DRI Eliminates the Silos from Its Print Workflow

Digital Response Imaging (DRI) is a digital color print shop located in the heart of Silicon Valley in San Francisco, CA that specializes in digital print, offset print & web services.

Similar to many companies, Digital Response Imaging began a technology search to find a way to automate their old manual workflow process. They used a paper job ticketing and manual filing system that required too many disparate systems and touches.

They had no MIS system or workflow software, and felt that they were wasting many man-hours on manual tasks and rekeying of job data, hours that could be put to better use elsewhere. As the industry shifted to an increasingly greater emphasis on smaller job runs and faster turnarounds, they knew that their existing process and systems could not support shrinking profit margins.

According to Ian Flynn, President at DRI, although they were actually seeing growth through the use of web-to-print storefronts, “those storefronts were just free-standing silos that sent email orders that still needed to be written up and hand-keyed in.” Even though the storefronts were generating additional revenue, each job that came in still had to be manually processed, which put extra stress on workflows and margins.

Having siloed systems and a manual backend also meant it was challenging for DRI to get an accurate, real-time grasp of project status at any given moment without manually running down each process. They knew the time had come to find a solution that could not only eliminate much of the manual processes from their workflow, but that would also seamlessly integrate the front end with their backend and push online orders into that same workflow.  

DRI looked at a number of systems, including a traditional MIS that Flynn referred to as an “archaic clunky system.” Their searches ultimately led them to PressWise by SmartSoft (Booth 539), which provided them with a single, integrated system with automated workflow, MIS, and web-to-print storefronts. The days of dealing with silo systems, and manually entering data were at an end and they weren’t sad to see them go. As Flynn excitedly shares, “I am so glad those days are over!”

Still, since PressWise is a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Flynn had some slight reservations. “Initially I was concerned that there may be some issues with handling all the file management needed in the cloud. However, I quickly discovered that this was a non-issue. In fact the great benefit of a browser-based system is that I can track everything – orders, production, shipping status etc - in real-time, even when I am out of the office!”

Plus, with the unlimited web-to-print storefronts that come with PressWise, DRI is able to add new storefront customers much faster than before, which is the fastest growing part of their business. All storefront orders automatically flow into the production process without the need for rekeying, saving valuable time and money.

DRI have not only enjoyed the time and cost-saving benefits that have come from automating their workflow processes, they have also found that having a solid MIS system of record has made their business much more efficient. Access to production and job cost data has given them much greater insight into their business, showing them the types of job that are more profitable and those areas where there is room for improvement. As Ian Flynn himself puts it, ““PressWise now does everything but run the press for us.”