Which is the way to automate workflows

It is very common for printers to claim that they are having problems with their workflows. Many small jobs to deliver in a short period of time, resulting in a bottleneck in their production plants. But still, according to Keypoint Intelligence - North American Software Investment Outlook 2018 from InfoTrends, only 4% of companies in the sector had fully automated processes. The highest percentage of respondents said their workflow processes were partially automated, but in many departments they were still manual.

Base: Total survey respondents in North America

Source: North American Software Investment Outlook; Keypoint Intelligence - InfoTrends 2018

There are many paths that can be taken to automate workflows in a printing plant, and contrary to what many may think, it does not require large investments of money or time. 

Ryan McAbee, Director of Keypoint Intelligence - InfoTrends' Production Workflow Consulting Service, recommends identifying a specific, addressable automation point that can be a quick win. As the popular saying goes: "Who embraces much, does not squeeze much", and it is that we usually try to do everything at once, and of course it is with good intentions, but in the end we only get tired, defeated and do nothing. McAbee's advice suggests that by making small triumphs quick, easy to implement, affordable, and providing an immediate solution.

Another valuable recommendation is to make an assessment of workflows that provides data on which change will have the greatest impact and ultimately greater productivity or profitability. After the assessment, you may find that the reality of what is happening is far from expected or ideal. 

The Director of Keypoint Intelligence - InfoTrends' Production Workflow Consulting Service, for example, recommends not accepting more files by email. Use a tool that provides online file delivery methods that can also take those files to the next step of the workflow.

From Twist Print we also recommend you:

* Stop making manual quotes, you know how much time is invested and what your workers could do in that time. Quotes should be generated automatically and intelligently. 

* The time of your team is the most valuable, purchase orders must be generated automatically to meet the demand.

* Stop tedious manual tasks, start automatically controlling inventories and replenishment orders.

* Start making intelligent decisions, control your plant in real time from your Smartphone.

* Automatically plan all production in the plant.

Get to know your team, get to know your plant. Communication is vital to work together to introduce improvements. Do not impose anything, know what tasks are performed, who performs them and what are the problems they are having. Ideally, it should be a single tool that helps you automate your printing, so you can focus on the most important things: increasing sales, controlling costs and responding to the needs of your customers.

Automation can generate greater profitability, a more productive and committed work team and this in the end will only bring a greater result, the entire satisfaction of consumers.