This week I had the opportunity to be speak with four other industry experts at a breakout session hosted by the PIA at the EFI Connect user group show. The panel discussion focused on the “real value” of the Job Definition Format (JDF) and the future of the technology platform. Since receiving the PIA Intertech award in 2001, JDF as an industry standard which enables end-to-end communication has matured considerably. Today printers can implement various solutions from many vendors to improve process automation without hearing JDF mentioned. After all, it is more important to talk about the solution the technology provides than the technology itself. In some respects, JDF has become as ubiquitous and transparent as PDF for the graphic arts industry. Below are the following points dicussed by the panel.
- There should be definable business needs that can be addressed by a computer integrated manufacturing workflow system. Often this requires a thorough needs analysis, ROI, and implementation plan.
- The print shop should indentify employees who are subject experts in MIS, Prepress, Press, Bindery, etc., to form the internal implementation team.
- Key contacts with all vendors involved within the workflow should be established at the start of the project. One point of contact from each company should be indentified. An example would be EFI for MIS, Kodak for prepress, Heidelberg for press, and so on.
- Consider using the CIP4 organizations product matrix as the first stage of evaluating different vendor’s levels of integration and interoperability with one another. Use industry events such as Connect or Graph Expo/Print to combine resources and have short, 2nd level discussions between vendors. If further, more in-depth discussions are needed, then consider hosting a day event at your business.
- Set realistic goals and specific dates for each implementation task. In the planning stages, realize that implementing a company wide, integrated workflow is a marathon instead of a sprint. Add time as a buffer against unexpected delays.
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