62 email: news@printmonthly.co.uk Issue 341 - March / April 2023 in the last couple of years, Esko has continued to focus on developing new technology, ensuring customers remain at the forefront of productivity, efficiency, and innovation gains and are supported on their digital transformation journey. “Many businesses, in the face of challenging market conditions, insecurity, and volatility, hit the brakes and freeze investments in response. However, the opposite reaction is more appropriate. Investing in accelerating digital transformation maintains competitive advantage and efficiently deals with profitability pressures.” Esko’s latest software releases include a host of features designed to help with workflow, including a new cloud-based licensing model for on-premise application, ArtPro+ GMG OpenColor Connector for simplified colour management across systems, multi-MIS support and integrated Tilia Labs Artificial Intelligence. In addition, Esko recently acquired imposition A software company Tilia Labs, with the Tilia Phoenix solution integrated with Esko Automation Engine.” “This delivers on the need of brand owners and converters to connect and integrate the entire value chain through upstream digitalisation,” De Roeck says. Automation is key As well as these brands, another manufacturer that offers workflow solutions to its customers is Ricoh. Paul Hilton, technical solutions specialist for inkjet at Ricoh, says there are several factors PSPs should consider when investing in new software. of Colorado Integrated Document Solutions, which has onboarded many of these new features in PDF optimisation and a full tracking and reporting dashboard with online proof, approval, and suppression per job and mail piece.” Quality and consistency Next, Omran Anwar, technical support manager at solutions provider SOS, says workflow software is becoming increasingly important to the modern printer, partly due to staffing issues associated with Covid-19 and Brexit. “An efficient workflow automates prepress tasks to provide more reliable quality and greater consistency of output,” Anwar says, adding: “It greatly reduces the potential for error, not only by taking out the human element for some processes, but enabling better diagnostics and error correction where problems occur. Efficient workflow speeds up turnround times, increases productivity, and reduces waste. “Because of the ubiquity of Adobe systems in the creative chain, software which utilises the Adobe APPE engine is highly beneficial to ensure that each file can be reliably processed without error. “A good workflow will include trapping, imposition, and pre-flight, and because modern printers are likely to run a variety of equipment from flatbed and digital to litho and proofing machines, it should be able to output to many devices and offer consistent colour matching with only one RIP process.” SOS is the only provider that offers Kodak’s Prinergy Evo workflow on a subscription basis, with prices starting at £288 per month. For this, Anwar says it is ideal for PSPs that want to upgrade and improve upon their current workflow, or take the plunge into automated pre-press systems for the first time, without breaking the bank. “Prinergy Evo includes a huge range of features such as vector PDF or TIFF output, CIP3, batch trapping, advanced pre-flight, workflow templates, and much more,” Anwar says. Biggest benefit Elsewhere, Esko also has a range of options on offer in terms of workflow software. Jan De Roeck, director of marketing, industry relations and strategy at Esko, says that pressure on margins induced by the energy crisis, material shortages, and labour and skills deficits, is the most significant challenge for businesses today, and workflow software can help. “Efficiency is the biggest benefit of a standardised workflow; standardisation being the necessary foundation of any successful automation,” De Roeck says, adding: “Although the entire packaging sector faced unprecedented challenges “A quality workflow software system should automate as much of the process as possible, eliminating manual data entry and ensuring that tasks are completed accurately and in a timely manner,” Hilton says. “Next, a system should be easy to use, with a user-friendly interface and clear instructions. The workflow software should have features such as job tracking, print job scheduling, and cost estimation, as well as being secure, with measures in place to protect data from unauthorised access and protect against cyber threats. “PSPs should also ensure the system can integrate with others in use, such as accounting software and customer relationship management systems. In addition, it should be able to scale to meet the needs of the business and accommodate future growth.” With this in mind, Hilton draws attention to the latest software developments at Ricoh in its Ricoh Graphic Communications division. One of the solutions relevant to this discussion is Avanti Slingshot Print MIS, which he says is a fully automated, cloud-based, flexible, management information system designed specifically for commercial print businesses. “With Avanti Slingshot, PSPs can create additional business value achieved through operational efficiencies, eliminating errors, intelligent estimating, optimising production, improved customer experience and real-time data insights for accurate decision making,” he says, adding: “It also works well alongside our other (and other vendors') workflow automation solutions. “Ricoh Avanti Slingshot is a scalable, modular, vendor-neutral, and cloud-based solution which means full visibility and control over your real-time data and processes. It enables print organisations to ▲ Jamie Walsh, sales manager for EMEA and APAC at Solimar Systems PrintFactory from Soyang Europe is a complete workflow RIP solution with an advanced device link colour engine at its core Factoid BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES / WORKFLOW SOFTWARE ▼ Omran Anwar, technical support manager at SOS
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