COMPUTER-INTEGRATED MANUFACTURING -- Systems that Serve a Greater Good

Growth in the capabilities and use of online systems is impacting the traditional role played by CSRs and blurring the lines that previously defined the production workflow, agrees Christine Krause, workflow product marketing manager at Creo Inc. The onus is being put on the customer to handle some tasks that had been considered part of the print supplier's internal workflow, she explains. The impact can be dramatic, Krause adds, noting that one of Creo's early adopter customers reportedly has been able to reduce its CSR staffing by a factor of 10.