Pitney Bowes Emtex Software, the leading provider of Output Management (OM) and Automated Document Factory (ADF) solutions, announces the new Production Intelligence architecture. Production Intelligence provides a new strategic architecture to integrate print and mail workflow to improve document production control, integrity and efficiency. It automatically gathers real-time data about every aspect of a print and mail operation and connects islands of information, enabling operations to schedule, control, track and manage jobs, resources, devices and operators. Print and mail operations can now use a single dashboard to control, manage and track production workflow and measure performance and enforce benchmarks for productivity, service level commitments and compliance requirements.

Until recently, even the most forward thinking print and mail operations attempted to tackle document production improvement initiatives as two separate departments, focused on collecting critical print and mail data to derive key performance indicators to maximize performance. However, most are often stopped short due to manually intensive data collection processes, lack of data consistency, and the need for internal IT assistance.

The Production Intelligence architecture is designed to expedite and facilitate efficiency and integrity across the production print and mail environment and to the enterprise for an optimized mailstream so business users can spend less time looking for information. The new platform integrates production print and mail environments by unifying diverse production control systems so every mail piece can be identified, tracked, routed across its lifecycle, from printing and inserting to reprinting, tracking and delivery. As a result, the collection, monitoring and tracking across both environments provides key stakeholders with critical job workload planning and modeling tools, job and resource forecasting and scheduling, SLA management, and end–to-end job and mail-piece tracking.

“As customer communications become more challenging, and as production processes get more complex, the Production Intelligence architecture unifies and automates business-critical processes and helps companies capture the business intelligence to accelerate performance and profits. Facilities can fine tune their workflow to unlock productivity and create a super-efficient mail stream,” said Pete D’Amato, Vice President of Global Marketing and Product Management

With the new architecture in place, operations can centralize scheduling, tracking and management of jobs, resources, devices and operators. A single dashboard provides a unified view of the full print and mail operation. The result is a simplified way to detect inefficiencies and errors. Operations can improve productivity, eliminate waste, achieve better resource utilization, grow capacity, increase profitability and reduce costs. The new Production Intelligence architecture is available today.

About Emtex Software
Emtex Software is a business unit of Pitney Bowes Document Messaging Technology (DMT) and an industry leader in providing the most comprehensive suite of Production Intelligence™ mailstream solutions to link print and mail workflow. Enabling organizations to deliver high integrity customer communications through an optimized mailstream that includes centralized job and print management, any-to-any transformation, real-time document re-engineering, automation of data collection and reporting, empowering organizations to schedule, route, transform, track and analyze production workflow. . Emtex solutions are used at more than 800 productions sites worldwide, across vertical industry.. For more information, visit www.emtex.com.

Emtex is a registered trademark and Production Intelligence is a trademark of Emtex Limited.

The award is voted for by over 170 members of the IPIA from across the UK and is therefore highly prestigious. Commenting, Bill Lamb, finance director said, “It’s particularly gratifying that this award is voted for by our peers who understand the high quality standards this industry requires. The markers for this category are innovation, consistent quality and delivery, response to queries and the professionalism of internal staff. It demonstrates what can be achieved when you have a fantastic team of people.”

An increasing number of trade and financial buyers have recognised the critical value of customer databases, and are keen to understand more about the quality – or indeed legality – of customer and prospect data held by the companies they are acquiring, not least that valuable customer data has been held securely. Private equity firms, venture capitalists, investment banks, accountants and management consultancies are amongst the pre-launch users of this new service. End clients of DQM Group come from sectors such as media owners, utilities, telecoms, lifestyle, marketing services, logistics, financial services and mail order.

