11/25/2025
In the printing industry, systems integration and process automation are becoming decisive competitive factors to an ever-greater extent. Three years after its launch, the cloud-based Customer Portal of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is increasingly becoming the digital control center for end-to-end production in print shops. A total of more than 7,000 individuals at over 3,000 printing companies worldwide are actively using the platform to make processes appreciably more efficient by digitalizing and automating them.
The portal now offers more than 15 specialized apps, including high-performance functions such as the Maintenance Manager, the Inventory Management app, and Print Shop Analytics. These apps are boosting the efficiency and transparency of maintenance, materials management, and production operations thanks to digital assistance, automated processes, and real-time data. They are helping to prevent downtime, reduce storage costs, and systematically improve both overall equipment effectiveness and sustainability. What’s more, it will soon be possible to purchase consumables and spare parts in just two clicks – a real milestone in terms of user-friendliness and efficiency. This makes HEIDELBERG an industry pioneer when it comes to combining all digital services – such as access to production and workflow apps, real-time analyses, maintenance, management tools, and shopping for consumables – in a single cloud-based portal. The ultimate goal is to equip print shops with high-performance tools that can be put to immediate use to implement automation directly in an everyday production environment.
“The HEIDELBERG Customer Portal is a milestone in the digitalization of customer relationships and, at the same time, a strategic tool for optimizing processes and mastering complex workflows in print shops. Our Prinect Workflow is the backbone for all that,” says Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology & Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG. “In short, the Customer Portal quite simply makes our customers’ work easier,” he adds.
This is confirmed by customers such as Mark Mills, President of Spectrum Packaging Corporation in the US city of Orlando. “The new Speedmaster XL 106-7+L with Prinect tripled press speed, reduced makeready times, and elevated color consistency for every job. With support from the HEIDELBERG Performance Team and analytics from the Customer Portal, we are continuing to push efficiency even further, fine-tuning results week after week,” he reveals.
Data Capture app for end-to-end capture and analysis of production data
Another tool that has just been added is the Data Capture app for capturing production data on an end-to-end basis and analyzing it in real time. This application transfers planning and job data directly to print shop workstations, supports job and status tracking, and supplies operating data for reporting and actual costings. In this way, the new app function helps improve transparency and optimize control in print shop production departments.
Marco Rassfeld, Head of Prepress & CtP at the pilot user Meinders & Elstermann GmbH & Co. KG, who is also responsible for all issues relating to workflow integration at the company, confirms the practical benefits. “The Data Capture app is self-explanatory and makes life a whole lot easier than the previous process. It saves time, has access to a centralized data source, and ensures full use can be made of all available production slots. The rollout was virtually seamless, and HEIDELBERG provided fast and professional support at all times,” he says.
More to come
Largely implemented on the basis of Prinect to date, the Customer Portal’s current automation functions are merely an intermediate step. HEIDELBERG will be systematically enhancing the portal, integrating further digital solutions that will increase the level of automation to achieve fully autonomous print production. In this way, the company is looking to create a scalable infrastructure that print shops worldwide can use to control their production operations intelligently, autonomously, flexibly, and reliably.
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is a leading technology company that has been standing for innovation, quality, and reliability in mechanical engineering worldwide for 175 years. With a clear focus on growth and as a total solution provider, HEIDELBERG is driving further development in the core areas of packaging and digital printing, software solutions, and lifecycle business with service and consumables so that customers can achieve maximum productivity and efficiency.
The company is also focusing on expanding into new business areas such as high-precision plant engineering with integrated control systems, automation technology, robotics, and the growing green technologies sector. With its strong international presence in approximately 170 countries, the creative power and expertise of its roughly 9,500 employees, its own production facilities in Europe, China, and the USA, and one of the largest global sales and service networks, the company is ideally positioned for future growth.
Image 1: The HEIDELBERG Customer Portal is a cloud-based platform that offers automation solutions for greater efficiency in print production.
Image 2: The HEIDELBERG Customer Portal is already the digital control center for over 3,000 print shops worldwide – a figure that is set to keep on growing.
Image material, and further information about the company are available in the Investor Relations and Press Lounge of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG at www.heidelberg.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimates by the management of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft. Even though the management is of the opinion that these assumptions and estimates are accurate, the actual future development and results may deviate substantially from these forward-looking statements due to various factors, such as changes in the overall economic situation, in exchange and interest rates, and within the print media industry. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft provides no guarantee and assumes no liability for future developments and results deviating from the assumptions and estimates made in this press release.
