Enhancing Competitiveness Through Small Order Processing
By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor, ICMA To effectively compete against low-cost, high-volume competitors, businesses must embrace personalization and small order processing as key value drivers. However, establishing a…
ANSI/INCITS Standards Update
By Dave Tushie, Magellan Consulting, Inc., ICMA Standards and Technical Representative In the last issue of Card Manufacturing, I gave an update on the current activities in International…
ICMA Reveals 2024 Élan Award Winners
By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor, ICMA ICMA’s Élan Awards of Excellence honors companies that are at the forefront of the worldwide transaction card industry. For more than 30 years,…
Four Advantages of an Open EMV Card Personalization Platform
By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor, ICMA Payment cards have evolved into indispensable tools for secure transactions in today’s digital era. With the global demand for payment cards steadily…
ISO Standards Update
At the ICMA EXPO last year, I advised those who attended my presentation that we were on schedule to issue a substantially revised ISO/IEC 24789 Card Durability Standard…
Premiumization and Hyper-Personalization: Transforming Consumer Expectations
In the dynamic landscape of consumer engagement, the expectations placed upon companies are in a state of perpetual flux. Two discernible trends that have crystalized in recent years…
The Impact of Mastercard’s Sustainable Card Program
Mastercard recognizes the opportunity for the industry to move forward and reduce the demand for first-use PVC. Simultaneously, it recognizes that without a strong direction and leadership, change…
The Secret to Achieving Profitability in Card Manufacturing
In today’s market, there’s a wide variation on card builds, materials and options. Therefore, ensuring card manufacturers hit their business’s gross margin targets is more difficult than ever.…
2024 Industry Outlook: A Guide to the Future
The card manufacturing industry outlook for 2024 is one of opportunity. Despite some headwinds leading into the year resulting from 2023’s softer-than-expected card production trends and constrained consumer…
Biometric Card Personalization
By Dave Tushie, Magellan Consulting, Inc., ICMA Standards and Technical Representative Cards with biometric sensors are getting increasing visibility with large-scale test sites announced. This technology provides a…