Creo introduces Networked Graphic Production

Networked Graphic Production (NGP) is the logical next step in the Creo vision of digitising the graphic arts industry, according to Mark Wilton, Marketing Manager Creo Australia.

“We are going beyond being a supplier of prepress equipment. The end-to-end process begins at the creative desktop and ends when the finished piece is delivered. We are moving printers into a full digital world in which we provide all the tools required to automate and integrate their business and production systems from idea to delivery.”

NGP is an integrated production process that allows collaboration, integration and automation from the creative desktop, through prepress production, to the press and right through to the delivery of the finished product. By bringing print buyers closer to print-production and reducing the number of manual steps in the process, printers will be able to reduce cycle times, minimize errors on press, and deliver quality printing faster.

NGP also involves integrating the business systems in a printing plant with the prepress production systems. Information is instantly exchanged between the print-production management system and Management Information Systems (such as those offered by printCafé), effectively fine-tuning functions like estimating, billing, inventory management, and scheduling.

The results? The business runs more effectively and generates greater profit.

Through the use of NGP, cycles shrink from weeks to days, days to hours. Everyone involved in the project has access to relevant information at his or her fingertips.

Bringing it all together

NGP is founded on the principle of applying open standards and adopting a modular approach so that the system works at different levels of need and utility. By integrating formerly isolated technologies, NGP eliminates opportunities for miscommunication and costly errors. The increased digitisation of prepress processes, the wide availability of Internet communications, and the unique Creo approach to database-driven prepress have made integration of these elements a reality Database-driven systems collect production statistics and record every interaction between printers and customers. Printers can analyse production statistics and metrics to reveal inefficiencies.

Playing a key role in NGP is the Prinergy workflow which manages production through its Oracle database that tracks all transactions and provides information for resource planning, billing and change-order management. The Prinergy workflow also automatically allocates processing tasks to the various system resources, ensuring optimal productivity.

In the prepress sector the Creo strengths of digital proofing and platemaking fit neatly into the overall i network concept. Content and asset management are also integrated using the database.

“The integration from idea to delivery delivers reduced costs and increases profits by enabling graphics companies to have faster delivery, improved quality and better collaboration via the internet with their customers,” said Wilton.
“In the current climate when graphic providers are facing competition from new media. they are under intense pressure to reduce costs. Print runs are getting shorter and turnaround times will continue to reduce. It is all part of the inevitable digitisation of the print industry. Creo NGP is a way to handle these challenges and turn them into opportunities.”

For further information contact Mark Wilton:
Ph: +61-2-9879 4744
E-mail: mark.wilton@creo.com
Link: www.creo.com