EDITOR'S notebook

Debate over JDF, CIP4 and computer-integrated manufacturing will lose steam.

Eventually these protocols and operating standards will become seamless. For our industry to move forward, equipment from various manufacturers must be able to communicate information to each other, whether through the Job Definition Format (JDF), CIP4 or whatever iterations evolve from them. Likewise, printers must be able to eliminate redundancy in their operations—from inputting job specs and the generation of invoices, to automated presettings for equipment to reduce makereadies and waste while maximizing quality and productivity. It's no secret that we lag other manufacturing industries when it comes to process automation. Since pricing pressure and razor-thin margins aren't going away, the only way to still make a buck will be to continually drive human intervention, long cycle times and inept management out of the equation. You can bank on that.