Matthias Hartung
Press Officer – Corporate, Print Systems, and Technology
Tel.: +49 (0)6222 82 67174
Email: matthias.hartung@heidelberg.com
11/25/2025
In the printing industry, systems integration and process automation are becoming decisive competitive factors to an ever-greater extent. Three years after its launch, the cloud-based Customer Portal of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is increasingly becoming the digital control center for end-to-end production in print shops. A total of more than 7,000 individuals at over 3,000 printing companies worldwide are actively using the platform to make processes appreciably more efficient by digitalizing and automating them.
The portal now offers more than 15 specialized apps, including high-performance functions such as the Maintenance Manager, the Inventory Management app, and Print Shop Analytics. These apps are boosting the efficiency and transparency of maintenance, materials management, and production operations thanks to digital assistance, automated processes, and real-time data. They are helping to prevent downtime, reduce storage costs, and systematically improve both overall equipment effectiveness and sustainability. What’s more, it will soon be possible to purchase consumables and spare parts in just two clicks – a real milestone in terms of user-friendliness and efficiency. This makes HEIDELBERG an industry pioneer when it comes to combining all digital services – such as access to production and workflow apps, real-time analyses, maintenance, management tools, and shopping for consumables – in a single cloud-based portal. The ultimate goal is to equip print shops with high-performance tools that can be put to immediate use to implement automation directly in an everyday production environment.
“The HEIDELBERG Customer Portal is a milestone in the digitalization of customer relationships and, at the same time, a strategic tool for optimizing processes and mastering complex workflows in print shops. Our Prinect Workflow is the backbone for all that,” says Dr. David Schmedding, Chief Technology & Sales Officer at HEIDELBERG. “In short, the Customer Portal quite simply makes our customers’ work easier,” he adds.
This is confirmed by customers such as Mark Mills, President of Spectrum Packaging Corporation in the US city of Orlando. “The new Speedmaster XL 106-7+L with Prinect tripled press speed, reduced makeready times, and elevated color consistency for every job. With support from the HEIDELBERG Performance Team and analytics from the Customer Portal, we are continuing to push efficiency even further, fine-tuning results week after week,” he reveals.
Data Capture app for end-to-end capture and analysis of production data
Another tool that has just been added is the Data Capture app for capturing production data on an end-to-end basis and analyzing it in real time. This application transfers planning and job data directly to print shop workstations, supports job and status tracking, and supplies operating data for reporting and actual costings. In this way, the new app function helps improve transparency and optimize control in print shop production departments.
Marco Rassfeld, Head of Prepress & CtP at the pilot user Meinders & Elstermann GmbH & Co. KG, who is also responsible for all issues relating to workflow integration at the company, confirms the practical benefits. “The Data Capture app is self-explanatory and makes life a whole lot easier than the previous process. It saves time, has access to a centralized data source, and ensures full use can be made of all available production slots. The rollout was virtually seamless, and HEIDELBERG provided fast and professional support at all times,” he says.
More to come
Largely implemented on the basis of Prinect to date, the Customer Portal’s current automation functions are merely an intermediate step. HEIDELBERG will be systematically enhancing the portal, integrating further digital solutions that will increase the level of automation to achieve fully autonomous print production. In this way, the company is looking to create a scalable infrastructure that print shops worldwide can use to control their production operations intelligently, autonomously, flexibly, and reliably.
175 years of HEIDELBERG press release
Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (HEIDELBERG) is a leading technology company that has been standing for innovation, quality, and reliability in mechanical engineering worldwide for 175 years. With a clear focus on growth and as a total solution provider, HEIDELBERG is driving further development in the core areas of packaging and digital printing, software solutions, and lifecycle business with service and consumables so that customers can achieve maximum productivity and efficiency.
The company is also focusing on expanding into new business areas such as high-precision plant engineering with integrated control systems, automation technology, robotics, and the growing green technologies sector. With its strong international presence in approximately 170 countries, the creative power and expertise of its roughly 9,500 employees, its own production facilities in Europe, China, and the USA, and one of the largest global sales and service networks, the company is ideally positioned for future growth.
Image 1: The HEIDELBERG Customer Portal is a cloud-based platform that offers automation solutions for greater efficiency in print production.
Image 2: The HEIDELBERG Customer Portal is already the digital control center for over 3,000 print shops worldwide – a figure that is set to keep on growing.
Image material, and further information about the company are available in the Investor Relations and Press Lounge of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG at www.heidelberg.com.
This release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions and estimates by the management of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft. Even though the management is of the opinion that these assumptions and estimates are accurate, the actual future development and results may deviate substantially from these forward-looking statements due to various factors, such as changes in the overall economic situation, in exchange and interest rates, and within the print media industry. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft provides no guarantee and assumes no liability for future developments and results deviating from the assumptions and estimates made in this press release.
Press Officer – Corporate, Print Systems, and Technology
Tel.: +49 (0)6222 82 67174
