Production visibility to thrive in challenging times
Bill Riley, CEO, Ironsides Technologies
The printing industry has faced several challenges over
the last decade. We saw a reduction in print volume,
move to shorter print runs, rise in regulation, increase in
personalisation, all leading to squeezed margins.
Now, 2020 is presenting an entirely new set of challenges. In
order for the industry to adapt and adjust quickly, owners and
production managers must have real-time visibility into daily
work orders, operations and costs. Without it, they can’t
rightsize production schedules, determine staffi ng, ensure SLAs
and plan for the unexpected.
In the past, printers used manual reporting processes or
separate systems to track orders, work-in-process, and
reconciliation. This just won’t cut it anymore. It’s time
consuming, requires staff onsite, and humans are error prone.
Not having full real-time visibility is simply too big of a risk.
At a time when more people are working remotely, the best way
to achieve full production visibility is by leveraging automated
tracking and reporting software. Whether a manager is in
the production facility or working from home, automated
tracking and reporting software provides immediate access
to business analytics, reporting, work-in-process, and SLA
requirements – all in one central location. Managers can
maximize productivity, maintain document integrity, lower their
business risk and identify growth opportunities – even in the
most challenging times.
Automated tracking software has been around for more than
15 years. During the 2008 recession, one regional printer, who
saw its primary business evaporate overnight, was able to
reinvent itself through strategic print and software investments.
Incorporating automated tracking software to its production
environment, the printer built a profi table transactional business
in a highly regulated industry. The software provided the
reporting capabilities required in SLAs, verifi ed document
integrity and mitigated any risk the company faced entering a
new market. What could have been a risky move turned into a
growth opportunity.
Since then, automated tracking tools have added advanced
analytics and become easier to implement. Leveraging open
standards, this software seamlessly integrates into new
or existing production hardware and software systems.
This includes end-to-end tracking from pre-press through
production, fi nishing, bindery, sorting, packaging, shipping
and mailing. The software can adapt to any production print
environment providing data and cost analytics in real-time
across all systems and devices.
Printers operate in a just-in-time manufacturing environment
that requires real-time visibility into production processes. At
Ironsides Technology, we are the leader in open, automated
reporting systems and have a proven record in helping
customers gain insights into their production operations. Our
systems provide true end-to-end visibility into every job, every
device and every operator. Our software can be remotely
installed on any production fl oor for immediate benefi ts.
Customers can improve operational management, reduce the
risks of missed SLA’s, perform immediate cost analytics and
expand communication with clients and staff.
As the industry faces new challenges, visibility into print
operations allows owners and managers to stay agile, adjust
and thrive. If the last ten years have taught us anything, it’s that
automated technology helps the print industry to stay resilient,
identify new opportunities and weather any storm.
James Hansen
info@ironsidestech.com | +44 7713 191268
ADVERTORIAL
As we adapt to the Covid-19 issues, automated tracking
can help printers adjust to remote working, reduced staff
or shifting client demands. Here are 5 ways automated
tracking helps:
1. Instant access to production data and reporting
from anywhere in a one Command and Control central
dashboard that allows managers to track every job down
to the piece-level to see that it is produced correctly..
2. Mitigate risks and identify potential bottlenecks before
they impact production or SLAs with automated email
alerts linked to real-time production data.
3. Rightsize production schedules to maximize
productivity and effi ciency using detailed reporting and
analytics on work-in-process, machine throughput,
staffi ng and more.
4. Streamline the reconciliation and accounting process
by validating each job order and providing detailed
reporting to customers of how each job was produced,
assembled and accounted for. This speeds the client
reconciliation and invoicing process for faster payments.
5. Compare actual costs to estimates to truly understand
job and client margins and improve facility profi tability.
Visit our website
www.ironsidestech.com
/www.ironsidestech.com
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