Workflow
KODAK Unified Workflow Solutions to Help Virginia Printer Reach Growth Objectives
Tuesday 24. March 2009 - Colortree, a direct mail and envelope printer that specializes in high-end four-color work, is taking action to increase its daily production by up to 50 percent, ultimately handling 100 jobs per day.
Thanks to a newly installed KODAK Unified Workflow Solution, this goal is now attainable with a fully automated, easy-to-use workflow system. The Richmond, Virginia printer added the KODAK PRINERGY POWERPACK Workflow with Rules-Based Automation and Business Link options, KODAK INSITE Prepress Portal System, KODAK Data Management Solutions with ISILON IQ Technology, and ENGVIEW Package Design Software as part of its long-term strategic growth plan.
“We wanted a system we could grow into and our KODAK Unified Workflow Solution provides us with the tools we need to push jobs through quickly and accurately,” said Eric Patterson, Systems Workflow Specialist, Colortree. “Previously, we went through a Kaizen event, which is a short-term process improvement project that includes training, analysis, design and re-arrangement of a product line or area, and we ended up with 26 steps total to complete a job. With the KODAK PRINERGY POWERPACK Workflow, we can cut this number in half.”
The KODAK PRINERGY Workflow System is a fully integrated, highly automated unified workflow management solution for print service providers requiring high performance and production management. It features modular, scaleable configurations and options that best match customer business needs and growth objectives. “The PRINERGY Systems ability to eliminate paper and replace with print-ready PDFs is a huge time saving for us,” said Patterson. “The ability to quickly submit files and the ease of transferring data helps us manage production a lot more efficiently, giving us a chance to grow.”
The KODAK INSITE Prepress Portal System is a Web portal into the KODAK PRINERGY Workflow that streamlines job submission, job status tracking, and remote content proofing or approval. According to Patterson, the INSITE Prepress Portal System serves as another way to move jobs more quickly through his shop. “With the KODAK INSITE System, customers can login, view the proof online, check status and get full history of the job. Getting proofs back to the customer this easily is another way were able to speed things up and help us reach our 100 job per day goal,” added Patterson.
Rules-Based Automation allows customers to create automatic rules for any existing manual event, business process, or daily step in the printing production workflow. Rules-Based Automation includes sample rule sets and it allows users to create custom rules.
Business Link is a software option that automates the exchange of data between PRINERGY Workflow Systems and management information systems (MIS) using the JDF open standard. Business Link allows users to automate time-consuming job setup tasks and provides accurate, real-time information about a job, reducing guesswork, enabling greater profitability, and allowing users to be more responsive to customer demands.
The KODAK Data Management Solution with ISILON IQ Technology is a high-performance clustered storage solution that allows printers to access and share current and archived files quickly and easily. With this solution, printers can eliminate disparate silos of information, improve system performance and completely automate the digital production workflow.
The ENGVIEW Package Designer Software is an advanced production computer-aided design system that includes a computer-aided manufacturing module to drive cutting tables to produce accurate cut and scores.
Colortree, established in 1987, operates in a modern 100,000+ sq ft climate-controlled, secure facility situated on 11 acres near Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. Facility design and infrastructure supports all business processes including administrative, sales/CRM, prepress, printing, cutting, folding, warehouse and distribution. Key paper, ink and print vendors are located on site in support of Colortrees 24/7 manufacturing operation.