Taking the Job Ticket Digital

The purpose of an electronic job ticket is to convey information relative to the production of a print job. Simple, yet complex, these virtual managers may offer a few surprises—but they won't replace the paper trail, just yet.

BY MARIE RANOIA ALONSO

The electronic job ticket is not a practical replacement for the existing paper system. Odd but true. It is impossible to carry the electronic job ticket around a printing plant for continuous reference, as required during setup and the actual run.

Clearly, then, the electronic job ticket has significant advantages over the time-honored paper system, when it comes to updating critical information. In this respect, today's digital job ticket renders the more mundane, yet well-proven, paper trail a bit obsolete.

"It's impractical to think that an employee at a busy commercial printing company can just view the electronic job ticket and be able to complete complex operations on any given print job without referring back to the job ticket several times," admits Dennis Stroud, vice president of sales and marketing at Norwalk, CT-based Programmed Solutions. "This is why investing in a printer and a monitor to view the electronic job ticket throughout the production process deserves serious consideration."

Question: Do today's commercial printers embrace electronic job tickets, implement that technology successfully into their established print production workflows—and best utilize electronic job tickets for continuous tracking of prepress, press and postpress productivity?

First, a commercial printer must frame its investigation of electronic job ticketing technologies around its current print production requirements, Stroud advises. The printer should stack and rank each of its print production parameters, then comprise a list of realistic objectives with which the shop can live. He offers the following suggestions for those commercial printers deliberating whether or not to take the electronic job ticketing plunge:

• Keep in mind that the electronic job ticket is not a practical replacement for any existing paper system. Implementation of the electronic job ticket must be combined with the commercial printing operation's inherent need for actual, printed, operating instructions.
• Don't get stuck on the past; just because a new, digital system may not track print production exactly the way an existing, more traditional, system tracks it, do not dismiss the new model. The result may be a better print production tracking system, combining both electronic ticketing with paper records.
• Don't get caught up in the glitter and glamour of the "bells and whistles" featured with some electronic job ticketing solutions. Make life easy: Concentrate on the practical applications, the most basic and logical needs that exist in any given print production environment for the electronic job ticket. Get those needs addressed—then opt for bells and whistles, if desired.

What are some "bells and whistles"?

• There is a growing movement in the electronic job ticketing market—case in point, Virtual Ticket by Meta Communications—to empower the job ticket with digital asset management intelligence that automatically establishes relationships between digital assets and specific print jobs or customers.
• There is also a slow, but seemingly emerging, push to utilize the World Wide Web for electronic job ticketing, which gives customers easy access to any given print job's production status.
• The customized job ticket is all the rage right now—allowing prepress and commercial printing firms to design and create their own custom fields within the digital job ticket. This new perk can be a big plus for commercial printers, because it allows management at commercial shops to maximize internal efficiency.

To some extent, all are significant. In every respect, necessary components can be best determined by individual commercial printers after undertaking a thorough internal study of digital infrastructure goals and existing print production tracking needs.

"Every printer has different needs, and each will want its own design. That's not an unrealistic expectation," contends electronic job ticketing pioneer Nick Orem, president of Logic Associates, the originator of JobWorks. "However, commercial printing executives need to broaden their thinking when going electronic. They are no longer bound by the limitations of paper and preprinted forms."

For instance, Orem continues, it's easy to create distinct job tickets for different production streams, without having to allow space for extraneous information onto a single, catchall ticket. The flexibility that electronics enables can be an important tool. "The ideal job ticket is not a passive device; it has to be able to support the tools the customer wants to use," Orem emphasizes.

As part of the selection and implementation process for any new electronic job ticketing system, Prograph suggests putting together a list of all the reports that make up a set of job instructions within any given printing operation's current workflow.

Marc Olin, president of Prograph, advises that, when making an evaluation of electronic job ticketing software, a commercial printer should determine if all of the operation's current workflow instructions can be produced within any given digital system—and if the new digital system's existing report formats can fit into the old workflow. Also, the commercial printing executive needs to consider any legacy systems that need to be kept in place, and whether or not the new digital ticketing system will interface with them.

"Our best advice is to investigate the depth of each area of the electronic job ticketing system that you are considering, especially if the system under consideration is a comprehensive, automated print management system that incorporates job ticketing. While it may appear that a print management system can produce an electronic job ticket, does it really represent all the complexity you need to track your jobs?" Olin asks, with caution.

"An insert printer customer of ours had just gone through two other popular print management systems, removing each after the firm discovered that the systems could not track job details," he adds. "While these systems did produce a press ticket, neither produced one showing all of the insert versions with the required quantities and shipping information."

