Enfocus, the leading provider of PDF preflight and automation solutions for the printing and publishing industries, has partnered with Australian print MIS provider IQ to fill a critical gap in the automation between prepress production and MIS. IQ provides its customers with an out-of-the-box solution that streamlines their print production workflows using Enfocus Switch, PitStop Server and various other PDF solutions.
printIQ, a 100% web-based print management system, integrates seamlessly with Enfocus Switch and Enfocus PitStop Server using the IQconnect – Enfocus Switch Module. This module increases the level of functionality and flexibility required to automate critical workflows. printIQ enables simplified estimating, easy outsourcing, tablet-based factory management and integrated inventory. The job management tools, within printIQ are unique, being designed for the digital space, and providing a paperless workflow working off real time data.
Mind the gap
IQ Director and Product Development Manager Mick Rowan explains, "A gap has always existed in the market between the traditional MIS and the prepress workflow. Our aim was to combine our own product with the best preflight and workflow automation tools on the market, to realise the key quest to automate to the press and provide a lights-out workflow.
Partnering with Enfocus offers printIQ customers a revolutionary change in workflow. One size certainly doesn't fit all. The market is dynamic and changes continuously, demanding more flexibility from customers to adapt their production processes to the new needs. Now, with Enfocus Switch automation and PitStop Server PDF preflight and correction integration being offered through the IQconnect – Enfocus Switch Module, we have been able to extend our capabilities even further to a solution that can quickly and easily adapt to these changes."
Filling the gap
IQconnect uses Enfocus Switch to automate repetitive tasks and reduces the number of touch points, while using PitStop Server to automatically verify PDF files and correct them when needed. Preflight reports are generated and available within printIQ to inform staff about any issues which impact the quality of the printed result, or which will cause production issues downstream. IQconnect also automates the delivery of proofs, the imposition, and management of print queues.
Rowan continues, "There has been a dearth of solutions to support the entirety of the business process in the printing industries. In some cases, print only makes up 30% of the sale. So it's critical that the MIS of the future be able to extend beyond the current capabilities. The goal at IQ has been to address all of the weak points of the traditional print company with the goal of building an MIS that transitions a business into an efficient and modern print company in today's print market.
Cutting to the chase, automation in print is all about simplifying the rules and implementing process discipline. Automation is code for getting your customers and business systems to do the work for you and allowing technology, your silent business partner, to make you money every step of the way. Now, with more robust automation enabled by the Enfocus integration and IQconnect, printIQ is even more powerful than before."
An important element of the success of this relationship is the symbiotic ethos of both businesses, says Angelo Manno, Enfocus Global Account Manager, Crossroads & OEM: "Both IQ and Enfocus are committed to listening to customer feedback and responding with solutions that mirror market demands to create operational opportunities. This level of cultural alignment is critical to the long-term success of a partnership designed to help customers both innovate and automate."
