Size matters for Snap as it signs web-to-print deal with EFI

Written on the 12 March 2013

Snap has signed a seven-year web-to-print deal with EFI after throwing millions of dollars at solutions from smaller providers that didnt always meet its needs.

EFI will commence the two-year rollout of EFI Digital StoreFront in April. It will be deployed as a customised hosted solution to 182 franchises in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and China.

Snap chief executive Stephen Edwards said the group opted for "a market leader" like EFI because it had received disappointing service from smaller suppliers.

"We've played around with IT quite a lot in the past. We've invested millions of dollars in IT without always getting a positive return," he told ProPrint.

"We want to change our risk profile, which meant being with a tier-one and global supplier with global experience."

Snap's online portal will include a shopping cart, pricing, approvals, job ticketing, tracking and status, the DSF Design Studio module and an unlimited number of branded storefronts.

EFI emerged triumphant from an "exhaustive" 10-month tendering process that saw multiple vendors fly to Australia to pitch, said Edwards.


Snap has had a topsy-turvy time with its software investments. The franchise group was a long-time user of Prism MIS, before switching to Press-sense iWay. This decision hit the skids when Press-sense went into administration, forcing a rethink.

Snap went back out to market, and decided to return to Prism, but the move became complicated when EFI announced its acquisition of Prism. However, Snap has now consolidated its MIS and web-to-print software with EFI.

The two firms have now formalised their relationship with a 'gold partnership' deal that was signed on 22 February. Snap also has gold partnerships with Australia Post, Oc-Canon, Fuji Xerox Australia, Konica Minolta and Ricoh.

Information sharing is a key feature of the gold partnerships. Edwards said Snap was keen to learn about bringing efficiencies to the workflow, while EFI would gain experience about dealing with multi-channel clients.

EFI's general manager of web-to-print, Filip Buyse, said the partnership would also help the US firm learn more about the unique market demands of Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and China.

He told ProPrint that future R&D decisions would be influenced by the feedback provided by the franchises and their customers.

"Snap is an extremely reputable and well-established business with an enviable reputation among its customers," he said.

"We feel that the web-to-print solution is something that printers need to continue to look at and expand with. It enhances the print business.

"It's something today that's not nice to have but something printers must have to create additional demand and reach out to new customers and create operational efficiency."