Why You Cannot Wait to Automate
Marc Raad and Michael Dequilla join PAC Digital on February 25
Automation is no longer a future conversation for print businesses – it is a present-day requirement. Rising production complexity, skilled labor shortages, tighter margins, and growing customer expectations are forcing printers to rethink how work moves through their business.
That is why Marc Raad and Michael Dequilla from Significans Automation will be attending and speaking at the upcoming PAC Digital event, Why You Cannot Wait to Automate, taking place on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 and you can register to attend for free. Attendees can take part digitally from anywhere in the world, accessing sessions, insights, and conversations on demand, while those on site benefit from face-to-face discussions, live demonstrations, and real-world networking.
This complimentary in-person and online session brings together real printers, real workflows, and real results – focusing on how automation can be applied practically, sustainably, and with measurable ROI.
Automation as a growth strategy – not just a productivity tool
Automation is often framed purely as a way to increase output. In reality, its impact goes far beyond production speed.
Insights from a recent PAC Digital members’ survey highlight that automation plays a critical role in addressing challenges such as:
- Recruiting and retaining skilled labor
- Differentiating your business in a crowded market
- Expanding into new products and industry segments
- Supporting long-term digital transformation
- Improving internal efficiency and employee morale
This session will explore how automation connects these challenges across the entire business – from job intake and prepress through to production, finishing, and delivery.
Real printers. Unprecedented results.
During the session, Marc and Michael will share real-world examples of customized workflow automation delivering outcomes such as:
- 30% to 300% increases in annual production capacity
- Manual tasks reduced from hours to minutes
- Prepress throughput scaling from 10 to 50 jobs per day
- Labor costs cut by up to 50%
- Thousands of job-processing hours reduced to just days
One of the key takeaways: automation is not an all-or-nothing decision. Many print businesses start small, automate in stages, achieve fast ROI, and then expand automation into other areas of the operation.
What Marc and Michael will bring to the discussion
With over 30 years of print industry experience, Marc Raad brings a pragmatic, shop-floor-informed perspective on why customized automation -not off-the-shelf workflows – is the only sustainable path forward in an AI-driven era.
Michael Dequilla, a PAC Digital Leadership Council member, specializes in workflow assessment and automation strategy. With more than two decades of hands-on production and operational experience, he focuses on translating complex workflows into clear, achievable automation roadmaps that teams can actually adopt.
Together, they will take part in a townhall-style idea exchange, engaging with both in-person and online attendees to discuss how printers are winning – and where they are still getting stuck.
Event details
Why You Cannot Wait to Automate
Date: Wednesday, February 25, 2026
In person:
12:00 pm – 1:45 pm ET
HP – 5150 Spectrum Way, Mississauga, Ontario
(Light lunch provided)
Online:
12:30 pm – 1:45 pm ET
Attendance is complimentary for members and guests.
Register to attend
PAC Digital is designed to meet the industry wherever it is, combining the reach of an online experience with the impact of in-person connection. Attendees can take part digitally from anywhere in the world, accessing sessions, insights, and conversations on demand, while those on site benefit from face-to-face discussions, live demonstrations, and real-world networking. This hybrid approach ensures PAC Digital delivers flexibility without losing the value of human interaction, making it accessible, practical, and genuinely connected to how the industry works today.
Register to attend in person or online:
