printIQ MIS provides
fully automated pre-production, from online order through to the press using
IQconnect – Enfocus Switch
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.”