Although the huge leveraged buyouts of 2007 have disappeared as a result of the crisis in the financial markets, venture capital and M&A activity appear to be holding up well in 2008. Venture capitalists and mid market private equity firms are most optimistic amongst private equity firms, with over three quarters (77%) of venture capitalists and over half (53%) of mid-market firms predicting higher or the same returns in 2008 . However, The character of mergers and acquisitions, and of private equity buyouts is changing. Trade sales are becoming a preferred exit over IPOs; consolidation and divestiture of non-core business are likely to fuel 2008 activity ; despite fears of an economic downturn, CEOs continue to recognise the strategic importance of overseas expansion ; and in some sectors (such as media) the UK and Europe are expected to offer more M&A opportunities than the US this year .

Overall, venture capitalists invested .4 billion in 3,813 deals in 2007 - marking the highest yearly investment total since 2001 . The total invested in 2007 represents a 10.8 percent increase in dollars and a five percent increase in deal volume over 2006. Yet at the same time, another recent report identified that 91% of deals over the last three years had failed to deliver on the objectives that drove those deals in the first place . A key factor behind poor performance of mergers, acquisitions or buyouts, is a lack of attention paid to one of a company’s most valuable assets – its customer data.

Unless a target company’s key product is itself data-based, only the minority of due diligence routines have included a proper audit and analysis of that company’s customer database to date. However, as relevant legislation is enforced, awareness is rapidly growing of the need to understand the nature, quality and validity of customer data. Failure to do so can result in a major writedown of the acquired firm’s value.

If customer data has not been ‘fairly collected’, then it may be illegal to continue using it. Enquirers’ email records may not be used unless they have overtly ‘opted-in’ to being contacted. Duplicate, out-of-date or inaccurate records lead to marketing inefficiency, customer or prospect annoyance, and inaccurate management analysis, with the consequences of increased customer defection and poor return on investment from marketing plans and other business initiatives. The adverse affect of poor customer and prospect data standards at the highly sensitive period following a merger, an acquisition or a buyout, is magnified many times.

DQM Group’s Data Information Pack audits a target company’s database to check how it complies with:
• the Data Protection Act
• the European Directive on Privacy and Electronic Communications
• The Direct Marketing Association best practice
• Information Security Best Practice (based on ISO 27001 standards).

The DQM Group service then subjects the customer database(s) to a data hygiene and quality assessment which analyses standards in terms of factors such as:
• People and businesses that have moved location
• People who have died
• Firms that have ceased trading
• Duplicate records
• Out-of-date or inaccurate records
• Incomplete records
• Market coverage.

In addition DQM Group offers the option for customers to have the value of their customer database independently measured as part of the Data Information Pack process.

Finally, the resulting analysis is transformed through the DQM Group system, into actionable strategies to manage the company’s databases for efficient and effective business value development to deliver substantial gains in the short, medium and longer term.

Adrian Gregory, Managing Director of DQM Group, comments, “Lack of return on investment from acquisitions has been regularly documented. But only now are financiers and trade buyers recognising how critical a part is played by the quality, accuracy and legality of customer and prospect databases. This issue really can determine whether an acquisition or buyout works or not. This explains why we have had very strong interest from end companies, professional advisors and financiers alike.”

Rather than receiving a number of separate sheets showing the value of their investment, along with potentially numerous generic inserts about their funds, investors are now sent a fully integrated and personalised “Investment Update” booklet.

The booklet includes information that is personally relevant to each individual investor. This includes not only their investment statement, but also graphic representation of performance plus valuation and commentary on each fund that an individual holds investments in.

In addition, to assist individuals to make full use of their ISA allowance, the balance that qualifying M&G customers can invest is calculated and all relevant information populated within an integrated subscription form.

All this information is then printed in full colour and bound into a single booklet. This ensures that the investor has all the relevant facts to hand in one easy to read publication.

The pack, produced by market leading direct communication company dsicmm is the first of its type in the market. Produced on the UK’s first IBM Ricoh IP5000 continuous variable colour press, a staggering 450,000 packs were processed, printed and mailed in less than a fortnight.

