Modular Operations MIS System

With a number of print operations management systems to choose from, we were curious about the appeal of Prism, which has been gaining U.S. adopters. Originating in New Zealand and with a solid base of users in Australia and Europe, Prism has been adopted by U.S. sites like Williamson Printing, Quebecor World, Jet Press, Outlook Group, Color Craft, Stevens Graphics—firms that represent a wide range of work from specialty, plastic UV printing, directories and high end commercial. What is its appeal?

“Its sweet spot is that can work in a business that is doing many businesses,” says Tim Daisy, who is a sales and marketing exec for the firm's QTMS iQ production data gathering module. “So many systems are specific to a single type of product. CSRs using it will find the Prism system is highly configurable to a variety of operations.”

WIN MIS, the core management information systems, is written in Microsoft .NET environment and available on either Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle databases. Its choice of 20 modules (quoting, sales orders, purchasing, jobbing, financials, etc.) are all fully compatible with the QTMS iQ that gathers data from the shop floor. Users select the modules for current needs, adding more at their own pace of implementation and growth. This building block approach lets users retain control of the software's implementation. (A lighter version, WIN MBE, with 14 modules, is geared to small to medium-sized firms.)

The Prism QTMS iQ component is unique, says Daisy, because it tracks incoming materials, work in process and finished goods—measuring projects at each stage, then reconciling the figures to get an accurate count of what happens during a run. “We are counting from the web meter (mileage of web or sheet going in), what's coming out of web counts from folders, then grabbing a good-copy count from the copy counter,” says Daisy.

Prism WIN V.1903 is being shown at drupa. In addition to gathering real-time data from equipment, with direct press and finishing line sensors, a Virtual Time Tracker for workstations keeps pace with activity of prepress workers. The system allows for manual entry of time sheets and barcode scanner input, and features an enhanced scheduling module, drawing from all that real-time data it collects.

Paul Heroman, VP operations at Dickinson Press, the large Grand Rapids, MI book printer, is nearly finished implementing QTMS iQ in his 125,000-sq.ft. plant floor.

“The system had to be simple, accessible and understandable for the people on the shop floor and our customer service staff,” Heroman says. “From an analytical perspective, it had to contain the detail that would help us manage our business better. The technology also had to have the architecture for our future needs such as JDF compatibility.”

The system will be able to provide customers with accurate, real-time job status and have instantaneous data to analyze operational downtime in production flow. Heroman will be able to isolate and solve problems quickly. A pallet tracking component is expected to help in Bible production, where preprinted components are inventoried and bound as customers order. Heroman says he likes the systems' ability to measure paper yield. “I can know what's going into the press and what's coming out.”

ONLINE: www.prism-world.com