Case Study: AI Transforms Front End and Streamlines Operations

Artificial intelligence is reshaping how commercial printer providers get work done. But behind the headlines and hype, most printers are not pursuing radical transformation. Instead, AI is being applied in practical, often incremental ways as companies look to improve efficiency, reduce friction, and better support their people and processes. That real-world activity is documented in the Alliance Insights research study, AI Adoption in the Printing Industry: From Curiosity to Competitive Advantage, which combines an industry survey with in-depth executive interviews to capture how printers are actually using AI today and where they see it heading next.

This article is part of a series that shares a common introduction but highlights a different commercial printer case study in each installment.

Presented here is one of three expanded case studies developed from executive interviews conducted as part of the study; shorter versions of these profiles appear in the report. To encourage open and candid discussion around strategy, culture, and risk, all participants requested anonymity. Together, the series offers a grounded look at how commercial printers are moving deliberately from early experimentation to purposeful, value-driven AI adoption.

Across these commercial printer case studies, AI adoption is neither uniform nor rushed. Instead, it is intentional, problem-driven, and deeply tied to leadership behavior. The companies making the most progress are not chasing tools, they are defining rules, testing narrowly, and expanding only when value is proven.

Other case studies include:

• Strategically Building an AI-Powered Future, Commercial Printer with $20 million to $40 million in annual revenue
• Using AI to Amplify Productivity and Client Value. Commercial Printer with $40 million to $60 million in annual revenue

Case Study: Transforming the Front End, Using AI to Streamline Operations

For a commercial printer with $17 million in annual revenue, artificial intelligence is not about chasing hype or replacing people; it is about removing friction from the business. After years of investing in faster presses and production automation, leadership recognized a growing imbalance: while the plant floor had become highly efficient, the front end of the operation — estimating, job preparation, customer communication, and follow-up — remained labor-intensive.

“The production side has become incredibly efficient,” the company’s president and CEO said. “But the front end hasn’t kept up. AI and automation are finally catching up to balance it out.”

That realization became the catalyst for AI adoption. Rather than pursuing a sweeping transformation, the company began applying AI deliberately to reduce manual work, improve responsiveness, and support growth without adding headcount.

Marketing and Content: The First Breakthrough

The company’s earliest success with AI came in marketing and content creation. When a marketing staff member left, leadership chose not to refill the role. Instead, AI tools were introduced to support blog writing, website content, internal communications, and campaign messaging.

“It dramatically streamlined everything,” the president said. “What used to take hours now takes minutes.”

The team also experimented with more advanced applications, including AI-generated podcasts created directly from website content or scripted blogs. The results exceeded expectations. “It was shockingly good,” he admitted. “That’s when it really clicked, that this could be a force multiplier.”

Designers now use AI-generated imagery to accelerate creative iteration.

The company recently deployed an AI-produced training video to educate customers on proper file submission. By feeding technical specifications into an AI script generator and pairing it with an AI-generated human presenter, the company created a customer-facing video designed to reduce errors before jobs reach prepress.

“It’s all automated,” the president explained. “And it helps customers get it right.”

Accounting, Estimating, and Automation Gains

Beyond marketing, AI is increasingly embedded in operational workflows. The company recently adopted a new accounting platform with AI-driven features that read vendor invoices and automatically assign general ledger codes based on historical patterns.

“It learns as it goes,” the president said. “We’re training it now so it can eventually handle most of those entries.”

Looking ahead, leadership anticipates AI will play a larger role in estimating, potentially reading customer emails, extracting job details, and generating estimates without manual data entry. While still aspirational, this capability reflects the company’s long-term goal: compress the time between inquiry and production while maintaining accuracy and control.

Customer Service That Responds with Context

Customer service is another area where AI is being explored carefully. The company is evaluating conversational AI tools capable of reading tone and context in customer emails or messages.

“If a customer is upset — ‘my job was supposed to ship yesterday’ — the AI can acknowledge that, check status, and respond appropriately,” the president said. “That kind of responsiveness matters.”

The intent is not to eliminate human interaction, but to reduce delays, improve consistency, and free staff to focus on more complex or relationship-driven issues.

Prospecting, Research, and AI Search

AI is also being used as a research and prospecting aid. The company president described using AI to identify potential vendors and contractors, as well as to research available government programs and training grants.

In one example, he used AI to compile a list of contractors for a facility project, complete with contact details and background information. In another, he asked AI to identify state-level grant programs that could support employee training. Tasks that once required extensive searching and follow-up were completed almost instantly.

“What would have taken me a couple of hours, I had in five minutes,” he said.

AI is now influencing how customers find the company as well. “We’ve had leads tell us they asked AI to find printers like us,” he noted. “That told me we need to be visible in AI search, not just Google.”

Rethinking the Sales Model

The company president believes AI and digital engagement will accelerate a shift away from traditional outside sales models. “I don’t think there’s a role for outside salespeople anymore,” he said. “Inside reps using AI and digital tools can do the job better, faster, and without travel.”

He pointed to generational change as evidence. His son, who manages one of the company’s facilities, uses direct messaging on social platforms to initiate conversations with brands, often opening doors that traditional sales outreach would never reach.

Culture, Skills, and Change Management

Employee adoption was not immediate. Early on, some staff dismissed AI as irrelevant. That changed quickly once they began using it.

“Now they see what it can do,” the company president said. In leadership’s view, the skill shift is less about technical mastery and more about learning how to work with AI effectively.

“You don’t need a super coder anymore,” he said. “You need someone who knows how to ask the right questions.”

Security and Risk Awareness

While optimistic, the company is realistic about AI risks, particularly deepfakes and fraud. After hearing of a near-miss financial scam involving AI-generated voice cloning, leadership implemented additional verification steps for financial approvals, including the use of private code words.

The company maintains formal security certifications and conducts ongoing cybersecurity training. “You can’t trust what you see or hear anymore without verification,” the president said. “That’s just the reality.”

Final Takeaway: Start Now, Learn Fast

For other print providers, the president’s advice is straightforward: start experimenting now. “AI isn’t going away,” he said, comparing the moment to the early days of the internet. “People didn’t see the potential back then. This time, I do and I don’t want to be behind the curve.”

For more insights on the research study AI Adoption in the Printing Industry: From Curiosity to Competitive Advantage, see the following resources: Survey Reveals Keys to Staying Competitive in AI, Lessons Learned from Recent AI Study, and Why Talking About AI and Leading With AI Garner Different Results.