Printing 4.0 is not just a production concept for the printing industry

The printing industry likes to give its own name to new production concepts across industries - therefore, it does not take advantage of global technological trends, but develops its own niche (niche) market. Here are two examples: We once adopted the JDF concept to replace all the popular XML concepts in other industries. In the end, it was difficult for us to find professionals from JDF. There is also the popular term 'Web to Print'. Now I have to explain to several generations of college students that the e-commerce configuration program for printed products is different from web-based layout applications (Web to Print).
We will feel that the printing industry lacks innovation compared to Germany's automotive and machine manufacturing industries. If you have the opportunity to visit a medium-sized machinery factory. There, the international market leader, you can see that there are more people dressed casually than we imagine. When visiting the Mercedes Benz E-Class workshop, you will see that each car has a different configuration than the previous one. This is not new for us as a single manufacturer.
Perhaps this is related to different industries. Perhaps there are some innovations that we did earlier than other industries, thus forming our own concepts.
My opinion on the popular term Industry 4.0 is that many people in our industry are going further than we think. Because for us, 'online printing factories' are not a new thing. But now the main problem in the machine and automobile manufacturing industry is that there is no longer batch or special production using partially underutilized workstations, but rather through software based networks, special production is cleverly operated through production workshops with high utilization rates.
Someone said we could have done this a long time ago! And we can also connect with our suppliers and production partners!
So can we go beyond the concept of Industry 4.0? I said no because Industry 4.0 has more connotations and depth for the printing industry, so I made an exception and rephrased my concept: "Print 4.0". For the printing industry, this means more production concepts than just networking.
Printing 4.0 itself is a networked printing product. When a printed tag with electronic content is hung on the hotel door, if guests do not want to be disturbed, it is communicated digitally to the waiter, and an efficient service process is generated from it.
Printing 4.0 is the combination of online printing and communication. If all media can unleash their potential and each media can measure their contribution to advertising effectiveness through a sound reporting system, then cross media marketing will make a greater contribution to the online environment of our industry.
Printing 4.0 is not just a production concept for the printing industry. It also involves our products and services. Printing 4.0 is a concept with true added value.