperight concept involves the use of outlets such as the existing network of photocopy shops throughout the country, most of which have print-out facilities and are connected to the internet. The outlets are available close to people’s homes, even in remote locations.
"The books are basic file-bound black and white copies of the original, but for students needing a text book quickly at relatively minimum cost, for example, they are ideal. More importantly, you haven’t had to drive a distance to find a bookstore, but have the convenience of buying it from your corner photocopy shop."
Attwell says the company has 100 publishers on board for the online library and a selection of about 2,000 books, and this is growing constantly.
Another advantage of the concept is that the end customer never has a need to access the internet to buy a book. "This is important in a country where many people don’t have ready access to the internet, or no access at all. The photocopy shop has the internet connection and the ability to pay Paperight. The customer simply pays cash upfront for the print-out."
The publishing industry is starting to see the value of this approach as, according to Paperight, there is recognition that to sell books successfully in the developing world, there is a need to be more creative.
"We’ve won a number of awards over the past two years, but this award from Accenture is the biggest yet. I don’t believe that any of the other processes have looked at our company in this much depth. It’s a huge validation for us," says Attwell.
The Paperight model is a true example of the key role of technology in innovation, and in achieving competitive advantage. The index research results acknowledged technological process innovation as essential in driving employment and competitive differentiation — 97% of organisations indicated that innovation in technology has increased efficiency significantly, and 54% specified that innovation led to an increase in employment.
© BDlive 2013
Accenture CEO William Mzimba and Paperight’s Arthur Attwell. Picture: JEREMY GLYN
THE Accenture Innovation Index was open to companies of all sizes, yet the organisers were impressed with the ability of smaller companies to overcome many challenges by using innovation as a key focus.
Paperight, which turns any business with a printer and an internet connection into a print-on-demand bookstore, won the Accenture Innovation Master Apex award for an organisation with an annual turnover less than R40m. It has even been described by Parliament as an "ingenious solution to the widespread book shortages in the developing world".
By registering with Paperight for free, businesses have access to an online library from which they can legally print out books, magazines and other documents for their customers.
The days of expensive and inaccessible books are over. Paperight lets publishers earn licence fees from the print-outs, cutting out expensive distribution and printing costs, and passing on those savings to customers. Paperight print-outs are, on average, 20% cheaper than conventional books.
Founder and CEO of Paperight, Arthur Attwell, says at present the book industry in South Africa is supported by as few as 2-million people — which leaves about 48-million people who are not part of this ecosystem and are unable to buy books.
To address this issue, the Paperight concept involves the use of outlets such as the existing network of photocopy shops throughout the country, most of which have print-out facilities and are connected to the internet. The outlets are available close to people’s homes, even in remote locations.
"The books are basic file-bound black and white copies of the original, but for students needing a text book quickly at relatively minimum cost, for example, they are ideal. More importantly, you haven’t had to drive a distance to find a bookstore, but have the convenience of buying it from your corner photocopy shop."
Attwell says the company has 100 publishers on board for the online library and a selection of about 2,000 books, and this is growing constantly.
Another advantage of the concept is that the end customer never has a need to access the internet to buy a book. "This is important in a country where many people don’t have ready access to the internet, or no access at all. The photocopy shop has the internet connection and the ability to pay Paperight. The customer simply pays cash upfront for the print-out."
The publishing industry is starting to see the value of this approach as, according to Paperight, there is recognition that to sell books successfully in the developing world, there is a need to be more creative.
"We’ve won a number of awards over the past two years, but this award from Accenture is the biggest yet. I don’t believe that any of the other processes have looked at our company in this much depth. It’s a huge validation for us," says Attwell.
The Paperight model is a true example of the key role of technology in innovation, and in achieving competitive advantage. The index research results acknowledged technological process innovation as essential in driving employment and competitive differentiation — 97% of organisations indicated that innovation in technology has increased efficiency significantly, and 54% specified that innovation led to an increase in employment.
© BDlive 2013
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