Lesson to be learned: Research thoroughly before buying. "When you do consider a print management system, try to create your most complex job with it to verify that the system is not placing important job instruction details in a notes field," Olin advises. "If the data is in a note, it cannot be used to help manage your production processes or be integrated with other applications."

Olin reports that Prograph is completing a new shipping module in its job ticket suite, which allows a plant to list all shipments that need to be sent out for a job. These shipments can be specified to include bound books, printed signatures or individual tear sheets. The system calculates the weight of these shipments automatically and interfaces with the Aristo APSS freight tracking system for automatic freight rating and tracking, as well as creating manifests.

Likewise, Programmed Solutions' Print Management System is a complete job planning tool set that calculates waste and running speeds, determines production times and computes material requirements for inventory commitments. A custom job ticket generator enables the user to build custom job tickets or use the standard job ticket options. The Programmed Solutions system also offers on-screen viewing of job-related image files stored in its image file library, which can index and access files by job, estimate or description.

What else is out there?

An open architecture solution, Hagen OA combines the electronic production ticket with shop floor data collection, scheduling and alteration information. As employees begin work on a print job, they are notified of any alteration or production notes related to that specific job. "Hagen provides a high degree of flexibility with its electronic job ticket options," reports Mike Johnson, production modules product manager. "We provide access to vital job planning data through our job specifications display, in which job specs updated during the estimate merge with override and manual-entry options in the job data screen. Hagen also provides clients with 'free' fields—a user-defined field embedded in the job tracking screens, which allow the client to define optional or required data elements for use during the production process."

Logic Associates' JobWorks features an electronic job ticketing component, JobVista, that connects both to Logic's own printing-specific database and, via OLE links, to outside applications. JobVista features a powerful, easy-to-use, design kit that lets commercial printers start with a blank screen and build their own ticket or suite of tickets to spec.

The complete Logic package offers comprehensive modules from estimating and scheduling to shipping and billing, and connects via proprietary DMI and AutoCount technology to real-time shop floor data collection. Logic's client/server architecture allows the installation of as many screens or data entry points as needed and circulates the information throughout the plant instantly.

Meta Communications' Virtual Ticket is an electronic job ticketing solution that combines an electronic filing cabinet for print production parameters with digital asset management. Virtual Ticket 1.0 is a client/server software package designed for organizations that work by job or product and need to manage digital assets daily. Virtual Ticket allows users to create custom job tickets and forms electronically, from change order forms to proofing status and shipping forms.

Micro Ink's voyage into electronic job ticketing takes place within its Enterprise 2000 version 5.0, a Windows-based shop management system. It handles all functions of quoting, job costing, job tracking and inventory control by utilizing open database architecture, Microsoft Access or Microsoft SQL server. Enterprise is a complete GUI application available in two versions: a 16-bit version, using Microsoft Access as the underlying database engine, and a 32-bit, true client/server application, using the Microsoft SQL server as the underlying database engine. All modules can be accessed via Web browser technology.

Professional Systems, a software developer and retailer, develops its own electronic job ticketing programs based on consultations with the commercial printer. Focused on the electronic job docket, Professional Systems offers data transport via LAN, WAN, Internet or intranet, as well as the flexibility of various operating systems, including DOS, Windows, Macintosh and UNIX. "The flexibility of using different operating platforms in one commercial printing installation offers several PC hardware options," suggests Jurgen Fischenich, vice president of Professional Systems.

Fischenich urges commercial printers to explore the electronic job ticket option, noting "the electronic job ticket must be fully integrated into the existing production management system" to reap the electronic job docket's full potential.

Carol Andersen, president of Micro Ink, offers some practical tips to prospective electronic job ticketing users.

"The most difficult barrier we face with new clients is training them to think differently about their job tickets—especially those customers who have not used software-generated tickets before. Almost immediately, they want us to customize the ticket, allowing the ticket to incorporate every possible process that could occur within a print job, creating a myriad of check boxes and line items."

This is not always a good idea. As a final thought, Micro Ink's Andersen leaves Printing Impressions with food for thought.

"When customers first make the move to electronic job tickets, we urge them to work within a standard ticket format before jumping onto the customization wagon. Once they see that the standard electronic job ticket already gives them every bit of information for any particular print job, they often decide against the customized version."

Perhaps it's wise to first embrace the electronic ticket—then try to change it, for a custom fit. True, different vendors support different stances on the merits of customizing the job tickets; for example, Meta Communications is in full support of the customized electronic docket. What is most important is that the end user feels the same.

The Elusive Ticket. . .
To Customize or Not?

