Production workflow is a broad topic. For different industries, it means different things. In furniture building, for example, there’s an efficient workflow that takes raw sheets of wood and eventually produces a finished, assembled piece. The same holds true for printing. To help us with our ‘manufacturing’ processes, we’ve built workflow tools to automate repetitive tasks.
In the early 1990s, production automation workflow tools were in their infancy. Today, they have become dominant in the printing and graphic arts industries. While originally used among larger commercial printers, the specialization of the different print applications spurred the growth of new products, or extensions of existing ones. So, if the ‘simple’ objective of a production workflow system is to receive art files from content originators and, as much as possible, automate the production process through the preparation of plates or files for print (including preflighting, separating them for each printing ink, trapping, step and repeat or imposition, etc.) why do so many different solutions flourish?
It turns out that the specialization of print applications has also helped drive the development of different workflows. While they all do many of the same things, each one has different approaches to production based upon the DNA of the vendor’s customers. You could say that the ‘genes’ of the workflow adapt to their primary working environments. Software vendors need to support the applications of their customers, and they introduce new tasks to make them happy. And so, workflows evolve to a specialized segment – be it commercial print, (and even digital print), publication printing, packaging, wide format, content originators, and more. This doesn’t mean that a specialized workflow can’t serve a different application. It just means that the way the workflow operates, or the options and tasks they include, may be more geared to that specific segment. Some workflow tool developers acknowledge that they can benefit from tools from other developers. Esko, for example, has integrated Global Vision QA tools and ColorCert from X-Rite Pantone. Dalim Software is working closely with Silicon Publishing for easier access between its asset management system and Adobe InDesign.
Start with the basic building blocks
Just about all workflows either start with, or contain, a basic list of tasks. These include preflighting files to check for printability, trapping, imposition, and a wide range of other options that would deal with rotating pages, ‘translating’ or preparing files in many different formats for output, and so on. Many of them offer a RIP, while others prepare a printable file format that could be digitized by a RIP.
One significant upgrade was editing capabilities. We all know that clients change content at the last minute – a typo is found, images are replaced, etc. So many workflows added ways to make last-minute type or image changes. This can be changes to type, additions or changes to images, or even retouching existing artwork. Most often, this would be either to the internal file format of the workflow, or to a native PDF file. Many of these graduated to proofing, offering either different versions of softproofing (for content or for colour), and outputting to digital print devices for hard proofs. They have also added colour management – some to assure colour matches across all print processes, and some to also provide new benefits, such as those delivered from extended gamut printing. But, from there, while the applications they’ve adopted are somewhat similar, the execution of the tasks differs significantly. To explain how different they’ve become, let’s compare two highly successful but quite diverse versions: Esko Software Platform 16 and Dalim Software Twist and ES 5.
Built for the audiences they serve
The production workflows of both Dalim and Esko are products of their environments. Dalim Software’s Twist was arguably the first connected, tool-based workflow. It immediately found its way to larger commercial printers who usually had large contracts with publishers. So, as additional tools were created, they were developed to serve content for both high-volume printers and the publishers they served. From there, they progressed to assist design and advertising agencies that were involved in the supply chain.
Meanwhile, Esko’s Suite of prepress tools was developed for a very different print segment. It’s legacy, from Barco, served predominantly package printers – from labels to flexible to corrugated. As the dominant print technology, flexo matured. So did tools to offer more sophisticated options for printing impactful packages for store shelves. As the complete packaging supply chain got involved in the process, so did tools to serve brand owners, package design firms and retailers.
This is not to suggest that Dalim Software and Esko only serve the markets we describe in this article. For example, Esko has a number of wide format printers who rely on their workflow every day. Meanwhile, Dalim Software has in its customer base package printers, design agencies, publishers and brand owners who succeed with their tools. There are also wide format printers who produce their graphics with their workflow.
Managing content
Both vendors have learned through their customers that asset management systems are extremely important. Beyond keeping control of files and centralizing, managing, collaborating and sharing files, they do one important thing: the print provider can build a very tight relationship with the brand owner.
Dalim developed one itself. It focuses on keeping control of files – which not only covers an effective way to manage project files, but also rights management. This is not surprising, given that Dalim has a background in publishing with content originators, including design and ad agencies. The software also provides very powerful ‘collections’ from which content originators can select preferred images to extend the workflow capabilities of the service provider into the marketing departments of brand owners and retailers.
Esko, on the other hand, took the route of acquiring digital asset management specialist MediaBeacon. Esko’s strategy was to digitize and integrate the entire packaging production workflow system – from design to finished packs and displays in the store. Increasing pressure on error-free and timely production of brand expressions across a diverse media range (such as packaging, in-store displays and online and printed advertising) turned an integrated solution into a “cornerstone” workflow for both print service providers and brand owners.
One function that has been added to workflows recently is collaboration, which takes one form or another. Many of them can create business workflows, giving certain players review or approval rights. If the correct people don’t provide an OK, the project is held up until they do. These collaborative efforts can include task management, participation from outside partners, and editing rights. Overall, it depends on the workflow.
