Virtual Print Shop Server Workflow Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Print shops face inefficiencies and security risks due to the need to perform tasks outside their core business, such as data management and equipment capabilities, which can lead to unfulfilled orders and compromised customer data when they lack necessary resources or equipment.
Innovation Solution
A virtual print shop management system that maintains a list of participating print shops, receives orders for variable data campaigns, generates master files, and assigns tasks to capable print shops, ensuring efficient outsourcing and secure data management through a centralized server-based workflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a single print shop prepares all printed materials internally, then the print shop maintains control over the entire process, but the print shop cannot receive jobs requiring equipment it does not possess
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the print job preparation process into separate tasks that can be performed by different print shops. The server breaks down a campaign into individual tasks (data management, personalization, printing, mailing) and assigns them to different print shops based on their capabilities, allowing each shop to focus on what it does best.
Solution Approach 2:
The server creates a universal platform that coordinates multiple print shops, each with specialized capabilities. The system allows any print shop in the network to perform any task type, making the overall system versatile without requiring each individual shop to have all equipment.
2Productivity
If print shops internalize most tasks involved in data processing and printing, then they maintain quality control, but they suffer from inefficiencies when performing tasks outside their core business practice
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts non-core tasks (data management, personalization, task coordination) from the print shop's operations and places them on the server platform. This allows print shops to focus on their core strength of operating printing presses while the server handles tasks outside their expertise.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary between the customer and multiple print shops. It manages data security, creates master files, assigns tasks, and coordinates the workflow, allowing print shops to concentrate on printing without dealing with complex data management or equipment matching.
3Adaptability or versatility
If print shops are provided with unsecured customer data for printing, then they can perform customization, but they may compromise the security of proprietary data
Solution Approach 1:
The server creates master files that contain only the specific personalized data needed for each print job, rather than providing print shops with access to the entire customer database. This minimizes data exposure while still enabling full personalization capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as a secure intermediary that holds and manages customer data. It provides necessary information to print shops through controlled interfaces (master files) without giving them direct access to the underlying customer database, thereby maintaining security while enabling customization.
Data Source
AI summary
A method including: maintaining, at a server, a list of print shops that participate in an external workflow managed by the server; receiving, at the server through a network, an order for a variable data campaign defining a plurality of personalized items for end recipients, said order including text and graphics used in the variable data campaign, identifying information of the end recipients that each receive an item of the variable data campaign, and a mapping specification that specifies which graphics correspond to which text for each item of the variable data campaign; generating, at the server, using the mapping specification, the text and graphics received, and the identifying information of the end recipients, a master file for the items of the variable data campaign, wherein the master file includes, for each of the items, images formed of corresponding text and graphics paired together in accordance with the mapping specification for each of the end recipients of the variable data campaign; assigning, at the server, the variable data campaign to one or more of the print shops that participate in the external workflow; and providing, at the server, the one or more print shops with the master file.