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Enfocus and Ultimate Are Critical to PacRim Printer’s Accelerated Move from Offset to Digital

19.06.2013

+Smart Automation consulting group whitepaper covers necessary infrastructure changes to meet new market demands

Cet article et ce papier blanc sont disponible en anglais seulement.

Ghent, Belgium and Montreal, Canada – June 19, 2013 – Highly flexible automation and imposition solutions from Enfocus and Ultimate are often critical elements in a consulting group’s aggressive mission to move production houses from offset to all-digital operations. By using Enfocus and Ultimate products, +Smart Automation and Intellapath Consulting can configure 21st Century digital production hubs that utilize existing hardware and software, with no foreseeable limitations on future requirements.

As project leader David Zwang explains in a free case study/whitepaper released by Enfocus and Ultimate, +Smart Automation and Intellapath are able to substantially optimize printers’ existing investments. The whitepaper is available for download now at: http://www.enfocus.com/resources/Enfocus-and-Ultimate-White-paper.

For example, the consultants looked at a variety of ways to utilize the featured PacRim book printer’s existing Novavision PrintVis ERP system, which employs JDF/JMF to streamline integration with third-party systems. However, despite the existence of a JDF/JMF standard, “every vendor usually has a slightly different implementation of the standard,” Zwang says. After several options were tested, PrintVis was integrated into the solution via an engineered connection with Ultimate imposition. “Ultimate was the only one that could get the job done,” he says.

“Forward thinking organizations, like this one, have started the migration to varying degrees,” explains Zwang. “However, even with recently purchased hardware components, most production houses are not equipped to handle increasing demand for new applications and services across every segment. In this case, the PacRim book printer needed to prepare for books of one and just-in-time delivery.”

Making plants future-ready using existing investments
Greg Goldman, Intellapath partner, explains that +Smart Automation and Intellapath start with an evaluation, and move to proposed recommendations for infrastructure and process changes that make the most of companies’ existing investments. He says that the PacRim book printer covered in the Whitepaper is exemplary of the process his team follows to make a plant “future-ready”.

Zwang also says that the areas requiring change or optimization at the PacRim site are typical of many production houses. These include:

· Bridging gaps in job ticketing and automated workflow functionality
· Further transition from offset to digital production
· Increased productivity and reduced waste
· Increased process connectivity with clients
· Development of cost-effective print-on-demand services
· Delivery of end-to-end publishing solutions to clients

Enfocus Switch: Standard Operating Procedure
There are many reasons why Zwang brings Enfocus Switch to most, if not all, plant optimization projects. Switch is a scalable automation solution that reduces the number of touch points associated with sorting, routing, and receiving files. It easily integrates with other systems through a number of built-in features. It includes support for inbound and outbound communication of production files, customer communication, and metadata.

Switch also uses configurators, which are API-driven integrators for certain third-party applications. It also supports the use of hot folders, and includes a variety of scripting support options for more advanced workflow customization.

The client’s existing Enfocus PitStop Pro software, along with the newly purchased PitStop Server, works with Switch to set up preflight profiles that check incoming files, or action lists that identify PDF objects and fix files.

“Switch is made to connect and automate production components and operations that no one expects to be able to connect. David Zwang and his colleagues understand how Switch can be utilized, to maximize existing hardware and software and the way they can work together; effectively creating custom ‘super-solutions’,” says Elli Cloots, Enfocus Director of Product Management. “This PacRim project is a great example.”

Ultimate’s Impostrip OnDemand Scalable imposition application
To maximize the level of automation to work with the existing Novavision PrintVis ERP system, and to fulfill increased volumes while accommodating a viable growth path; the team typically selects Ultimate’s Impostrip OnDemand Scalable imposition application.

Impostrip OnDemand Scalable’s unique architecture for load balancing allows for the addition of as many imposition engine instances as needed to support concurrent volume requirements. The automation features of Ultimate OnDemand Scalable are designed to be flexible with page sizes and other document attributes, and supports various imposition requirements of a mixed digital and offset production facility.

Since the initial installation, functionality has improved significantly due to the introduction of an Impostrip OnDemand configurator for Enfocus Switch.

Joanne David, President and CEO, Ultimate Technographics, says, “Impostrip OnDemand’s engine offers a great level of automation facilitating the use of JDF extensions in order to complete the connectivity with PrintVis MIS. Enfocus Switch using the Impostrip configurator streamlines the work through all the steps in the most productive way. The benefits are real for the customer.’’

The company also now utilizes CGS’ ORIS Press Matcher as its color server. More details about ORIS, as well as other technologies’ contributions to the success of the organization’s digital transition, can be found in the whitepaper/case study.

Transition complete
The company reports great success with technology implementations, and is now maximizing profits and increasing growth by overcoming the challenges during its transitional phase from offset to digital.

The organization has been able to increase responsiveness to clients; reduce production labor costs, thereby allowing staff to focus on growth areas and spend less time engaging in repetitive, non-productive activities; shorten cycle times and decrease waste; all with minimal capital outlay.

Zwang concludes, “This forward-thinking company is now able to sufficiently support both current market demands as well as be prepared for future changes, with the implementation of this ‘smart’ technology.”

Free download
To download the complete whitepaper “Automating and Optimizing a Book Production Workflow”, please visit: http://www.enfocus.com/resources/Enfocus-and-Ultimate-White-paper .

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About Ultimate
Automation drives results in printing. This is the foundation of all Impostrip® product developments and today printers swear by Impostrip®’s speed, power, flexibility and ease of use in a digital or hybrid environment.

Ultimate Technographics invented digital imposition with the first release of Impostrip® in 1989, and has continued to play a leading role in the market ever since while providing the most innovative and progressive imposition products. Ultimate today leads in imposition and finishing automation software solutions. The company also has a rich history of providing and integrating imposition technologies into hardware and software workflow solutions for print industry leaders including Duplo, Glunz&Jensen, HP, Muller Martini, Ricoh-InfoPrint, Xerox, and others.

For more information, visit www.imposition.com

About Enfocus
Enfocus provides modular and affordable tools safeguarding job quality and enabling automation throughout the complete production chain. Innovative solutions improve communication between design and production while enhancing productivity and predictability through automation of routine tasks.
Step-by-step deployment dramatically increases added value without forcing users to completely rethink their way of doing business. Well-known brands include Instant PDF, PitStop and Switch.
Enfocus is a business unit of Esko and has its headquarters in Gent, Belgium. Esko is headquartered in Gent, Belgium, and has R&D and manufacturing facilities in five European countries, the United States, China and India. Esko is a Danaher company (www.danaher.com).

For more information, visit www.enfocus.com

About Intellapath and +Smart Automation by Intellapath
Intellapath, with locations in the US, Australia, and the Pacific Rim, was formed to provide strategic consulting services to electronic publishing industry vendors, print service providers and enterprise marketing executives. Intellapath’s partners have extensive experience in sales, marketing and operations that makes them uniquely positioned to support companies in developing a roadmap to position and chart their future direction. Intellapath specializes in emerging technology solutions that drive the successful development of e-business infrastructure components, from content management, workflow automation; e-business, traditional and digital print production, fulfillment and electronic document delivery. In conjunction with Zwang & Company, the company recently created +Smart Automation solutions to maximize profits and efficiencies for its service provider clients.

For more information, visit www.intellapath.com.

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