DATA INTEGRATION -- Tooling Up for CIM

"You need someone with expertise upfront deciding how a job is gong to be produced," he continues. "This person is going to have to understand the capabilities of all the equipment and the implications of how the workflow is set up, as well as have a handle on schedules."

Press believes CIM support will be a competitive advantage for the pioneering management system vendors. "Printers typically go through a major management system upgrade every five to 10 years, so they may be willing to switch systems at that point to get CIM capabilities," he says.