Faced with ever-mounting competition and deadline-demanding customers, printers and binderies worldwide need automated workflow solutions that deliver both time and monetary savings.  Now, two industry leaders have collaborated to meet this challenge by optimizing the finishing environment through the addition of a leading MIS system that bridges the gap between planning and production.

Through the integration of Muller Martini's Primera 140 and CONNEX digital workflow system and the EFI Monarch Print MIS, printers and binderies now have the ability to integrate their MIS functions and their post-press machines in an open architecture environment utilizing JDF.  The result?  Accurate, actionable and automated process intelligence.   The EFI Monarch Print MIS is a multi-dimensional estimating, scheduling and workflow solution that not only communicates the highly specific coordinates that dictate how a job is run, but, on the backend, details the efficiencies that were achieved.  Scalable from five to 5,000 users, the Monarch MIS workflow solution includes four powerful components:
- Monarch Foundation.  Estimating, job management, inventory, shop floor data collection, invoicing, accounting, reporting and analysis tools.
- Monarch Planner.  Advanced automated planning and layout tools, contact administration and work in process (WIP) parts inventory management.
- PrintFlow Dynamic Scheduling.  Scheduling, optimization, synchronization and what-if scenario tools.
- Auto-Count Direct Machine Interface.  Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) for print.
With EFI Monarch, the competitive difference comes from the delivery of an end-to-end solution with the ability to organize, analyze, interpret and leverage data for process improvement.  Monarch eliminates the need for error-prone – and costly – keying and rekeying of data while also providing more accurate job costing reports, improved job planning, automated machine make-readies and accurate production reports.

Operating at 14,000 cph, Muller Martini's Primera 140 is designed for the mid-performance range and delivers quick changeovers and easy setup.  Its modular design welcomes a broad range of configuration possibilities and a large range of sizes.  Automatic loading, gathering, stitching, trimming, inserting, film wrapping, addressing and palletizing can be integrated in an inline production line allowing the Primera 140 to cover the entire value-added chain of print finishing.