GEICO, the third-largest private
passenger auto insurer in the United States, awarded the 2009 GEICO
Partnership Excellence Award to Océ North America. The award recognizes
individuals and organizations that, through partnerships with GEICO,
demonstrate their dedication, customer-focused service and service
guarantee. The big insurer provides 24-hour service, 7 days a week, 365
days a year. They expect nothing less of their printing systems.
"Océ
demonstrated these qualities and more in the work they conducted with
our company, and we are proud to present Océ with an award showing our
appreciation for continued excellence in service to GEICO and our
customers," said GEICO Regional Vice President, John Izzo.
GEICO
wanted better, faster solutions that also delivered value for their
investment, and Océ came through with an award-winning solution. Océ
VarioPrint® 6250 cut-sheet printers exceeded their expectations for
overall value and performance. To date, the Océ VarioPrint 6250 systems
have consistently delivered over 98 percent uptime.
"So far, they
have met or exceeded their commitment every month," said William
Riddle, Director of GEICO's National Print Mail Facility in
Fredericksburg, VA, who nominated Océ for the award.
Left to right: Mal Baboyian, President, Production Printing Systems, Océ North America; Tama Ruiz. She is Vice President of ISD, GEICO; William A. Riddle, Director, National Print Mail Facility, GEICO.
Based to the
Océ VarioPrint success, GEICO replaced their existing fleet of
continuous feed equipment with the Océ VarioStream® 8750 engines, and
that outcome also went beyond expectations. "We studied their
requirements and offered guidance for migrating to better production
models, from the data to the print to the inserter to the mail stream,"
explains Mal Baboyian, President, Océ North America, Production Printing
Systems division. "We also stepped up with a service guarantee for
uptime and production,"
Demonstrating customer service excellence
"GEICO
had aggressive business goals, and we are proud that our equipment
helps them meet their objectives. "Océ is extremely proud to receive
this honor from GEICO in recognition of our customer focus and
dedication. It's also an honor to have GEICO as a customer," said
Baboyian,. "Receiving this award validates our focus on delivering
exceptional customer service to help our customers succeed. 'Customer
First' is a core Océ value, and it is engrained in everything we do."
Faster Turnaround, Lower Costs Just in Time Productivity at Learning Tree
The in-house print center at Learning Tree's Reston, Virginia headquarters produces all of the course materials for thousands of classes on demand. The just-in-time system not only saves money, it enables the firm to keep training materials fresh. However, when the print center's aging printing systems began breaking down frequently, it became increasingly difficult to meet tight deadlines. "Our old equipment was down so much we literally had to have service technicians out here daily," recalls Production Manager, Tom Matty. "You just can't sustain an operation of this size, volume and criticality under those conditions. We had to have more people on hand to be able to meet deadlines, because when the equipment finally came back up, we were working within compressed timeframes to get the materials printed, punched, bound and packed for shipment in time for the classes. Depending on how long the machines were down, instead of cost-effective three- to five-day shipping, we'd have to pay steep shipping surcharges. It was not a cost-effective way to do business."
Frustrated with the frequent downtime, the company went in search of leading edge technology, both in print engines and workflow software.
"Our work is overwhelmingly duplex, so we wanted a robust machine that could handle high volumes of duplex jobs. The Océ VarioPrint 6000 platform's simultaneous duplexing capability really caught my eye. By printing both sides of the page at the same time, the Océ VarioPrint 6160 system speeds throughput, streamlines paper flow and reduces jams. We also liked its durability, service life and quality. The quality is excellent, especially for halftones, so our photos and screen captures are clean and sharp."
Learning Tree installed the Océ equipment in its Reston facility in February 2009. "We couldn't afford to close the plant down, and the installation was extremely smooth," relates Matty. "We worked with Océ to coordinate the installation of the equipment so that we always had a machine running. We de-installed one older machine and installed the first Océ VarioPrint 6160 system. Once it was operational, we replaced the other system. We were able to shift to the new machines in just two and a half days."
Just in Time Productivity Today, the bustling print center produces 1.5 million prints per machine per month. In an average week, Learning Tree holds 75 to 100 course events around the country, requiring anywhere from 25 to 30 books per course, plus extras for walk-ins or replacements for damaged course materials. "We produce all materials just in time," explains Matty, "We produce the course materials required for the next week, in the exact quantities required, based on the scheduled course-load. We carry no inventory of materials."
