Why Worldwide? 8 Good Reasons
Established in 1995, we're now a $60 million Australian organisation. In May 2006, we were acquired by an investment fund of Navis Capital Partners and the senior management team. The dynamic new ownership structure brought with it a robust foundation upon which we have since been able to deliver rapid and sustained growth. We're also in good company - other Navis-owned franchise groups in Australia include Dome, Wendy's and Europcar. That growth has reflected our tireless commitment to pioneering techniques such as our ingenious hub and spoke production model, our Centre Management Systems (CMS), and our Online Print Management (OPM) system, which has transformed the way large organisations manage their design and print needs. More on those in a moment. Operating as a national franchise organisation, we've also been able to offer wealth-creating opportunities to our 82 franchised Centre Owners; who have helped us build a Network which employs more than 300 staff in production, sales, customer service and graphic design roles. No Major Technology Investment by Franchisees As a Worldwide franchisee you won't be required to make significant investments in expensive technology and equipment. Our unique hub and spoke production model (see below) means that the majority of your printing needs will be met by our large central production facilities rather than from within your Centre. Compare this with food franchises which demand considerable investment by their franchisees in equipment such as industrial ovens and fridges, retail franchises with their expensive shop-fittings. Even other print franchises call on their franchisees to handle the printing themselves in-Centre or require them to invest in mini-production hubs. Gentle Hours As a Worldwide franchisee you'll work business-to-business hours rather than nights and weekends. Low Up-Front Costs Our model is designed to provide you with a good standard of living from a relatively low ingoing commitment. You can find out more about start-up costs and arrange to talk to our existing Centre owners about their work-life balance and standard of living. Hub and Spoke Hub and spoke gives us a real edge and is a particular Worldwide strength. The 120 million offset and digital print items we delivered last year ranged from corporate literature and training manuals to business cards - and were printed either digitally in our franchised retail Centres (spokes), or in one of our centralised production hubs. We have hubs in Cannington (WA), Malvern (VIC), and Alexandria (NSW). Our fourth hub, in Brisbane (Qld) swung into action in October 2007. A capital investment of over $10 million sits behind these capabilities. For Franchise Owners, hub and spoke means that even the smallest retail Centres within the network can access the cutting-edge offset and digital print technology which comes with our $10 million+ investment in production and finishing equipment. They can offer much better value, flexibility, and reliability than if they had to print every job themselves. For customers, the model enables us to 'group' jobs and so offer significant economies of scale in terms of print costs and efficiencies.
Centre Management System (CMS)
The way we receive, manage, produce, distribute, track, monitor, bill and report on orders entered an exciting new stage of capability with the 2007 launch of our ground-breaking CMS. It links each of our Centres directly to the production hubs, and so makes it very easy to capture and consolidate the customer and product data you need - and generate a wide range of activity and progress reports. We are currently developing further enhancements to our eCommerce capability which will deliver significantly improved ordering, workflow management, logistics and billing capabilities. We expect to be in a position to implement these new systems during 07/08. When we do so, we will become a major player in the print eCommerce space.
Online Print Management (OPM)
Many customers of our Franchise Owners demand 24/7 access to their artwork archives, and need to be able to place print orders when it suits them. Our OPM system was developed to let them do just so quickly, easily and without fuss. Read more... OPM is an internet-based print management solution which empowers regular clients to access their own comprehensive and convenient print e-procurement site. This provides complete control over print management functions and better protection of brand assets. It also enables users to simplify print ordering, reduce costs and manage their brand more effectively. The easy-to-use web interface makes it quick and simple to edit, proof and order in seconds without the need to fax proofs back and forth. We are constantly reviewing and upgrading OPM, and in 2008 will be releasing the next version. It will add an entirely new suite of functionality, and make the system one of the most powerful print management tools available.
Our Franchise Owners' Customers
We have spent the last 12 years devising and delivering innovative design, print and distribution solutions for many high profile national and international organisations. This customer base is supported by strong strategic partnerships with major transport and distribution companies including Australian Air Express, StarTrack, Toll, TNT and Australia Post.
Information Technology
We have recently undertaken a comprehensive upgrade of our entire IT infrastructure - an investment of some $650,000. The aim of the program has been to implement best practice techniques across all the risk management and security disciplines. This means that Franchise Owners and their customers can take comfort from the fact that we operate a commercial-grade, Australian-standard compliant system. For more than a decade, we have worked hard to identify printing industry environmental concerns, and initiated solutions to reduce their impact on the environment. Most recently, this tireless endeavour was formally recognised when we became the first franchise group in Australia to be awarded Green Stamp Level 2 (beyond compliance) accreditation. Green Stamp is a joint venture between the Printing Industries Association and the Western Australian Department of Environment. It recognises companies which meet tough new standards governing waste management and disposal, pollution prevention and energy conservation, but is currently only available in WA. Although the Green Stamp accreditation applies to all 21 of our WA print manufacturing and retail Centres, on the back of the award, we have announced plans for a national roll-out as part of our crusade to reduce the impact of print production processes on the environment. | 
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