Three busloads of printers got a real-world perspective on the rewards of integrating and automating their production streams with a working visit to the North American production facility of VistaPrint —the industry’s web-to-print leader. The tour was part of PIA/GATF’s Workflow Conference, conducted in Detroit earlier this month, and was sponsored by MAN Roland, whose four ROLAND 700 presses serve as the short-run centerpiece of VistaPrint’s workflow. “VistaPrint’s plant in Windsor, Ontario is the ultimate in computer integrated manufacturing (CIM), able to process thousands of Internet-generated orders every day, then print, finish and ship them with a minimum of human involvement,” says Yves Rogivue, CEO of MAN Roland Inc. “Incredibly these short-run jobs are primarily printed on a fleet of ROLAND 700 40-inch presses.” A total of 130 people attended the tour out of 181 registered for the conference. “It was fantastic to say the least,” says James A. Workman, Vice President, Training, at PIA/GATF. “The feedback was extremely positive. People continued to talk about what VistaPrint was doing during the course of the conference.” Site Seeing Organized into groups guided by VistaPrint executives, conference participants were able to see the plant in operation. Among the sights were the production of presentation folders, greeting cards, and business cards. Another highlight of the visit was a presentation by VistaPrint president and CEO Robert Keane, who overviewed the company’s history and business model, as well as VistaPrint’s track record of production innovations. The tour was followed by dinner with an hour-long Q&A session with VistaPrint executives Robert Keane, Chris Connors, Mike Parsley, and Craig Fowler. “Now in its third year, the PIA/GATF Workflow Conference changes locations each year so that attendees can tour a company that is setting the pace in workflow automation,” notes Workman. “VistaPrint was selected this year since it features one of the world’s most advanced workflows.” First Foiler In welcoming conference participants to the tour, Yves Rogivue pointed out that VistaPrint runs the first InlineFoiler PRINDOR in North America. The MAN Roland innovation makes foil application and printing on foil inline a one-step process and recently won the 2006 PIA/GATF InterTech Technology Award. “InlineFoiler has given VistaPrint the power to add a brand new product to the company’s list of online selections — ultra-short run, foil-enhanced business cards,” he said. “And if the first InlineFoiler in North America is working at VistaPrint, you know it has to be a highly efficient and highly reliable system, because VistaPrint wouldn’t have it any other way.” Visitors to MAN Roland’s Graph Expo exhibit will be able to sign up for several tours of state-of-the-art print production facilities in the Chicago area.