MIS to Workflow Integration: Getting Production to Flow

Having years of experience with its previous system gave Lane Press a big leg up in terms of figuring out how to capitalize on the rich data set, according to Gaffney. "There is a learning curve, for sure, in analyzing how jobs are running and looking at how to improve your internal processes."

The printer elected to implement the system as a tool to guide operators, rather than automating or moving certain functions upstream. There is a warning light that is illuminated when the count hits the 1,000 impressions-to-go mark, but the decision of exactly when to stop the press is still left up to the operator rather than the machine cutting off automatically. Also, the production office organizes jobs for the presses so the operators can just follow the queue order; but they can change that order if there's an issue with the plates, paper or whatever, Luck says.