Get Your Shop Online

To keep business from going to quick printers, in-plants need Web-based ordering capabilities. Here's how one in-plant went online and some leads on how you can, too.

by CAROLINE MILLER

THREE YEARS ago, the University of Colorado at Boulder's printing and copying services department realized it needed to hone its competitive edge to remain viable against local competitors such as Kinko's.

The $3.2 million operation's core business—course packs, stationery, business cards and flyers—could easily be sent to outside shops, since the university does not mandate the use of the in-plant.

"It was very easy for people to go off campus," admits Newell Fogelberg, director of Printing and Copying Services. To stem the off-campus flow, the in-plant came up with a homegrown online ordering and file submission system called e-print. Though the system enabled clients to send attachments and order online, it was still very limited.

There were the usual problems with native files, and clients had to be technically savvy to use the system appropriately. Also, the university did not have a secure server, so customers were forced to phone their credit card information into the printing and copying center or send an invoice through campus mail, which slowed down the ordering process.

The e-print system required the in-plant to typeset the information again when it came into the shop. And clients had no way of proofing their submissions once the print shop received the project.

"People really liked the service, but we were very limited in what we could do," reports Fogelberg.

A change was in order.

Great Expectations

"In a campus environment, people are used to sending things online all the time; they expect to be able to do so with us, as well. We needed to do this to compete with commercial printers around town that did offer similar services," explains Fogelberg.

After evaluating its current system and resources, the in-plant decided to seek outside help.

"I'm not a full-time IT person, notes Assistant Director Larry Utter, who designed the e-print system. "We are a small print shop, and I can't devote all of my time to setting up a server and running the software behind it."

Fogelberg agrees: "I think to invest further in developing a system ourselves would have slowed us down."

And time was something that the in-plant could not afford to lose.

The in-plant looked at several alternatives, from traditional ASP services to systems that would allow it to locate a server on the premises.

"Our own server was attractive to us, but very expensive. We found [PagePath's] MyOrderDesk.com for a lot less money. We made the decision to jump on," states Fogelberg.

No Expertise Required

What sold the in-plant staff on MyOrderDesk was that it required a lot less technical expertise on their part; plus MyOrderDesk provided technical support, servers and 24/7 support.

"MyOrderDesk makes it much easier for us," says Utter.

MyOrderDesk also enabled Utter to do some customization work to the proofing system.

"That was our biggest hurdle in implementing this system. Really, it was a hurdle of our own making," laughs Utter. Despite the customization needs, the site was relatively easy to set up, he adds.

While being able to effectively compete in the marketplace was a top priority for Printing and Copying Services, adding MyOrderDesk has also helped the in-plant become more efficient.

Clients using the new system, called VIP (powered by MyOrderDesk), can submit files, order online and receive soft proofs, which has been extremely popular, reports Fogelberg.

Customers are also required to do their own preflighting, which saves the in-plant money and time.

"We have a lot of customers who don't know how to use their Quark. We were getting files that didn't have the fonts or graphics embedded in them or were RGB instead of CMYK. Our customer service people used to have to walk them through their jobs and try to figure out the problem. We were having trouble charging for the time it was taking us to do the preflighting for the customer," remarks Fogelberg.

MyOrderDesk also enables the printing and copying customer service representatives to better manage the in-plant's workflow in busy times.

"All of our copy centers are now connected through MyOrderDesk, so it gives us the ability to regulate our workflows between our shops. We also hope that in the long term, this will help us to reduce our overtime," Fogelberg says.

Although the in-plant is just beginning to actively promote the VIP service, clients are already signing up, notes Fogelberg.

"Customers are finding out about us just through word-of-mouth," he says. "We are averaging more than one new customer a day. It has worked well, and we've been quite successful so far."

Getting Outside Help

Not every in-plant has the resources to create an online ordering and file submission system. Fortunately, several companies can create a Web site for you that allows you to start taking orders online. Here's a look at three of them.

MyOrderDesk

A creation of PagePath, a Chicago-area e-commerce provider in business since 1983, MyOrderDesk is a customizable Web site that enables in-plants to create, order, reorder and estimate jobs, as well as deliver ready-to-print files. The MyOrderDesk Web site acts as the hub for all transactions with in-plant customers, including order entry, file transfer and reporting.

The PDF2U Private Labeled PDF Print Driver will automatically create a ready-to-print file, compress it and send it to the in-plant's Web site. Customer-entered data is merged with print-ready artwork to produce immediate proofs and high-resolution, ready-to-print output files. Clients enter data on a Web order form, click a button and see an immediate proof.

LAUNCH! Web Helper, which is not part of MyOrderDesk, but can be added, enables advanced file compression when users want to send large, native files instead of using PDF2U. No matter how a job is sent, once a customer approves an order both the in-plant manager and the customer receive an e-mail confirmation.

PrinterPresence.com

PrinterPresence was originally a printing company that developed and spun off its Web development arm in 1996. Most recently, the company has been working with the City and County of San Francisco's in-plant.

In addition to file transfer and online ordering and estimates, PrinterPresence offers unlimited customer portals that allow access to an online document library, enabling in-plant clients to view and reorder commonly used forms. Several advanced modules are available as part of this program for an additional fee, including an advanced business card ordering system that allows customers to enter data and soft proof business cards online.

Other modules offered by the Lincoln, Neb.-based company include an inventory management tool and a price estimator, which allows clients to set up and manage an online pricing calculator for instant quotes on selected products and services. In-plants choose from one of four different Web page designs, or they can choose to develop a custom design.

Printable.com

Printable, of Solana Beach, Calif., is one of the youngest e-providers in the mix. The company believes that two of its products, PrintFusion and PrintOne Customer Center will be a perfect fit for the in-plant market.

PrintOne Customer Centers are branded Web sites created for the in-plant's customers. These customers work within their own secure Web site environment, where they see only their own works in progress, digital assets, media catalog and communication and e-business information.

PrintFusion enables customized print jobs within the PrintOne Customer Center. It offers tools to compose, order, proof and process print jobs containing variable data components. The print buyer sees an online proof and the in-plant receives a fully imposed, press-ready PDF file ready for output, including crop marks, registration marks, take-off bars and more. Automated prepress and job ticket creation are standard.