“We wished to continue to keep ahead of the market through providing enhanced, relevant communication for our investors” said Kate Rowland of M&G. “We engaged specialist design practice Information Engineers who created and specified an ‘ideal’ solution based on our requirements, from which dsicmm have been able to deliver this in its entirety, exactly as envisaged. Working with dsicmm and some of the most advanced digital print technology in the world has enabled us to produce output previously not possible. Customer feedback has been exceptional. The clear, concise, integrated communication has not only received positive comments from investors, but also from members of the financial services industry.” “The communication must be working” added Kate, “as we are experiencing a significant reduction in queries at our customer help desk.”

“M&G not only wanted to consider their investors, but also the environment”, said Andy Young, Group Managing Director at dsicmm. “We utilised our unique proprietary nexdox development platform that uses complex business logic to convert client data into high volume, variable, colour digital print output. The application not only allowed us to produce more personalised and relevant communication to M&G investors, but also enabled us to use less paper. The fact that the average pack weight has decreased dramatically ensures that less carbon emissions are generated when delivering the Investment Updates though the postal network. Additionally, being conscious of the environment, all output was produced using revive 50:50 paper”.

About dsicmm
dsicmm is an £80m turnover company employing around 800 staff in locations nationwide. It is the UK’s largest independently owned direct communications organisation with a customer base that includes over 90% of the FTSE 100 companies. dsicmm provides an innovative range of solutions alongside traditional print/mail services that include all aspects of financial, regulatory and corporate mailing as well as full service direct marketing.

Jake Shaffer, president and CEO of McCormick-Armstrong, said press automation and Goss International support were vital factors in the investment decision.

‘The M-600 press is state-of-the-art, particularly with the Goss Web Center makeready, presetting, closed-loop control and digital workflow capabilities,’ Shafer explained. ‘The Harris, Heidelberg Web and now Goss International organisation has also stood behind us 100 per cent for decades. They have the most extensive resources, and their track record gives us full confidence going into this new project.’

Goss International will equip the new five-unit M-600 system at McCormick-Armstrong with a Goss Contiweb CS splicer, an Ecocool dryer and Autoplate fully automatic plate changing technology. A JF-55 combination folder will include automated single-button changeover capability, accessible from any control screen within the press system, and a module to produce 4- and 8-page magazine signatures. The press will also be equipped with a sheeter for added versatility. Crews from McCormick-Armstrong will attend operator and maintenance training programmes at the Goss International facility in New Hampshire prior to the press installation.

McCormick-Armstrong provides a complete range of commercial printing services, including heatset web and sheetfed offset production. The third-generation family-owned business also serves customers through an international network of print, packaging and production affiliates. The company has experienced a growth in direct mail projects in recent years. Shaffer says the new M-600 press will add capacity as well as efficiency and he envisions transitioning a greater portion of work from sheetfed to web offset production.

‘The print quality of the M-600 press is legendary,’ according to Shaffer. ‘We feel the automation will also allow us to excel at extremely short run lengths, bringing new web offset opportunities and value to our customers.’

‘We’re pleased to extend our relationship with McCormick-Armstrong,’ continued Goss International vice president Graham Trevett. ‘In-depth co-operation among our teams throughout the planning phase reflects a strong partnership, and we have worked together to configure the right press system to support their requirements.’ Trevett noted that McCormick-Armstrong has installed multiple M-110, M-300 and M-1000 systems, including one of the first M-1000 presses ever manufactured.

Shaffer complimented Goss International on its assistance with press specifications, auxiliary selection and installation planning and he emphasised the importance of ongoing support.

‘We’re not a company with excess capacity that can afford to have a press down for even a short period of time,’ he explained. ‘The Goss International team has shown us that it understands how vital around-the-clock responsiveness is and that it has the resources to come through for us throughout the life of a press.’