This taut scheduling is tied into a proprietary document storage system containing all of the documents for a year of scheduled courses, typically stored as PDFs. The program automatically pulls the appropriate version of the required document and feeds it to the printer. "There's no worrying about a press person accidentally printing an outdated version of course materials," says Matty. "We produce materials on a distance sensitive basis, so we'll produce course books for LA on Monday, Chicago on Tuesday and DC on Friday. Because our deadlines are so tight, we can't afford unexpected glitches. That was the pain point with our old equipment. It's no longer an issue with Océ."
To simplify tab creation and streamline job preparation, proofing, tab production and workload management, Learning Tree uses Océ PRISMAprepare software, all-in-one job preparation software that simplifies document makeready from composition through production. In addition to its other powerful features, the software makes it easy to assign media attributes to any paper supply drawer, enabling all tabbed pages to be produced fully collated as part of complete documents on the Océ VarioPrint 6160 systems.
For finishing, the Océ presses run in concert with offline finishing machinery, including industrial-grade punching and binding equipment. Books are perfect-bound, punched or GBC-bound. Course notes go into three-ring binders and workbooks and exercise books are bound with PlastiCoil or Wire-O binding.
An added benefit is environmentally sustainable performance. Océ VarioPrint 6160 systems consume up to 45 percent less energy than comparative systems, emit virtually no ozone and are RoHS compliant. Because the machines generate less heat, cooling and energy costs are lower and operation is quiet. "There are times where the machine is so quiet, the only way we know it's running is by checking the green light," says Matty.
The Result: streamlined workflow, maximum uptime, and no more overtime. The Océ VarioPrint 6160 systems provide the productivity improvements Learning Tree International wanted. "The Océ VarioPrint 6160s eliminated all the downtime and manual effort, troubleshooting problems, clearing jams, restarting jobs, and calling service technicians. It definitely makes for more efficient use of labor and other resources," affirms Matty.
Producing more work in less time makes Learning Tree's operation far more productive. The print center has been able to eliminate half a shift in the evening, generating significant cost and labor savings. "The speed allows us to push through more work, which really helps when we get alerts that five more people have enrolled in a class and we need to print five more books. With the Océ system, we can drop unexpected jobs into an eight-hour day without disrupting schedule or extending hours."
"Our training materials are constantly refreshed to meet customer expectations," he adds. Even though we're supposedly moving to a paperless society, we're printing more now than ever. The Océ VarioPrint 6160 systems have virtually eliminated overtime. With the increased speed, throughput, and uptime of the Océ machines, we can meet all the volume requirements with the same two shifts and our labor, maintenance, click and per-copy costs are lower. It's a trifecta of savings as far as I'm concerned," Matty concludes. "We're delighted with the Océ hardware and software."
Professional Document Make-ready Made Easy
The latest generation of Océ PRISMAprepare adds value, functionality and intelligence to the pre-print workflow.
Simplifies job preparation Designed with the user in mind, device-independent Océ PRISMAprepare document preparation software simplifies job preparation from composition through production, offering robust clean-up, automated layout, soft proofing and basic preflighting. Capabilities include a standard PDF workflow, rapid corrections and cleanup, an intuitive user interface and a true WYSIWYG preview of the entire prepress process, which eliminates the need for hard-copy proofs and minimizes environmental impact.
New features that accelerate productivity include support for full-bleed tabs, integrated color management and simplified programming of jobs with repeating pages to name a few.
Unleashing Potential "The new version of Océ PRISMAprepare software unleashes the full power of Océ VarioPrint® 4000, Océ VarioPrint 6000 Ultra, Canon imagePRESS® and other Océ and non-Océ production cutsheet printers," said Océ International Software Product Manager, ErnstJan de Bruin.
This next-generation software also streamlines preparation of single or double-sided, square or rounded, full-bleed tabs in color or black & white with up to three lines of text and even specify a different color for each tab For jobs with repeating pages, Océ PRISMAprepare 5.1 software makes programming and selecting repeating pages fast and automatic.
Océ PRISMAprepare 5.1 is available immediately.
Building Revenue with Océ JetStream Adding Color, Value and Volume
Symcor, the biggest transactional printer in Canada, has led its market in bringing transpromo communications to financial customers. Their first Océ JetStream printer helped Symcor make the strategic shift from basic transaction and conventional monochrome printing to full color variable output. This summer, the Canadian transpromo leader is adding a second Océ JetStream 1500 color inkjet system this summer to support its thriving transpromo business.
The second Océ system reinforces Symcor's commitment to transpromo leadership with the quality and production power to dominate the Canadian market. "Océ was very supportive in understanding our business model, and this was critical for us," said Normand Allard, Director of Product Management at Symcor.
