Automation, Leadership, and the Future of Print | GelatoConnect Summit, Sep 2025

At the GelatoConnect Summit 2025 in Madrid, three print industry leaders, Simon Smogur (ESP Colour, UK), Paul Hudson (Hudson Printing, US), and Vincenzo Cirimele (Teetaly, Italy), took the stage to discuss how automation is reshaping their operations.

The conversation, moderated by Kelvin Gage (Hyble), wasn’t about abstract promises or buzzwords. It was about real numbers, measurable ROI, cost savings, and the cultural shifts that turn technology into growth.

Automation can sound like a big word, but the results shared on stage were surprisingly specific.

At ESP Colour, Simon Smogur described how adopting GelatoConnect has given his team a new level of visibility and control.

“We’ve reduced over £200,000 in stock value, lowered shipping costs by half a percentage point on a million-pound spend, and improved labor efficiency enough to support 20% digital growth,” he explained.

The gains, he noted, didn’t come from one big change, but from a series of incremental improvements, such as fine-tuning packaging, procurement, and workflow to remove friction at every stage.

In Italy, Teetaly’s founder Vincenzo Cirimele saw similarly tangible results.

“We reduced warehouse costs by 10% and logistics costs by 25%. No waste, no excess stock; just control and visibility,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hudson Printing’s Paul Hudson highlighted the impact of networked automation on costs and agility:

“Through GelatoConnect, we’ve been able to access better carrier rates, track performance in real time, and even manage operations from mobile devices, something we’d never have built in-house.”

For all three leaders, the data points to the same conclusion: automation isn’t a futuristic concept. It’s an operational advantage today.

While the financial returns are clear, the panelists emphasized an equally important dimension: how automation changes how people work.

For Simon, the biggest shift was cultural.

“GelatoConnect gave our non-technical teams the ability to make system changes themselves,” he said. “We used to rely heavily on developers for every adjustment. Now, the people closest to the work can optimize workflows directly. It’s created more agility, not just savings.”

Vincenzo spoke about the sense of shared purpose that comes with using a common platform.

“When you’re part of a network, you’re not working alone,” he said. “You can share data, ideas, and best practices with other PSPs like being part of a family.”

Together, their perspectives highlight a broader shift: automation isn’t about replacing people, it’s about giving them better tools, stronger collaboration, and more autonomy to drive progress.

Late in the discussion, the conversation turned to a topic that resonated deeply with the audience: how to guide teams through change. Implementing new systems isn’t just a technical process; it’s a human one.

Reflecting on ESP Colour’s own onboarding experience, Simon explained that the hardest part of adopting new technology isn’t the system itself, it’s the human reaction to it.

“When you bring in a new platform, people can become anxious or skeptical,” he said. “Negativity is the biggest poison in a business. Instead of saying, ‘This doesn’t work,’ ask, ‘How can we make it better?’”

He compared introducing new software to installing a new press: it takes patience, communication, and leadership consistency. His approach is to restate the vision repeatedly until it sticks, ensuring that everyone understands not just what is changing, but why.

Paul built on that point, acknowledging that change can cause fatigue and doubt, especially in established operations.

“There were moments when I had to gather people together and remind them of what we’re trying to accomplish,” he shared. “This might not be the perfect solution today, but it’s the direction we need to move in.”

Vincenzo offered a more direct, entrepreneurial perspective.

“The biggest barrier is the comfort zone,” he said. “Every day, I ask my managers to change. You can’t stand still, the market won’t wait.”

Together, their reflections underscored one truth: automation succeeds not only through technology, but through leadership that inspires adaptability, resilience, and a forward-looking mindset.

Beyond operational metrics, the panelists reflected on how automation is redefining the very fabric of the print industry.

Simon compared traditional print management systems to litho presses, built for a different era.

“Legacy MIS is like an analog press. GelatoConnect is digital-native,” he said. “To thrive in a digital production environment, you need a platform that evolves as fast as your machines do.”

Paul shared a similar vision, arguing that automation allows printers to productize the custom:

“Most of what we produce such as books, catalogs, direct mail, looks infinitely variable. But with smart software, you can standardize and automate it. That’s where real scalability happens.”

And Vincenzo pointed to the bigger picture of how automation fuels the creator economy:

“On-demand production means creators can design and sell without limits. Automation makes that possible; it turns creativity into a scalable business.”

The ROI of automation is not only about cost reduction. It’s about transformation.

From better visibility and lower costs to empowered teams and stronger leadership, the stories shared in Madrid show what happens when technology and culture evolve together.

GelatoConnect is a shared ecosystem built with and for printers, unlocking efficiency today while shaping the industry’s future.