In the fast-paced world of commercial printing, efficiency isn't just a bonus, it's a survival mechanism. For Impress Print Services, a UK-based general commercial printer, the journey from manual bottlenecks to automated bliss transformed their business, enabling them to survive their busiest season ever and drive 10% sales growth.
The Challenge: Growing Pains and Workflow Bottlenecks
Impress Print Services started as a small lithographic printer and has since expanded into digital, large format, and mailing, now boasting a turnover of around £10 million and a staff of 78. However, rapid growth brought significant operational challenges.
Just 12 months ago, the studio was struggling. Following the departure of a key staff member and the difficulty of finding a replacement, the company realized they needed to future-proof their workflow rather than just hiring more hands.
The manual proofing process was creating a "constant queue." Operators aimed for a 4-to-8-hour turnaround on proofs, but reality often looked very different. Complex jobs would clog the workflow, trapping smaller, straightforward jobs behind them. During peak times, this resulted in backlogs of 3 to 4 days, causing delays in printing and putting immense pressure on the team.
The Solution: Automation with Switch & Enfocus Review
Impress Print Services turned to Enfocus Switch to automate their workflow and Enfocus Review to modernize their proofing process.
Implementation began about a year ago. Rather than a rigid classroom setup, the team adopted a "learning by doing" approach, experimenting with flows to solve specific problems and then expanding those solutions across the business.
Transforming the Proofing Cycle
Before automation, proofing was a manual labor of love:
- Create a low-res PDF.
- Manually email it to the client.
- Wait for a reply.
- Hope the client viewed it in the correct software (avoiding the dreaded "Mac Preview" issues).
With Enfocus Review, this process is now seamless. Artwork is emailed in with a job reference number and automatically processed. Review sends the proof to the customer, and their approval or rejection goes straight back into the company’s MIS (Management Information System).
"We had to have a disclaimer on all our emails saying 'You must view this PDF in Acrobat'... Now we don't have that. Enfocus Review is 'What You See Is What You Get'."
David Williams, Studio Supervisor, Impress Print Services
The Results: Zero Queues and Record-Breaking Growth
The impact of implementing Enfocus Switch and Review was immediate and measurable.
1. Elimination of Backlogs
The 3-to-4-day proofing backlog has vanished. Straightforward jobs are processed automatically in the background, freeing up operators to focus on complex tasks. Today, proofs are returned to clients in hours, not days.
2. Handling Peak Volume
Michael notes that the company recently weathered their busiest four-month period in history. Without automation, they would have been forced to turn down work. Instead, they handled the volume without a single bottleneck.
3. Business Growth
By removing efficiency barriers, Impress Print Services has seen sales grow by 10% in the last year. The automation didn't just save time; it created capacity for revenue.
Conclusion: Future-Proofing for Success
For Impress Print Services, automation wasn't just about fixing a temporary staffing issue, it was about building a foundation for the future. By integrating Enfocus Switch with their MIS and utilizing the browser-based simplicity of Enfocus Review, they have streamlined operations and improved the customer experience.
"I don't know what we would have done to be perfectly honest... We probably wouldn't have taken on as much work as we did. Without a doubt, it's helping us grow."
Michael Kille, Managing Director, Impress Print Services
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