What does Flowmation do?
It’s a digital asset and project management system. It enables our clients to access their work that is held on our servers via a secure web interface. Here they can approve and reject in a flatplan environment or browse and search their files by name or embedded metadata.

Why did you choose this particular system?
We have worked closely with Silicon Systems using wwWebflow for a number of years and that relationship has also involved us becoming a development partner and having input into the features of this project.

Did you look at any other similar systems?
Yes. But there was nothing else that ticked all the boxes.

Why did you make the purchase?
We were first shown the concept of Flowmation late in 2005 and that’s when we initially bought it. Asset management has been a central cog in all of our services for some time, from photography to pre-press and print management. The ability to upload and download files, view the progress of jobs, and the ability to make comments and approve has become a tool we can’t imagine having to do without.

What features do you particularly like?
The flatplanning approval feature has become a key tool in the approval process of the magazine pages we produce. I particularly like the fact that many of the functions we requested have been included in the system.
 
Is there anything that you dislike?
Silicon has delivered the feature releases as and when they promised. As long as that continues, I find it hard to fault.

Is there anything that you wish it had that it doesn’t?
At the moment, we can’t change the order of pages in the flatplan online, but this will be available in the next few months. Due to our involvement as a development partner, feedback and suggestions are encouraged, so when we need something added or tweaked, it is taken on board.

How fast is it?
As it’s web-based, it’s as fast as your bandwidth allows.

How reliable is it?
wwWebflow had a few reliability issues, but Flowmation does not suffer from those problems as it’s built on a more stable platform.

How easy is it to use?
One of the main reasons we chose Flowmation was the ease of use for the end user. We don’t want to bog down our clients with complicated systems as they are busy enough already. A quick run through is all that’s required and sometimes not even that.

Has it won you any new work?
Yes, we have picked up some contracts recently and those new clients have pointed to Flowmation as a key factor in us winning that work.

Would you say that it offers value for money?
It is very difficult to put a value on something like this, but compared to its nearest peers, it is very reasonably priced. We, in turn, offer it to our customers as part of the work we are carrying out. That is unless they are using us for storage only where we would provide it as a chargeable service.

What about the pre- and after-sale service?
As a long-standing customer of Silicon Systems we enjoy a good working relationship with them.

Who do you think the machine is right for?
The beauty of this product is its adaptability. Repro houses, photographers, printers, publishers, and anyone who has images that need to be available 24/7 worldwide.

Under what circumstances would you buy another?
The scalability of the system means it can grow with us.

---

CONCLUSION
User’s verdict
Speed 4/5
Quality 4/5
Reliability 5/5
Value for money 4/5
 
Supplier’s Response
Paul Rowley, sales director at Silicon Systems, says: “Since the product launch in August last year, we already have 40 clients using the system in the UK. We are getting a lot of interest from printers, publishers and packaging companies. A major driving force for our clients is the need to add enhanced value services, which will help them attract new business and retain
existing clients.”
Price From £13,499
Contact Silicon Systems 0118 377 6060