Prinect Puts the Electronic Job Ticket to Work in the Print Shop

For the first time, Heidelberg integrates production data with management data

At Print 01 in Chicago, Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) will unveil Prinect, a series of products offering solutions for technical and commercial workflows in the production process. The Prinance management information system is a new product that integrates the business management components in Prinect. Prinect is the umbrella term for all Heidelberg's digital workflow components. These are based on open standards such as PPF (Print Production Format) and JDF (Job Definition Format) and are aimed at delivering an end-to-end workflow to create the complete print and media house.

With Prinect, Heidelberg is addressing one of the key demands of the graphic arts industry - networked production - where prepress, press and postpress data are combined with management data.

Until now, printers had to manually enter the job data - (production and management information) several times to prepare the production equipment for the job and complete job costing. Prinect transforms the manual job folder into an electronic job ticket. This offers tremendous advantages for users at all levels - networked production data increases efficiency, saves time and ensures greater process reliability. The days of operator errors when entering production parameters manually are over.
The management data is now derived directly from the process, making it available immediately for transparent costing. The digital job folder generates all the relevant data just once using it several times. and the digital job folder integrates the data into the overall network.

The focus of the individual software modules, which users can put together to suit their needs, lies in the networked workflow between individual stations - from developing job quotations to delivery of the print product and issuing the invoice. Overall, this results in greater efficiency in the production of print media products. For the printers, this translates into a competitive edge.

Heidelberg's developers will integrate the electronic job ticket (based JDF) as a fixed application module in all future Prinect components. By doing so, Heidelberg follows the official specifications of the CIP4 organization. CIP4 stands for "International Cooperation for the Integration of Processes in Prepress, Press and Postpress". Heidelberg is a member of CIP4, an independent organization, and helps define and promote the JDF format together with individual users and other manufacturers including Agfa, Adobe and MAN Roland.

Networking print processes - connecting the world of print
At Print 01, Heidelberg will use a separate Prinect Center installation and multiple practical examples to demonstrate how all the components of the various processes come together in Prinect.

For example, the Prinance management information system creates the electronic job ticket before production begins. It also generates the job data such as customer number, customer name or job number. This data is forwarded to the Prinect components involved in production. The production-related data controls the processes. By using the PrepressInterface, data transfers to the press for ink zone control, while the Signastation can transfer folding and cutting marks for finishing. The advantages are clear. As soon as a print job arrives at the press, folder or cutter, the required control information is downloaded instantly into the machine and processing can begin immediately.

Once generated, the process data is fed back to Prinance and the CP2000 Center passes on the required print times. For the first time, the transparency of business management data over the entire print job is ensured since the job data accompanies the job from start to finish - from the initial quotation to post-costing and invoicing. The operating data feedback means users can see at a glance whether a print job is profitable, and simultaneously improve the flow of orders. The networked process stages enable users to determine the job status and precise position of a job, while the analysis of individual job data identifies weak points - of a financial or technical nature - and allows elimination of such problems.

For further information:
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG
Corporate Communications
Hilde Weisser
Tel.: +49 (0)6221 92 50 66
Fax: +49 (0)6221 92 50 46
E-mail: hilde.weisser@heidelberg.com

Heidelberg USA
Barbara Touchette
Tel.: +1 678 354 6964
Fax: +1 770 419 6665
E-mail: barbara.touchette@heidelberg.com