Prepared for New Business The full-color Océ JetStream 1500 inkjet digital printing system is designed to maximize productivity in corporate and commercial print environments. The printer produces full-color variable data output at ultra-high speed with exceptional quality, and supports monthly duty cycles of up to 40 million impressions.
Symcor's first Océ JetStream system was installed a little over a year ago. It now runs at full capacity as it handles the additional color business. To continue adding new accounts, Symcor couldn't be caught short on capacity and recognized the need for a second system.
"The Océ JetStream platform gives us new opportunities that contribute in our efforts to convert more work into color and bring new solutions to our clients," said Allard. "Symcor was successful in securing new business by demonstrating the benefits of printing documents in color. Having the right technology and being able to showcase the equipment within a live environment was critical to our success." The Océ JetStream technology also helped Symcor diversify by going after new vertical applications beyond financial documents.
Making Digital Color an Easier Sell "We consider Océ JetStream the leading full color ink jet technology in the market. When we promote full color communications to prospective clients, we can show how we are already using it to help clients enhance their documents to become more effective communication tools," said Allard. "Having the Océ JetStream running live within our environment makes it easier to demonstrate the capabilities and advantages of the platform. Customers see what can be done with digital color printing, and this motivates them to take a closer look at their own documents to make sure they are keeping up with trends and changes in the market."
Reduced Costs, Incremental Revenues, "Green" Practices "When we decided to buy the Océ equipment, our goal was to convert existing black and white applications into full color forms replacement applications. This helped customers to reduce their carbon footprint and provided them with opportunity to enhance the application with variable color messaging to promote, educate and enhance the customer experience. We feel the Océ JetStream systems will help us capture additional opportunities in this space and therefore provide Symcor more revenue in the next few years," Allard declared.
A true production workhorse in both color and black and white, the Océ JetStream printer does the work of several systems. "For us, it is like getting two printers for one. We can leverage this technology to offer different solutions in both color and black and white to our clients, while reducing costs and retiring legacy equipment within our fleet," Allard said. "With the new Océ JetStream, we gain the potential for new revenue and eliminate the expense of the additional black and white systems, which brings down our overall costs."
The Océ JetStream printer also contributes to Symcor's "green" business practices. Allard explained, "The use of onserts', in-statement messages and replacement of pre-printed stock were important contributors to Symcor's environmental sustainability initiatives."
Flexibility Supports Business Continuity For Symcor, flexibility is the most vital benefit of the Océ JetStream platform. The Océ JetStream 1500 printer is field-upgradeable to the next level of speed and volume, guaranteeing a genuine growth path and investment protection. The upgradeable technology also offers useful inline capabilities such as integrated folding, perforating hole punching and rewinding.
In addition, Symcor needed redundancy to protect their growing transpromo and color business. With the acquisition of the second Océ JetStream, they can send the same color file to another Océ JetStream printer or to an Océ monochrome device, without altering that original color file or the related workflow. This flexibility adds security for business continuity planning, as it ensures the same quality without investing in more systems for multiple sites or maintaining multiple versions of the same file to accommodate different systems.
"We are excited to work with a transpromo leader like Symcor, who can maximize all the advantages of Océ JetStream technology. Bringing on a second Océ system so quickly demonstrates the pent-up demand for high quality full color variable data communications in this market," said Patrick D'Souza, President, Océ-Canada Inc.
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About Océ Océ is a leading
international provider of digital document management technology and
services. The company's solutions are based on Océ's advanced software
applications that deliver documents and data over internal networks and
the Internet to printing devices and archives -- locally and around the
world. Supporting the workflow solutions are Océ digital printers and
scanners, considered the most reliable and productive in the world. Océ
also offers a wide range of display graphics, consulting and
outsourcing solutions.
Océ employs around 22,000 people, with
2009 revenues of approximately $3.7 billion, operates in around 100
countries and maintains research and manufacturing centers in the
Netherlands, the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Belgium, the
Czech Republic, Romania and Singapore. Océ North America is
headquartered in Trumbull, CT, with additional business units in
Chicago, IL; New York City; Boca Raton, FL; Salt Lake City, UT and
Vancouver, BC. North American revenues represent approximately half of
Océ's worldwide business, and employment is approximately 10,000. For
more information about Océ, visit . Outside the U.S.,
consult .
"Océ"
and the Océ logo are registered trademarks of Océ-Technologies B.V. All
product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks and
are the property of their owners and are respectfully acknowledged.
