Heidelberg is developing integrated production and business management systems under the Prinect brand name.


"Prinect is the glue to join production and management together to make the factory as effective as possible," said Heidelberg UK marketing manager Sascha Fischer. "The goal is for computer integrated print processes."


The firm’s research showed that the most efficient way to cut print costs would come from process improvements rather than productivity gains from individual pieces of equipment.


Heidelberg will sell colour management, machine pre-setting, scheduling and MIS products under the Prinect brand.


At CeBIT Heidelberg showed its MIS Prinance working with production management module Data Control, which performs job scheduling, capacity planning and analysis.


Prinance is based on the WinKAAR technology it acquired from MIS developer Alphagraph (PrintWeek, 17 March 2000).


Heidelberg UK will not sell Prinance for the time being, but will continue to work closely with third-party MIS suppliers such as Tharstern and Shuttleworth.


It is likely to launch Prinect and Prinance in the UK at Ipex, although no formal decision has been made.


Heidelberg is developing JDF-compatible versions of its press controls and workflow systems. "The goal is for everything to be JDF-based," added Fischer.


Story by Barney Cox