Day2_27

GraphExpo_ShowDaily_September_26_2016

How to Talk to a Software Vendor It’s showtime! There are software vendors in every aisle, but even if they have compelling signs and what looks like a good demo it can be hard to make the decision to stop and talk. What questions should you ask? How can you tell if the demo truly shows the capabilities? Where do you start? First think about all of the software you use. Some will fall under the category of workfl ow, but beyond workfl ow you may have software for creative design, variable data or data-driven composition, imposition, color management, image capture, image manipulation, datastream transformation, extract/transform/load, print MIS, and other applications. Some software may meet several requirements, while others are dedicated solutions installed in your environment. Now that you are here, think about all of the things your teams do every day to move a job from the point where it comes in the door to the point where it leaves, and then start looking for ideas that would make that process better. Start with the vendors you are already buying from and see what they are showing. It is easy to miss announcement emails, plus there is nothing like seeing live demonstrations and having conversations. Ask about new features, and features that might be coming in the next year. What is included in your current license and what would have a cost associated with it? Have a little time? Ask for a demo of the products you already use to see if they show you shortcuts you aren’t using. Many companies that used to require installation on your site now have cloud and Subscription as a Service (SaaS) options. Ask if new access options are available and what the requirements are. In some cases the offerings include storage in the cloud (great for disaster recovery) and services to transfer large fi les. Ask what you get if you sign up! Once you have visited with the folks who support you today, it is time to look at the other offerings. No, it is not disloyal to look at what the other vendors in the same space are offering! It’s fair to take a close look as their demos and feature lists. Ask specifi c questions about installation options and requirements, maintenance costs, and what the real horsepower requirements are for the software packages. Don’t be afraid to ask to see user interfaces (that’s what you see on the screen) to see if it looks easy to use. Ask about migration strategies to see if they offer specifi c help. And it’s always a good idea to ask how they handle professional services. Never be afraid to ask if the demonstration they are showing on the fl oor accurately refl ects software you can buy, or was built for the show. Invest some time and you could fi nd solutions that make your business more effi cient, more fl exible, and more profi table! Automation Knows No Limits: Networked Automation with manroland web systems The ability to network automation and controls is crucial to printing companies that are planning an investment project. Only with a highly automated, integrated workfl ow can printers realize business models and production processes that are profi table both in the short and long term. This applies to book, newspaper, and advertisement printing, in web offset and digital. Integrated automation manroland web systems (Booth 1119) has opted not to offer isolated solutions, but instead link complete printing systems based on the company’s expertise in folding technology and workfl ow networking. The results are non-stop production processes in offset printing, as well as digital print workfl ows with the inline fi nishing development that has been in place for some years now. The software products put in use are tailored to hybrid workfl ows. Integration tools such as MasterQ combine and control production planning for offset and digital printing. Integration at all levels With a high level of automation, printing presses can produce independently and reliably. The printer monitors the process and ensures quality. manroland web systems is closer to this aim than any of its competitors with the new operating concept and the fully automatic plate- (APL and APl logistics) and reel handling (AUROSYS). These and many more features are integrated into PECOM-X. The umbrella brand from manroland web systems combines all networking and automation functions for printing companies. PECOM-X structures these core competencies and divides overall networking and automation into clear product groups: evaluation/monitoring/diagnosis, planning/ workfl ow, operation/presetting, process/control, and drive/control. At these fi ve levels, the innovative software and hardware products from manroland web systems play their role in achieving effi cient, economic print production and fi nishing. Automation in web offset With a retrofi t or upgrade groundbreaking automation solutions can be integrated perfectly into existing offset production environments. The current PECOM-X generation makes even more extensive networking a reality. The new operating system controls the offset press and transforms the operator into a pilot who monitors all production processes from a central touch screen. Whenever mobility is the key factor, the printer simply uses the MobilPad control console. Fully automatic plate- and reel handling facilitate and speed up processes. The Inline Control Systems boost productivity. The offer includes inline control functions for ink density, color register, cut-off register, fan-out, and spectral control. Automation in digital printing Digital printing in an industrial dimension: manroland web systems has already realized this goal with many of its customers. The products have automated the digital workfl ow to the extent that it produces high print runs with full fl exibility and effi ciency. Central software in the process is Workfl owBridge, which gives the FoldLine folding unit or the FormerLine book block solution clear work instructions. The software ensures high-volume fi nishing and overall production. Workfl owBridge coordinates everything from intelligent job changeover, printing, fi nishing, reporting, and monitoring, as well as the connection to MIS systems. In this area, manroland web systems demonstrates its excellent skills as an integration partner. Automation optimizes hybrid printing A vision is taking shape: Every print job received can be immediately assigned to the production press that will achieve the greatest profi t. If the framework conditions of the job parameters or production conditions change, it is no problem, because digital and offset printing systems are coupled in an overarching solution, referred to at manroland web systems as “MasterQ”. No doubt, conventional offset printing and digital printing will continue to merge in the form of hybrid production systems. manroland web systems software solutions automate job planning before printing presses produce the printed products. The fully networked hybrid pressroom has become a reality. Offi cial Show Daily | PrintingNews.com GRAPH EXPO 16 | September 26, 2016 | 27


GraphExpo_ShowDaily_September_26_2016
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