Better Accuracy,
Data Security
While faster turnaround times and
cost effi ciencies are valuable benefi ts of
workfl ow automation, Pitney Bowes VP
of global production print, Kevin Marks,
emphasizes that the technology is
about more than saving time and money.
It’s about quality control. “As it relates
to critical client communications,
we think about the consequences of an
ineffi cient or leaky workfl ow,” he said.
“We think about regulatory imperatives
like HIPAA. If I am in health insurance
and, for example, information gets into
the wrong document somehow, that
can mean regulatory consequences,
bad press in Th e Wall Street Journal,
and heavy fi nes. For many companies,
getting the fl ow of work right is absolutely
critical.”
Pieruccini adds that the more handsoff
a workfl ow is, the more accurate
it tends to be. “When humans get
involved, there tend to be issues,” she
said. “When you automate the work,
though, you can see who touched it and
what processes it went through, and
you are able to audit those processes.”
Also related to workflow, capability
is also growing in importance
as PSPs expand their production
environments. “Different printing
technologies, such as offset, digital,
inkjet, and wide-format devices, all
require a unique workflow process,”
said Rouhana. “In addition, personalized
communications and cross-media
technologies, such as e-mail,
SMS, and PURLs (personalized
URLs), require highly sophisticated
workflows. These changes warrant
changes in the way print providers
think about their workflow.”
Evaluating Solutions
While many PSPs recognize the benefi
ts of workfl ow automation, selecting
the right solution comes with its
challenges.
“In terms of what print providers
need to do before installing a system,
a lot of them don’t know what they
need,” said Young. “They know they
need to automate, but they haven’t
done an analysis on what their
limitations are and what they are
looking to become.”
He adds that some customers have
issues managing a large amount of
customization, while others struggle
with turnaround times. “For others, it is
cost,” he said. “It is not a one-size-fi ts-all
kind of thing. Th e solution itself will
also depend on the personnel. If you
don’t have a person who can be dedicated
to running the system, that will
determine which systems will work for
you, and which won’t.”
Pieruccini advises PSPs to formulate
a long-term strategy when looking for a
workfl ow automation solution. “Oft en
when service providers shop, they are
shopping for something in reaction to
a problem,” she said. “A customer got
the wrong pages, and that was a huge
issue for the customer, and a violation
of regulations. So, the print provider
reacts by looking for a tool for insertion
management. Instead, they need to be
proactive. Th ey need to make their production
environment more transparent
overall, so they can prevent issues – not
react to them.”
That requires an integrated,
end-to-end solution, says Tarpey.
“Systems that include tools for online
estimating and ordering, online
proofing, order status, and shipping
notifications help empower the
customers, giving them more control
over the whole print ordering process,
and leading to greater satisfaction
and increased loyalty,” he said.
Ayelet Szabo-Melamed, director of
marketing for XMPie, agrees. “While
workflow automation typically
covers improving the workflow for
processing the jobs once they’ve
arrived, you must not overlook how
critical it is to efficiently acquire the
jobs in the first place. A web-to-print
solution is important for automating
job acquisition, and one that can connect
to other tools, such as an MIS,
is important.”
According to Rouhana, the ideal
workfl ow solution should have the
fl exibility to address a breadth of
resources and processes. “Specifi cations,
such as JDF (Job Defi nition Format)
and JMF (Job Messaging Format),
support interoperability within a
production workfl ow, making it possible
to achieve unprecedented levels
of automation in digital printing
environments,” he said.
For many PSPs, the complexity of all
this is nothing short of mind-boggling.
“We may go in and ask, ‘What kind of
MIS system do you have?’” said Young.
“A lot of times, they don’t know.”
Marie-Pierre Belanger, VP of digital
solutions for Pitney Bowes, advises
PSPs to stay committed to automating
their workflow, even with the
technological headwinds involved.
“These tools can tell exactly how you
are using the capacity you have,” she
said. “You might be onboarding a lot
of small jobs, but not running them
on the right technology. Related to
human resources, it is an environment
and a market where it can be
hard to find the best operators to run
equipment. So, we have the ability
now to measure operator performance.
Are they making errors, are
there redos, or are they stopping the
Asking All the
Right Questions
Before you make a purchasing decision
on a new workfl ow automation
product, you’ll have plenty to
think about. Here are Tarpey’s top questions
to ask both your own personnel
and potential partners in this space:
• Are you committed to making a
change, and is your team willing to
put in the time and effort required?
• Do you have an understanding of
your current workfl ow, and of how
you see it working with the software?
What are your core, must-have
requirements?
• How much will it cost, including any
modules you may need to purchase?
• What is the subscription model?
SaaS or purchased? Is it cloud or
locally hosted?
• What are the costs of implementation
and maintenance? Are there
hardware costs?
• Training – how long does it take to get
up and running? Is training included
or extra?
• Technical resources – do you have
the IT capacity to manage the hardware
and software?
• What about integration with existing
applications? Are there API and IT
costs involved to use it?
• Is it a good fi t for both your current
and future needs?
20 Printing News August 2018 PrintingNewscom
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