CASE STUDY: IKON ENSURE INTEGRITY WITH DIGITAL SYSTEM 5000PRO
30 Sep 2009

Duplo's new Digital System 5000PRO Bookletmaker helps IKON Document Services improve staff productivity, improve client satisfaction, and increase turnover...

The company

IKON is a Ricoh company, part of a $22 billion global technology innovator and leader in digital office solutions, with 75,000 employees and offices in over 150 countries worldwide. They provide customers with total business solutions for every office, production and outsourcing need, including copiers and printers, colour solutions, distributed printing, facilities management, imaging and legal document solutions, as well as network design and consulting, and e-business development.

IKON's Document Services operation is a natural extension of their core business, offering off-site printing, finishing, scanning and mailing services. As experts in innovative solutions for all types of professional print and document needs, their consultative approach and state-of-the-art technology enable clients to improve the quality and productivity of their work, whether that's fulfilling a one-off print requirement in the most cost effective way, or managing an entire marketing campaign from design to despatch.

Ian Duxbury Operations Manager at IKON comments "The commonality between all our clients' demands is the need for guaranteed 100% accuracy, quality finished output and fast turnaround."

The challenge

"Our customers are always driving innovation" explains Steve Loftin, Professional Services MS/DS Operations Manager "and we wanted to become more proactive rather than reactive."

In particular, a long-standing customer, Ipsos MORI – a leading global marketing research company – was beginning to push the boundaries with a particular project for their client RAJAR.

RAJAR stands for Radio Joint Audience Research and is the official body in charge of measuring radio audiences in the UK. It is jointly owned by the BBC and the Radio Centre on behalf of the commercial sector. Their survey asks the general public to record their radio listening habit throughout a whole week with 'diary sheets', which is then sent back to Ipsos MORI for processing. The local radio stations listed in the diary, are different depending on where the participant lives. There are currently approximately 320 individual stations on the survey.

"With the RAJAR project there was no room for error. We have to process 150,000 variable sheets to form 5,000 survey 'diaries' every week, for 51 weeks of the year, without fail" explains Mr Loftin, "The data comes in on Monday and must be out by Friday. There is little room for production downtime and of course, every booklet must have the correct sheets for that particular recipient."

For six years the production team had used hand-fed Duplo bookletmakers and for 12 months Duplo's first generation Digital System 5000 with DSF-2000 sheet feeder. Duxbury continues "whilst we liked Duplo as a company and their willingness to help and support us, unfortunately the products at that time just didn't suit this particular specialist project. We then visited Drupa and saw their new generation sheet feeder the DSF-5000, and were immediately impressed with the changes and additions that Duplo had made. We then entered a period of trials and testing with the new product in conjunction with Duplo to ensure the solution performed to our requirements. We were very impressed with Duplo's flexibility, technical expertise and willingness to find a solution."

"We have a real track-record in testing suppliers!" Duxbury concludes.

The solution

In May 2009 IKON Office Solutions invested in a Digital System 5000PRO, consisting of a DSF-5000 Sheet Feeder, SCC Slit/Cut/Creaser Module, and DBM-500/T Bookletmaker and Trimmer. The new DSF-5000 was also installed with optional cover feeders and barcode readers on both of the feed areas and delivery tray, ensuring maximum security and accuracy of all booklets.

80gsm inners are deposited in the deep pile feed area and 160gsm covers are placed in the cover trays. Using the 2D barcode readers, every sheet is verified to ensure that the correct page order is in the set. Covers are pre folded with a flap and in between each batch is a separating job sheet that passes through at the same time as the books.

"The new Duplo bookletmaker really is the final piece in the puzzle. The machine will literally stop if there is an error in the page ordering. It takes the whole manual quality control checking out of the process, leaving us with more time to concentrate on other parts of production line." Steve Loftin comments.

He continues "we are also greatly impressed with the quick start up times. We are now able to be up and running six times faster than before. It is simple, one button, one finger technology and with the PC set up it makes multi personnel use much easier. I have to say that the training we received on the machine was exceptional and has enabled us to truly maximise our investment and test the boundaries of the machine."

The bookletmaker begins production when the first print run is complete on Wednesday afternoon, and is run full-time through multiple shifts up until Friday afternoon.

"The DSF-5000 has some very nice features that make life nice and easy including optical mark recognition, high performance paper handling and 2D barcode reader which means there is less physical and visual impact than when using conventional 1D barcodes." Duxbury comments.

"We have full confidence in the solution, and we are now setting our sights on bigger and brighter things with the services we can now offer as a result."

The result

As a result of the investment IKON now boasts a truly safe, secure and streamlined variable data book production line. As a result, customers are delighted.

"Because of the time savings with our manual processes, we are able to give the customers the knock-on cost savings as a result" Duxbury says.

As well as the quicker start-up times, the workflow in the production centre is also benefited by a more time effective quality control.

"As we are not having to hand match, and check every single book for quality purposes, our operators have more time to do other jobs within the workflow. It has meant that other customers have benefited from a better service as a result."

IKON has also been able to revisit existing customers with the new services that the Digital System 5000PRO brings.

"Some of our longest serving customers were thinking of converting to variable data and security printing. What this investment has done is enabled us to revisit their needs and be far more proactive with what we can offer them. It really has opened up more opportunities for us".

It is not only existing customers that are hearing about the new bookletmaker, Steve continues "Our new production facility offering, with the new bookletmaker in place, is enabling us to formulate a new business drive amongst accounts that we were not suited to in the past. We can now truly be seen as a one stop shop print business with the added capability of pioneering innovation in our customers' print and marketing requirements."

With these new found opportunities the benefit is clear as Duxbury explains "the machine was bought to service one particular project requirement. By opening out the machine to other customers, we simply get to pay back the machine sooner and start making a return on the investment quicker than we would have expected."

To find out more about the Duplo Digital System 5000PRO visit: www.duplouk.com/5000pro.



Contact: Peter Jolly
UK Marketing Manager

Telephone: +44(0) 1372 468 131
Direct: +44(0) 1372 478 279
Email: pjolly@duplointernational.com


Download: DJ126_IKON Case Study.pdf

Images: 1a.zip  

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