The ViP team talk to printers large and small every day. We know how hard it is to defend margins with ever increasing costs and at best a soft market. Efficiency is the key and three hot topics to assist this overall goal create the content for three regional seminars to be run by ViP in collaboration with Kodak and Optimus in late June. They are – gaining a 'lean' workflow, reducing material waste and driving operational performance with effective KPI's.  

On the first topic, ViP conducted a study last year for Kodak of how effectively mid-sized printers were implementing their prepress workflows. The latest versions of workflow software packages coupled with well implemented MIS systems can offer a very efficient and largely automated workflow. Yet we found a ten-fold variation in the labour cost per plate as well as poor implementation of web to print in most cases.   

Regarding material waste, the potential benefit of reducing waste is clear, given rising paper and board prices. Yet few have implemented effective KPIs and best practice processes to minimise this cost. Average material waste levels for sheet fed commercial printers are c.8% of which at least 2% is easily avoidable with simple steps taken.  

Finally on KPI performance management, too many printers are burdened by a huge number of KPIs with little effective use of the data. Yet with MIS suppliers like Optimus able to offer effective analysis, there is little excuse for not getting to grips with the key parameters and driving up performance accordingly.

Being ViP events, there will be a fair amount of audience participation and all three topics will be rounded off by a case study to demonstrate this is not just idle talk but can be implemented for real. The events, run in conjunction with Kodak and Optimus, will be held in Reading, Birmingham and Wakefield on 21st, 23rd and 29th June respectively from 1000-1530hrs. Places are £100 per delegate for BPIF members, otherwise £120 with 15% discounts for second and further delegates from a single site. General managers, production managers, prepress managers, commercial managers and lean champions will all take away practical action points for immediate implementation.