Implementation of the system began last week at Dayfold’s Dorset
premises but will not be completed until the end of 2017 Q1, as workers
are trained on how to use it and all data is moved across from Dayfold’s
outgoing Tharstern MIS.
Dayfold managing director Les
Abbott-Fryer said he first decided to commit when the system had its UK
launch at Drupa, and he officially signed in September.
Abbott-Fryer
could not reveal how much he paid for the system but said it was
comparable with other systems and is “good value for what it delivers”.
He
said: “The main reason we went for the system is because it links in
with the pre-press seamlessly, whereas all the other systems rely on JDF
theory. The information can go backwards and forwards and it’s not
relying on people to update their software and systems.
“There’s quite a lot we are expecting in terms of saving time and
effort on the administration side of things. Most estimating systems, up
until recently, were calculators that rely on the estimator's knowledge
to a degree. All of my staff have a huge amount of print experience and
knowledge of the industry yet they spend a lot of time feeding data
into a machine."
The Business Manager provides automated
cost-estimating and order-processing services, along with storing job
information data. It has CRM and account management modules.
It
also includes a Business Portal Service, a web-based online portal for
print buyers. Buyers can make an online Request For Quotation (RFQ) and
track their basic job status using the dashboard.
It will especially provide assistance for the more complex jobs Dayfold takes on from high-end design companies.
Abbott-Fryer
said he had been waiting for a long while for the Heidelberg MIS to
become available in the UK, after its European launch two years ago.
Heidelberg
Prinect business driver Paul Chamberlain said: “It was purely about
strategy and getting the timing right. We knew there would be a big
launch at Drupa and we thought this year would be the perfect time to
launch in the UK.”
40-staff Dayfold invested in a new filtration system last June and purchased a Kluge foiling machine one month later.
It runs two HP Indigo 5500 presses and a six-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 74, along with a variety of finishing equipment.
“When
we were smaller we could concentrate and manage the business quite
effectively without a huge administration but as the business has grown,
the sheer number of jobs and complexity of what’s happening under this
roof has got to a point where we need as much support as possible in
terms of gathering data,” added Abbott-Fryer.
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