OUR SPECIAL "SWOT: Changes & Challenges" issue brings industry experts together to consider strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to screen printing. This sidebar supplements the "Weaknesses" section with a sampling of web-based workflow options.
Products from Agfa, EFI, and Caldera can be operated independently or integrated with MIS systems or RIPs to provide accurate job data and two-way communications on the status of jobs in progress.
Accura Online: Designed by Data Design Services, this is the web-to-print module Accura’s complete print management system for smaller print shops (one to 30+ users). Accura Online includes a web store, online proofing, and artwork editing features. The web store can feature a Public Products page that displays your shops’ offerings to customers and a My Products page which only shows products created for the logged-on client. Other modules include print MIS, CRM, rates analysis, and financial (job costing, invoicing, accounting links, and management) reports.
Agfa Storefront 3.06: This cloud-based system provides a fast, affordable way for print service providers to add web-to-print capabilities. StoreFront can be used for customizable and variable-data products, on-demand, and printed and non-printed stock products. It can also be used for setting up multiple storefronts, each targeting specific customers, markets, or types of products. StoreFront can connect with Agfa’s Asanti automated workflow for sign and display companies or Agfa’s Apogee workflow for commercial printing and large-format graphics. Or, it can be used with your existing RIP or workflow.
Caldera Webshop: This cloud-based web-to-print program for large-format printing companies can be used as a standalone sales-to-production solution or to share production data with the Caldera RIP. Webshop offers an advanced preflighting engine for checking the quality of prepress files, and a sales portal for managing orders, invoices, and shipping. Multiple shops, with different products and pricing structures, can be set up for specific customers or target markets.
EFI Digital StoreFront: This robust e-commerce solution can be configured either as a cloud-based platform or self-hosted, on-premise solution. It is designed to scale up from hundreds to millions of orders per month. Digital StoreFront is used by small commercial printers with one location, retail organizations with over 1500 locations, and in-plant print shops. It provides an end-to-end workflow for job submission and tracking and can be configured for online proofing, inventory fulfillment, print-on-demand ordering, customized print, variable data, and reporting. E-commerce storefronts can be established and branded for clients, companies, or departments. EFI Digital Storefront can be operated independently or integrated with EFI Print MIS or ERP solutions.
Ordant: Founded by a print industry veteran who was tasked with building web-to-print services, Ordant offers a framework that can easily be customized to meet the specific business requirements of screen, offset, large-format, andprinters. Ordant’s cloud-based tools can be configured to create accurate estimates for custom printed products, generate purchase orders, simplify order management, get online proof approvals, build online storefronts, and manage customer relationships. Ordant can also connect to FedEx and UPS to calculate shipping costs and generate shipping labels. Ordant subscription plans include setup, training, and technical support.
Propago: This marketing asset management platform includes web-to-print functionality as part of a much broader platform that enables marketing agencies, marketers, and print service providers to streamline the ordering, production, fulfillment, and distribution of all physical and digital marketing assets. Propago portals can handle any digital or printed product that’s branded, including printable assets, promotional products, and apparel. Marketers use the portals to give end users easy access to branded materials from anywhere in the world.
Web to Print Shop: This customizable cloud-based platform by Racad Tech is used by trade printers and multilocation retail print shops who want to take advantage of e-business opportunities without complex workflows, confusing IT integration, or expensive implementation. Users can sell printed documents, wide-format graphics, promotional products, customized printed products, and inventory items. Modules include interactive product design, job routing and file upload, print production management, search engine features, and advanced e-commerce features such as multivendor integration. Plug-ins are available for price estimating (via database or Excel), B2B storefronts, B2C storefronts on WordPress websites, split shipping, and online product catalogs. All modules are search-engine friendly, can accommodate multiple languages, and offer integration with over 60 different payment gateways.