PRINTPACK INDIA 2019 SHOW DAILY
3 February 2019 | Supported by Indian Printer & Publisher and Packaging South Asia
13
Interview – Sangam Khanna
Scaling productivity with Komori’s KP Connect
KP Connect
Harish Penumarthi
I
n order to strengthen its business in
India, Komori bought a major stake
in the Insight Group – its sole dealer
in the country before the acquisition.
Ever since the joint operations began in
April 2018, significant strategic organi-
zation has been taking place, according
to Sangam Khanna, the deputy manag-
ing director of Komori in India.
“From the market share point of
view of new press units being pur-
chased, we are currently placed at 48%
and previously we were somewhere
near 50%. There has been a slight drop
in our market share this year. I don’t
think a drop of around a percent or two
here and there really matters much. The
main reason is that some projects get
deferred, but if one has a look at my or-
der book, I’m pretty confident. We are
walking into FY 2019-20 with substan-
tial orders in our pocket.
Need for understanding technol-
ogy and your own processes
“The Indian printing industry is trans-
forming. More printers are now talking
about digital, H-UV systems, produc-
tivity, processes and various other fac-
tors, but we need to realize that its not
enough to talk, one has to walk the talk
as well and that will help the industry
grow. We must keep in mind that one
cannot buy every new technology that
comes into the market. Printers must in-
vest in a technology only after careful
evaluation of the requirements. If you
want to make the best use of the prod-
Sangam Khanna, deputy managing director
of Komori India. Photo IPP
uct that you are buying, you have to be
very selective. But again, you should
also keep in mind that just because ‘A’
has bought it or implemented a certain
technology and is reaping benefits,
it doesn’t mean it will work the same
way for you. You have to have a deep
insight into your processes and require-
ments and you must invest smartly,”
says Khanna.
Khanna says that most of the press
owners are tightening their belts for
improving profitability. This, accord-
ing to him brings up the fight on reduc-
ing profit margins, as most printers are
dropping their prices in pursuit to de-
liver more. “It has to be measured on a
numeric scale. Who’s going to do that?
I visit a lot of printers throughout the
year and this is one question I ask most
of them. I ask them if their production is
quantified on a numeric scale.”
As a solution to this problem, Komori
came up with KP Connect which will be
displayed at its stand at Printpack 2019.
Komori’s KP Connect, helps measure
productivity by quantifying production
as well as wastage. Usually, prolonged
wastage is ignored and is considered a
part of the production process. In the
long run, this wastage accounts for the
maximum loss that a company incurs.
Through this product, Komori aims to
offer a correct diagnosis of the wastage
on a daily basis which builds up to a
significant amount in the long run.
“Compared to the likes of IGAS,
Drupa and China Print, I have not wit-
nessed major changes in terms of new
technology in events such as Printpack.
The little changes witnessed here are
mainly cosmetic or related to produc-
tivity. Quality enhancements and digital
segment spectrum are definitely grow-
ing. Offset on the other hand has ma-
tured a lot in terms of new technologies.
Hence, people are now talking about
productivity and cost efficiency. That
will be the trend for years to come,”
Khanna explains.
Komori is extremely serious about
its post-sales services and has deployed
54 engineers throughout the country at
various locations. Ever since Komori
India was created in April 2018, its first
initiative was to pump-in factory level
support and deploy an engineer from
Japan to train its workforce.
Tracking down all customers and
service contracts
Then the company took up a ‘I want to
know my Komori’ campaign wherein
it requested customers throughout the
country to register their machines on the
portal. This step helped to locate all the
Komori users including used machine
customers in the country. “Presuming,
we have a scattered installation base
of 3,500 presses all kinds throughout
the country, it is not possible to provide
after sales support in a matter of days.
Nevertheless, if a press is under our ser-
vice contract, we provide services with-
in 48 hours. For us, the service contract
is very important. In case a customer is
not under our service contract, he can
take an appointment and we will make
sure we provide them the support they
require,” Khanna shares.
The only issue affecting the print-
ing industry is the lack of investment in
new technology, according to Khanna,
“There are so many old presses out
there. The customers are happy doing
only three or four make readys a day.
Nobody can do anything about it. They
buy junk, they pay for it which is just
not worth it and I’m clueless as to why
they do it. In order to compete, one
has to have new technology. The junk
will never help. The moment we try
and initiate a change in our print fra-
ternity, there is a resistance because for
any change there is a cost involved and
people are reluctant to pay it,” Khanna
concludes.
Meet Indian Printer & Publisher
at Hall No. 1 Stand A36
at Printpack India 2019
Please visit our websites www.packagingsouthasia.com & www.indianprinterpublisher.com for Live updates during Printpack 2019 | 3 FEBRUARY 2019 | 13