The definition of an electronic job ticket is elusive. For an adequate definition, one must first consider the paper job ticket: what it is, what it does and how it works. Traditional paper job tickets contain numerous types of information: order information, job specifications, prepress, press and postpress instructions, customer alterations and delivery instructions.

For this reason, job tickets become the focal point of a job. Unfortunately, once a ticket has left your desk for production, it's gone! With a paper job ticket, you may be in for a long search if you need to change or confirm any information.

The Customization Alternative
The information contained in a job ticket extends well beyond the abilities of traditional printer management systems. An effective solution must be customizable to fit both the content and presentation of a job's information. Users should be able to find the information pertinent to their job without the burdens of extraneous details. The information they get must be clear and relevant. Equally important is the ability to track changes and alterations, an inevitable occurrence once the ticket is in production. In addition, electronic job ticketing should be able to encompass everything from one department to an entire company without changing a printer's workflow.

Information supplied by Meta Communications, makers of Virtual Ticket job ticketing software.

Implementing the Smartest Ticket
A Talk with Hagen's Gerald Walsh

Hagen's Gerald Walsh, vice president of market development, spoke with Printing Impressions recently about the changing role of the electronic job ticket, on implementing the right ticket and the role that the Internet may play in the next generation of e-tickets.

PI: What are the most significant changes presently impacting electronic job ticketing?

Walsh: "Real-time information with presentation flexibility. Access to critical, up-to-date information is the most promising feature of the electronic job ticket. The ability to make production decisions based on the latest available information presented in a logical and readable format. Alterations, internal changes, accurate counts and important notes are right at users' finger tips. The electronic ticket becomes a clearinghouse for the information needed for successful production."

PI: When considering investing in electronic job ticketing technology, what should printers keep in mind?

Walsh: "Flexibility will determine, to a great extent, the success or failure of any electronic job ticket implementation. Ownership of the ticket by management and production personnel is critical. If the ticket doesn't contain the information your people deem necessary—in a format they can understand—they won't use the ticket. And, incomplete utilization of an electronic ticket can eliminate many of the benefits of the process."

PI: What role might the Internet play in the future of electronic job ticketing—allowing the customer to check job status and production parameters via the World Wide Web?

Walsh: "Internet/intranet technology has already become an important part of our installations. We offer a browser-based data collection option with access to vital job information. We've also implemented the browser-based Production Desktop, a snapshot of the shop floor—providing management with a local or remote, real-time view of what's happening on the production floor.

"And, some of our clients provide their clients with the ability to enter a request for estimate, check the status of a job, view a low-res proof or look up job history over the Internet.

"The Internet will have a greater impact in the near future, as printers work with their clients to provide 24/7, two-way communication. Again, flexibility will be the key—selection of a system that has the ability to adapt as a business changes will determine any success or failure."

The ROI Ticket
Electronic Job Tickets: Deployment Is Delicate

The following ROI advice was submitted by Dennis Stroud, vice president of sales and marketing at Programmed Solutions—manufacturers of the Print Management System, a complete job planning tool set that calculates waste and running speeds, determines production times and computes material requirements for inventory commitments.

"Convincing ROI analysis and compelling arguments about the need for fast, accurate, information dissemination have fueled the interest in electronic job tickets. Most of the justifications are predicated on the costs associated with not having the most current information, at the right place and at the right time.

"Long before electronic job tickets, high-profit printers instituted a series of checks and balances to minimize house errors due to missed timing resulting from a poor flow of information. If reducing costs due to errors is your justification for the electronic job ticket, I suggest you fix the problem—not the symptom. The problem is most often procedural-based. Keep in mind that a computerized system makes a good system better and a poor system worse.

"Today, most management information systems offer some form of electronic job ticket capabilities; typically, this involves nothing more than diverting a standard printed ticket to the screen. Other systems offer full control over the use of fonts and color to bring attention to specific areas within the document.

"Unless a commercial printing operation's current system uses PC, Macintosh or dumb terminal platforms for data collection, electronic job ticket deployment requires a substantial investment in hardware. Even with PCs, Macs and dumb terminals collecting data, a commercial printing site may need to increase the horsepower to fully exploit the true benefit of the electronic job ticket using font and color controls.

"If electronic job tickets are in any specific commercial printing operation's future, and that operation is shopping for hardware, there are several manufacturers from which to choose. When shopping, considerations should include PCs connected to LAN (Local Area Networks), WAN (Wide Area Networks) Winframe, Citrix (thin client networks) and intranet and Internet (browser-based solutions). Browser-based electronic job ticketing systems using intranets and Internets are still in the early stages of development.

"Whichever solution is selected, electronic job tickets—like any productivity tools—will only yield results when management makes the commitment that the tool be used to its fullest extent."