Kodak has released a Software-as-a-Service offering for its Prinergy system.
The service will automatically analyse and predict ink usage on press. Called Decision Analytics – Ink and Plate Usage Service, the initiative enables print companies to base their business and labour planning, job quoting and consumable purchasing decisions on their own historical and predictive usage data.
Kodak says the ability to monitor results by plant, press, product and/or job, will allow them to uncover business insights quickly and meet customer requirements while reducing manufacturing costs. The company says that commercial printers can quote jobs more accurately ensuring a competitive edge without sacrificing profit margin. Kodak adds that packaging printers and converters will benefit from inventory controls for process and spot inks, whereby they can reduce hazardous waste disposal expenses and inventory carrying costs.
Allan Brown, vice president and general manager of Kodak’s Unified Workflow Solutions, says, “Kodak’s ink and plate usage service opens the door for granular visibility into the actual costs of manufacturing for printers. It affords them the ability to optimise the manufacturing process and reduce costs, which ultimately leads to amplified profitability.
“This unprecedented innovation for the commercial and packaging print industry will redefine operational efficiencies and drive step change growth for our customers.”
Kodak list the benefits as:
- Macro level business intelligence. Gain business insight by viewing historical and predictive ink consumption by company, division, plant location, press, product type and/or job
- Reduced labour costs – Optimise manufacturing planning to allow highly skilled employees to focus on other important job activities
- Improve accuracy in job quoting – Efficiencies gained from understanding historical ink consumption allows estimating to be much more precise. This opens the door to be more competitive when quoting new work without sacrificing profit margin
- Reduce inventory carrying costs for consumables. Ability to move to an on-demand model, reducing the cost and risks of carrying excess inventory. Purchase or mix just the right amount of ink you need to print a job and not a drop more
- Minimise hazardous waste. Reduce surplus ink supplies and the associated disposal costs
- Drive step change growth. Utilise historical data to lower costs, reduce risk and increase profitability