The C710 Series allows medium-to-large sized workgroups to bring professional-looking colour printing in-house and on-demand with an unsurpassed balance of value and performance OKI Printing Solutions recently launched additions to its A4 colour printer line, boasting the company’s exclusive HD-quality colour technology Ideal for retailers using in-store banners or government and financial agencies developing presentations and reports, the C710 increases productivity for the end user “The C710 Series touts all of the features of a high-end, mid-workgroup printer at the price you might expect from a desktop printer,” said Mike Garofola, Sr. Marketing Manager, Colour Products at OKI Data Americas. “We developed the C710 Series for businesses that need to produce high-quality colour output and are spending too much of their budget on outsourcing. With its advanced capabilities, including extensive media handling and our HD-quality colour technology, businesses can save time and money on in-house, professional-looking colour printing.”

Key features of the C710 Series include:

Greater media control and flexibility, handling heavy-weight media up to 220gsm and unique banners up to 8.5″ x 47.25″ for printing a wide variety of business documents and specialized output in-house High-definition digital colour quality at 1200 x 600 dpi for sharp detail and rich, dramatic colour Fast print speeds of 32 ppm mono and 30 ppm colour for everyday business printing at the highest resolution setting, optimising mid-workgroup performance and output quality3 Fast processor speeds increased to 700 MHz, enhancing productivity Hard disk drive option increased from 20 GB to 40 GB, increasing speeds and performance Maximum paper capacity of 1,690 pages saving time and offering better productivity The C710 Series is part of a new suite of A4 colour printers recently launched by OKI Printing Solutions that boosts in-house, high-quality colour printing for businesses of all sizes and needs. With the C3600n, C5650 Series, C6050 Series and C6150 Series, the C710 Series expands the possibilities of businesses through colour printing with a robust colour printer line that brings great value to every application.

Transfertex – who are very engaged in this theme for many years - is a transfer printing company that produces high-quality thermal printing paper. At the Heimtextil 2008 the company introduced a brochure called ” Green Living”. This brochure illustrates the ecological advantages of transfer printing. Transfertex re-prepar, for example, the printing cylinders for any new design - contrary to screen printing where for every new design new printing screens have to be produced. Furthermore, at Transfertex the print inks can be recycled and reused for future orders.

The company has received the Oeko Tex label (Oeko Tex Standard 100) - which stands for textile confidence - for years. The booklet shows all relevant advantages that allow textile processing companies to treat our environment effectively with care. The transfer printing paper from Transfertex can be integrated in the production process without compunction. “Green Living” is available directly at Transfertex (www.tfx.de).

1. Customers ordering lower and lower quantities. In our world of change these days information needs to be revised constantly. This has meant more obsolescence in printed products and lost $$$ in printed inventory being thrown away. This has led the trend towards print users reducing quantities ordered so they can choose to change or update information as needed.

2. Faster turntimes. Our world also requires on demand printing to be just that supply when needed as required. The computer revolution has led us all to want information when we need it as required. The normal turntime of a digital job is 2-3 days with many being done same day or overnight. Digital printing due to the reduction in production steps from offset printing can normally be turned quicker. This also can be attributed to the ink being dry enough to cut or fold as it comes off the press.

3. The third main reason is still evolving. Variable data printing or one to one marketing is where the image or text changes from impression to impression. This is still a growing market and will continue to grow as we find ways to refine marketing for individuals versus mass markets. We are not just talking salutations but pictures and text based upon that individuals needs or wants. Although, this has been in existence for many years it is still in early adoption stages and will become more important as education and technology evolves.

There are many other reasons that final users are using digital printing for more of their print needs but this seem to be the main driving factors at this time. Here are some of the products that digital printing is used for in present day(postcards, brochures, posters, flyers, sales sheets).

There are also limitations of digital printing. Be careful in using digital printing where foil stamping or laser ink jet printing is going to be done. The laser printer after digital printing can soften the ink and come off in the laser printer. Inkjet printers are normally fine but should be tested.

Digital printing after foil stamping can also release the foil from the heat of the laser printer. Foil stamping after digital printing should meet with success as long as foil stamping is not going over the digital printing. There are exceptions to this but testing is recommended. Film lamination over digital printing meets with varying success based upon liquid ink versus toner digital printing. Testing should be done to be sure of success.