Implementation of the system began last week at Dayfold’s Dorset premises but will not be completed until the end of 2017 Q1, as workers are trained on how to use it and all data is moved across from Dayfold’s outgoing Tharstern MIS.
Dayfold managing director Les Abbott-Fryer said he first decided to commit when the system had its UK launch at Drupa, and he officially signed in September.
Abbott-Fryer could not reveal how much he paid for the system but said it was comparable with other systems and is “good value for what it delivers”.
He said: “The main reason we went for the system is because it links in with the pre-press seamlessly, whereas all the other systems rely on JDF theory. The information can go backwards and forwards and it’s not relying on people to update their software and systems.
“There’s quite a lot we are expecting in terms of saving time and effort on the administration side of things. Most estimating systems, up until recently, were calculators that rely on the estimator's knowledge to a degree. All of my staff have a huge amount of print experience and knowledge of the industry yet they spend a lot of time feeding data into a machine."
The Business Manager provides automated cost-estimating and order-processing services, along with storing job information data. It has CRM and account management modules.
It also includes a Business Portal Service, a web-based online portal for print buyers. Buyers can make an online Request For Quotation (RFQ) and track their basic job status using the dashboard.
It will especially provide assistance for the more complex jobs Dayfold takes on from high-end design companies.
Abbott-Fryer said he had been waiting for a long while for the Heidelberg MIS to become available in the UK, after its European launch two years ago.
Heidelberg Prinect business driver Paul Chamberlain said: “It was purely about strategy and getting the timing right. We knew there would be a big launch at Drupa and we thought this year would be the perfect time to launch in the UK.”
40-staff Dayfold invested in a new filtration system last June and purchased a Kluge foiling machine one month later.
It runs two HP Indigo 5500 presses and a six-colour Heidelberg Speedmaster CD 74, along with a variety of finishing equipment.
“When we were smaller we could concentrate and manage the business quite effectively without a huge administration but as the business has grown, the sheer number of jobs and complexity of what’s happening under this roof has got to a point where we need as much support as possible in terms of gathering data,” added Abbott-Fryer.