Links to outside systems
While most workflows connect to outside systems (typically MIS), some connect to web-to-print, content/asset management systems, MIS, and order-entry systems (where the product specs are entered by the order admin people and are taken through the workflow) among many others. For instance, Esko can connect directly to brand owner databases to access packaging copy (ingredients, use instructions, etc.), to make sure that the printer is placing the most recent, approved versions onto the artwork. Certainly, workflow tools are built to complete certain applications and products, and this means that specific workflow tools are a better fit for some companies than others. It’s also important to acknowledge that some serve a wider range of stakeholders in the supply chain than just the printer, converter or publisher. This means that tools are built to assist these people as well.
New tools
Based upon the targets that a workflow primarily serves, new and different tools are often developed. For example, Dalim Software created a powerful, visual way to help publishers create flatplans, including approval processes. They also developed ePUB, a tool that takes a PDF file and automatically creates online flip books with embedded links, slide shows, videos and more. To help those service companies that have expanded, they provide video approval and transcoding (on multiple platforms) with annotations in the timeline and a connector for third-party tools. Along with Esko, they provide 3D viewing capabilities. Serving its packaging base, Esko created ArtPro+, a comprehensive set of tools that allows operators to prepare artwork for print production directly from PDF files. It uses true spectral colour data, guaranteeing an accurate colour experience. A unique task-driven tool switcher enables prepress professionals to work faster.
Lessons learned
So basically, workflows have evolved based upon their DNA, which was developed over time due primarily to specialization of print applications. But what does this mean for anyone who’s looking for a new production workflow system? It means that while every workflow can work for you, there are some that are tailored better, depending upon the work you do and the legacy of the vendor. For example, Dalim Software and Esko have been around more than twenty years and have been business-critical components for their customers’ operations. All in all, the answer might reside in your shop’s own genes. It’s whichever does more of the things you really need, and ultimately, what you’re comfortable with.
Moving forward
Today’s sophisticated workflow software performs many functions you may currently be doing manually or not doing at all. This software reduces “touchpoints” and will save money, employee hours, resources and other expenses. One U.S. study estimated that employees not using this software can waste up to 25% of their time with tasks not involved in their area of expertise. Today’s workflow systems are complete end-to-end systems that enable you to manage all aspects of your business in one solution. Most can be customized, come with ongoing tech support and you don’t need to invest in costly servers. Of course, there are challenges. Staff may resist change, especially if it involves new technology, and so you must ensure 100% compliance. Next, make sure you implement a program that can be adapted quickly as your business evolves, including integration with your equipment’s current workflow.
One way to grow with a system is by adopting the ‘software as a service’ model from the Cloud. With a SaaS system, the vendor hosts and manages the services. Customers choose the solution they need and run their business without increasing IT overhead and potential complexities from software upgrades. Printers also benefit from more flexibility. For example, when demand spikes, subscriptions simplify the process by adding additional software. Clients can better manage cash flow and operational costs.
With greater demands from customers upstream and others downstream to get involved in the creation of printed materials, comes the need to communicate faster and more accurately with them. You’ll need to assess how you want to communicate with everyone in the supply chain and how effectively existing collaboration tools fulfill those requirements. Finally, workflow software is only as good as the information you input – so be absolutely meticulous about accuracy.
Workflow jams and how to avoid them
One of the most concise articles I’ve seen on workflow problems comes from writer Bill Michael, eMarketing Manager (Social and Web Marketing) at Xerox. Below are some of the edited highlights from his online post.
With growing pressure to deliver more jobs in less time, efficiency is high on the list in print shops. Anything that slows workflow is bad for business, so it pays to identify problems at the earliest possible stage.
Sluggish prepress. More time wasted in prepress is less time spent generating revenue. The cause, most often, is inefficient manual decision-making. Automate tasks like file inspection, preflighting, error checking, imposition and cropping, and you’ll save valuable time. Also, configure hot folders to optimize the most important job types and reduce touch points wherever possible.
Dispersed variable data. Customers today are putting more variable data into their print and cross-media campaigns. That’s a great opportunity to prove your value as a printer with the skills of a marketing services provider. But it’s also a chance for bottlenecks to appear if your data management isn’t under control. To avoid conflicting information, your Variable Data Printing processes should be designed, executed and measured using a single solution. With the right print server and production suite, variable jobs can be created in minutes instead of hours or days. To ensure transparency, integrate web-to-print with your variable-data system so jobs can be tracked and reported in one place.
Low visibility. Nothing kills workflows like blind spots. Know precisely where jobs are in their print journey. Have central dashboards that bring all relevant information together for staff to monitor – but keep customers informed throughout. Clients should get regular job-status notifications sent by email or viewed online. Likewise, automatic job ticketing and error notifications keep your staff informed of any workflow issues as they arise.
Workflow silos. Set up great workflows for individual processes and you’ll save time at each stage. But put all the pieces together, and there’s a good chance you’ll find gaps at the seams. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and an automated workflow loses strength when it relies on human touches to bind it together. Silos can have deep foundations. You may have traditionally covered all your needs with separate workflows for digital monochrome, colour and offset presses, but take a step back and redundancies start to show. The best-automated job in your shop will stop dead if the finishing process isn’t automated and integrated as well.