If you are going to offer web2print or database publishing solutions to your end customers, you will need some people in your company who can support (or even develop) these services. Similarly, you need to be aware that there is a different side to the web-to-print application: the side of the customer. What types of people are involved in the workflow of these tools?
DTP
In many FLO installations there is at least some DTP personnel present. In some cases this is not full-time/dedicated (e.g.: the large bank), but usually it is.
Since a lot of the graphical work in the FLO Suite is based on InDesign, your current personnel usually is fit to perform these tasks. There are a couple of things to take into account, though. These people don’t have to program, but they do have to work in a semi-technical environment. Not all DTP personnel is capable of this. The very creatively-minded graphical people will have a harder time to get used to this way of working.
Sales
Your sales people and/or account managers will need some awareness of the possibilities of the FLO Suite and your implementation there. Few companies have dedicated sales people for the FLO Suite (though it does exists with several customers). Most of the time, existing account managers will spread the word of your new possibilities, and the project managers go in to finish the job and seal the deal.
This sounds easier then it is however. Sales and account managers are used to sell a product and they work (a lot of times) on a commission, so selling a product is the most important thing for them. Selling a service to customers is not something they are used to. They don’t feel comfortable about this new “product” so if the customer has doubts, the sales-rep just stops talking about it and no new or existing customer know about the new service.
Making the final agreements with the end customer should definitely involve someone with knowledge of your applications.
Project Management
In most cases, your internal project manager will also fulfill other roles. He might be the programmer, the administrator, even the account manager. But of course he needs some knowledge of the way the FLO Suite and your applications work. Few of our customers have a dedicated project manager. This person does not need in-depth knowledge of InDesign or programming. He doesn’t even have to know the finer features of the FLO Suite.
Administrator
Similarly, the system administrator is usually someone with other tasks as well. Sometimes this is one of the DTP people, sometimes it is a dedicated person. But always it needs to be someone with a reasonably technical background. This person is not required to do any programming (although in many cases they learn a bit of scripting later on), and he doesn’t necessarily require InDesign knowledge.
Knowledge of either helps, but is not required. The main function of this person is to have a wide understanding of the general underlying software. He should be able to import data, schedule backups, set up databases, manage user rights, etc.
Programmer
Only a couple of our customers put dedicated programmers on their FLO Suite installation. If they do, the programmer ideally has at least some of the following skills:
• web development (ASP.NET)
• VB.NET
• Databases, e-commerce, webshops, …
• A graphical background (catalog creation, InDesign scripting, …)
But few programmers mix all these skills. One successful customer actually took a PHP developer without much graphical background and made him the programmer/ administrator of their system.
End User
This is one of the easiest profiles, because an end user requires no skills whatsoever. Well, they need to be able to log in to the internet. But after that, the FLO Suite will adapt to the profile of the end user. 40.000 end users at Fortis work in a different way, than hundreds of shop owners at a retails chain. The front site that is built for them will vary:
• Fortis employees need a simple interface with one question per screen. No manual required. Some of them log in on a weekly basis, but others log in only once a year for new business cards. Training can’t be given to all of them
• The Retail Show Owners log in on a weekly basis. They need to handle hundreds of products and a large amount of templates. They get a little manual to get used to the system. While the system built for them is very user-friendly, it is also very functional.