Leeds Press on with JDF - 28/03/2006 - Tharstern Limited

28/03/2006 Leeds Press on with JDF

Leeds Press is probably amongst one of the first UK based printers to achieve a JDF workflow with Tharstern MIS and Heidelberg Press and Post-press equipment.

A general small to medium sized commercial printer, Leeds Press installed Tharstern MIS over 7 years ago as a 1 user system which they used for Estimating and Job Costing. Over the years they have expanded the role of their MIS to cover every aspect of their workflow, from e-commerce through to order through to delivery. Having recently stepped up to the next level by implementing a JDF workflow, Print I.T! thought it would be good to talk to Simon Crowther, Director, of Leeds Press about the reality of JDF for them.

What got you interested in JDF?

SC:  Running a company efficiently all depends on good communication by distributing information effectively in terms of getting the right bit to the right area or person. We have always wanted to get all of our kit connected to make our print workflow as automated as possible.  We originally used Tharstern’s Shop Floor Data Capture but we recognised by implementing a JDF workflow, we could achieve complete connectivity and achieve our goals even better than we already had.

As we are a relatively small company people often ask why JDF to achieve this? Quite simply having this mechanism in place means we have the right infrastructure from the beginning and so as we grow don’t have to deal with introducing a completely new structure at a later date, we can just keep on adding to our existing JDF workflow.

 

What machinery have you got connected?

SC:  Our MIS is integrated with our Press (Heidelberg SM74 5 colour with in-line coater), Guillotine (Polar 115D), Folder (Stahl TD78) and Sadllestitcher (Heidelberg ST100). Almost a complete workflow!

What is the downside?

SC:  It does require a degree of discipline when constructing an estimate to breakdown the details of the job and think how the job will be approached. As a result it takes a few more minutes to create an estimate but it saves time further down the line, so balances out.

Although some teething issues do exist they will get better and the number of benefits and savings at this early stage already outweigh the negatives.

What are the benefits?

SC:  Overall, we have achieved a greater level of accuracy and automation than we anticipated. We’ve speeded up our workflow, reduced our administration and got better accountability, time management and communication.

The JDF structure puts a lot of emphasis on the estimator to get the construction right at the beginning. It is no longer a matter of knocking together a quote for the sake of getting a price out but actually considering how the job is going to be achieved. As a result of this once an estimate becomes an order we know that it can be done, if it’s going to make us money and it reduces the amount of work to be done on the estimate post-order.

In addition, when the estimate becomes live, it doesn’t require the person who created it to be in work to fill in the blanks because all the necessary information is already there.

It also massively improves our communication as Tharstern carries the notes section of the estimate to the Press, so the operator can see any special requirements. Furthermore as information on a job changes, as it often does, it is immediately updated so everyone else knows straight away.

We have also witnessed a big increase in recovered costs of job extra’s as the MIS records any changes and production extra’s that weren’t originally anticipated in the estimate.

How will JDF affect the future for Leeds Press?

SC:  It gives us options that other printers won’t have. The benefits and savings are just going to keep growing at this stage and we now have a sound MIS and infrastructure in place to support us to grow. I don’t think JDF will ever eradicate a physical Job bag but eventually, as the JDF structure develops, we will be able to minimise the amount of information required. For example, eventually it will only carry colour samples and information that isn’t likely to change. Everything else will become part of the electronic Job Bag.

I also expect that as we grow as a company we will have the ability to run our company over multiple sites as JDF removes the need to physically follow a job around and we can always track it’s progress through Tharstern.