Healeys will focus on automating prepress and bi direction connectivity with at least one of its key customers for the first months of this year.
This follows on from investment in a second Heidelberg Versafire in a year. The Versafire LP was installed in November to replace a Ricoh C9200 which had reached the end of its lease. That has added a further dimension to the types of work that the Ipswich printer can handle.
But it is the investment in a CRM with a bespoke integration to its PrintIQ MIS that managing director Phil Dodd believes will have a greater impact on how the business works. “This will automate prepress and proofing and the way we do things,” he says.
“We are working with PrintIQ and Hubspot and will be writing software to link these together.” This will enable information to flow from customer to printer and back to add transparency and a more systematic way to communicate. “It will change the way that sales and marketing teams record information. We were inspired by the success that another PrintIQ customer has had with a similar set up. If that’s good enough for a £28 million business, it’s good enough for us,” he says.
“It will provide a more systematic way to record what we do but does not force sales people to work in a certain way.”
Internally, the latest press completes a Prinect based workflow that links its Speedmaster XL75 to two Versafires, its Ti52 Stahlfolder and Polar guillotine via Prinect Proman workflow software. The Versafire 115 LP includes a thicker materials handling kit. This enables the press to handle materials up to 600 microns for light weight packaging and cards. The company runs 450 micron material for one customer and finds this becomes easier with the upgrade.
Carton blanks are punched out on an Uchida die cutter supplied by Morgana. Dodd adds: “Our team have been very positive regarding the enhanced quality over the previous machine and the increased caliper capabilities. We feel it will be a significant advantage for our customers.”
