Esko installs JDF workflow at Austrian flexo platemaker

Esko, a global system integrator of pre-production solutions for the packaging industry, has announced the successful installation of a JDF workflow at Glatz Klischee, a repro specialist and flexo platemaker in Bregenz, Austria. Since early 2007, Glatz Klischee has been processing jobs via a JDF interface between an Aramis MIS system from QBF (Quick Brown Fox) and Esko WebCenter and BackStage workflow solutions. The customers from Glatz Klischee are benefiting from a web portal ‘Glatz.netpack’ that interactively tracks each and every job through all production steps, from the initial inquiry to final print approval. The result is optimized communication with clients and a secure, fully automated workflow that delivers maximum efficiency.

Manfred Schrattenthaler, general manager of Glatz Klischee, reportedly found Esko's solutions for automating and processing the prepress workflow to be the most comprehensive of its kind available today. ‘Our entire industry has become much more short-lived and fast-paced. To communicate more effectively, rapidly and reliably with customers, we were looking for tools based on mature technologies,’ explained Schrattenthaler. ‘We found the ideal match for our requirements with a JDF connection between the Aramis system from QBF and the BackStage and WebCenter components from Esko.’ The key advantages of Esko's workflow solutions are its uncomplicated handling and capability to establish a clear communication process for all participants. Glatz Klischee can ensure that their customers profit from maximum security, error avoidance and transparency, without requiring any additional software.

The company's web portal, Glatz.netpack, is powered by Esko WebCenter, which serves as the central communication tool. ‘By integrating all participants in the packaging production chain, we build a stronger partnership not only with customers and clients, but also with designers in the design phase,’ stated Manfred Schrattenthaler.

latz Klischee has reportedly achieved perfect data and information management, combined with accurate scheduling. The current status of a job can be accessed immediately and uncertainty about which version is the most recent is a thing of the past. The approval workflow is optimized with to-do lists and e-mail notifications. A sophisticated user and authorization management system controls access and ensures top-level security.

Holger Stier, project manager at Glatz Klischee, finds the WebCenter Viewer to be an invaluable resource. ‘With the help of the WebCenter Viewer, color separations can be examined, screen rulings measured and versions compared, right down to the last detail,’ said Stier. He noted that the option of 3D viewing is extremely useful for rapid job processing.