PARAMUS, N.J., MAY 1, 2006 — In today's hyper-competitive business environment, graphic communications companies must track their costs more diligently and accurately than ever. The just-released 2006 edition of NAPL's Budgeted Hourly Cost Studies for Web Press Operations is an invaluable costing tool, providing the latest rate data on 167 presses from 29 manufacturers. The updated Web Blue Book, widely regarded as the industry standard for costing information, is available in a printed version or as interactive software or downloadable PDF files. The CS Interact versions of the Web Press Blue Book is available free to NAPL corporate members as a valuable new member benefit (previously, only the book and the PDF versions were available free to members). “CS InterACT has shown itself to be such a valuable costing tool that we wanted all of our members to benefit from it,” noted Joseph P. Truncale, NAPL president and chief executive officer. Knowing the hourly costs for every operation in your plant is vital for profitability, never more so than in today's demanding business environment, where there is little-to-no tolerance for waste or pass-through of costs. And, because NAPL's Blue Book is based on exclusive survey data direct from the manufacturers or distributors on all current models of equipment, it is the industry's most reliable costing method. Since it enables users to determine actual operating costs of new equipment in their own environment, it also doubles as a valuable buying guide. As do all NAPL Blue Books, the Hourly Cost Study on Web Press Operations shows readers exactly how hourly cost rates are constructed, examining more than 15 cost factors and how they differ for various equipment configurations, one- to three-shift operations, and three different productivity levels. Easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions explain how printers can adjust the rates for their actual investment costs and actual employee wages. Containing all the information found in the printed and PDF versions, the CS InterACT version of the Web Press Blue Book (for both Windows and Mac systems) gives users the ability to develop hourly rates instantly by plugging in their own cost factors. More than 50 data fields can be changed, with calculations updated instantly. “With on-screen instructions and ‘click' navigation, NAPL's CS InterACT software is extremely user-friendly,” says Joe Andrukitas, NAPL solution developer. “With a few simple steps, you can develop a completed hourly cost study in a matter of minutes.” NAPL's Budgeted Hourly Cost Studies for Web Press Operations lists for $219.00 for the CS InterACT software (Product Code ND 104) and $199.95 for the printed version (Product Code NB 104). To order, call NAPL at (800) 642-6275, Option 4; fax (201) 634-0328; email [email protected]; or visit www.napl.org/store/. (PDF downloads are available to NAPL members only; NAPL corporate members receive a copy of each new cost study at no charge.) NAPL's five different editions of its Hourly Cost Studies, covering all aspects of graphic arts operations, include: Digital & Conventional Prepress Operations; Sheetfed Press Operations; Web Press Operations; Bindery, Finishing & Mailing Operations; and Print Operations Up To 20 Employees (for use by smaller shops).