Workflow management technology in the printing industry
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The world today has entered the information age and is moving towards the era of knowledge economy. For our traditional printing industry, information technology has also provided tremendous support for its development, and at the same time promoted the transformation of the printing industry. As printing equipment moves toward a comprehensive digital direction, in order to continuously improve the efficiency of manufacturing systems and reduce manufacturing costs, different digital workflows should emerge in response to market demand.
1. Definition of the printing workflow
The workflow stems from the production organization and office automation. It is a concept that is proposed for activities with fixed procedures in daily work. The purpose of the proposed work is to perform these tasks and monitor them according to certain rules and procedures by breaking down the work into well-defined tasks and roles. Achieve the goal of improving work efficiency, reducing production costs, improving production and management levels and competitiveness of enterprises.
Workflows in the printing industry mean different things to different suppliers. The traditional workflow is only for the prepress field, such as Creo's Prinergy Connect; for Heidelberg's Prinect system, the workflow is a broad and comprehensive approach that covers the For all aspects of prepress processing, printing and finishing; for Xerox, their workflow is defined from the customer's perspective: the entire end-to-end process, from creating an assignment or document to printing, shipping, invoicing .
2. Why do you need workflow management technology?
People often think that we already have the best equipment, the best employees and the most effective internal management mechanism. Why should we continue to invest in workflow management? This is because advanced unit technology helps to solve the technical bottleneck of the enterprise and thus improve the competitiveness of the enterprise. However, if the unit technologies cannot be coordinated with each other and become an organic whole, the maximum potential of the manufacturing system they constitute cannot be excavated. From another perspective, this is also a waste of resources (funds).
However, the management of the printing workflow is to solve the problem of coordination and optimization of the printing manufacturing system. This is because:
2.1 Workflow technology is often used to automate processes, helping users achieve or achieve overall business goals by passing documents, information, or tasks between participants in accordance with pre-defined rules and procedures.
2.2 Workflow technology is usually a better way to implement BRP process or ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), because workflow technology provides separation of business process logic from its information support system and implements application logic. Separated from process logic. This approach has significant advantages in enterprise applications. It can improve system performance by modifying (redefining) the process model without modifying the specific functional module implementation (hardware system, operating system, data system, user interface, etc.) to achieve partial or full integration of the production and operation process. Management, effectively organize people, information and application tools reasonably, improve the reuse rate of software, and maximize the effectiveness of the system;
2.3 Workflow technology can support enterprises to achieve process control and decision support for business management and production organization. It enables modern businesses to “deliver appropriate information to the right people at the right time”;
2.4 The workflow system can also provide the system log function, which provides important data for post-mortem analysis and process optimization of the operation of the business process.
Therefore, without good production processes and workflow management software, the enterprise's manufacturing system will be like running on the lame, eventually missing out on real development opportunities and even affecting the business.
Workflow software in print manufacturing can focus on every step of every production task in the entire production process system. After connecting the MIS system and the accounting system, it can solve all problems from prepress to postpress processing. All in all, workflows have the advantage of cost savings, reduced staff, increased profits, and access to new services.
3. Developing print workflow
The establishment of a digital production environment is driving the process of modern printing. The digitization of the workflow creates the fastest path between the final print and the digital file. Currently, most manufacturers' print workflows are mostly based on PDF workflows. For example, Prinergy Connect is a PDF-based prepress workflow and content management tool for organizing prepress and plate production; the internal data of ElecRoc is PDF, which contains the creation and printing of jobs. Before, printing, and printing.
As many printers are looking for the idea of working with both digital and offset printing, integrating the digital printing and offset workflows is one of the trends in the printing process. This can more effectively utilize the advantages of short-run color printing. It can be digitally printed or digitally printed after offset printing. It can be produced by offset printing on an order. However, if the additional printing is about 1000 copies, it can be produced by digital printing. Therefore, we require a workflow that optimizes both digital and offset printing, and requires a digital printing-oriented workflow and an offset-oriented workflow to minimize the operator's ability to print in both formats. Steps to improve work efficiency.
The adoption of an “open standard” approach to workflow is another trend in the development of the printing process. As more and more suppliers develop a variety of processes, we not only require processes from the same vendor to seamlessly connect, but also require seamless connectivity between processes from different vendors. If it can't be seamlessly connected, it will inevitably lead to the “information island” of the process, and these islands cannot share and exchange information correctly and efficiently, which will seriously hinder the improvement of printing enterprise technology, management level and establish an ideal. CIMS. In the printing industry, this "open standard" technology is regarded as JDF (Job Definition Format) provided by CIP4 (International Cooperation for the Integration of Prepress, Press, Postpress and Process). JDF data covers the entire production process and includes the following information: primary data, product descriptions, process descriptions, equipment used, process operations, and records. At present, more and more workflows can be seen in the market to support JDF: For example, Prinergy Connect can import resident and non-resident job tickets (JDF format) from Preps and other imposition application software into Prinergy operations; Founder ElecRoc uses the JDF interpreter to ensure that the workflow supports JDF.
The automation of workflow is an inevitable requirement and goal of the development of the printing process. Currently, Prinergy Connect automates part of the workflow with hot folder technology. The so-called hot folder is automatically triggered when the incoming file is found in this folder. The software that processes the files periodically checks the folder location and automatically processes the files in it. For example, Prinergy Connect uses the hot folder to automatically refine the PostScrip, EPS or PDF files into the required PDF files according to the refinement processing scheme in the pre-configured refiner; EnfocusPitstop Server uses it to automate the pre-checking and editing of PDF files. .
The workflow ultimately needs to cover the entire process from order to delivery. We will not only be able to manage and optimize the prepress process, but also manage the process of printing, printing and sending. In this way, we can truly achieve the management and optimization of the entire process of printing manufacturing, and provide favorable conditions for the realization of CIMS in the printing industry. With the support of JDF, it is completely possible to achieve in the near future.
4. How to choose a workflow
There are many ready-made prepress workflows on the market, and their solutions generally include work preflight, editing, soft proofing, digital proofing, trapping, grouping, job tracking and archive saving. On this basis, the workflows of different vendors will add their own special functional services, such as Prinergy Connect's PDF file refinement, DotSchop screening plug-in, spot color management and virtual proofing system VPS (Virtual Proof System). These workflow systems are mostly client/server based, so processes can be distributed across multiple workstations or processors. Thereby optimizing system resources and improving production efficiency. In addition, this workflow solution can compress large files and reduce network traffic between workstations.
In addition to purchasing off-the-shelf workflows, you can also assemble a workflow that you have built yourself. In the workflow that you set up, you must obtain all the independent software required for prepress production except hardware devices; a Scripting expert is required to ensure that all independent workflow functions are integrated into an automated whole; a process engineer is required Analyze and model the process and propose a meaningful process management solution.
Before deciding whether to establish or purchase a workflow, you must first consider the cost issue. Its bottom line is the profit and loss point, at least to maintain the balance of payments; then consider the prepress production requirements. Heavy workloads, complex design and speed requirements of the platesetter generally require the selection of a ready-made prepress workflow system; secondly, the technical level of your prepress department. If you build your own workflow, you need a skilled prepress operator.
If you decide to purchase a ready-made workflow, the technical training and technical services of the product will need to be considered. Only good technical support can make good work processes perform well in production, truly improve work efficiency, save costs, increase profits, and enhance the competitiveness of enterprises.
As printing jobs show a trend of increased short-lived work, increased complexity of jobs, increased management costs, and the development of JDF, workflow management technology will continue to mature and improve, and will certainly be the printing industry. Come to a better future.