Altorffer, a printing and packaging business in Roosendaal, The Netherlands, has a rich legacy in print, with a history dating back to 1784. This esteemed heritage does not, however, mean that the Dutch printing house is not forward-thinking; Altorffer has a strong focus on innovation, and is a firm believer in the power of connected automation.
An initial brief for print systems distributor and integrator Four Pees focused on Altorffer’s desire to improve print file preparation and maximise its Enfocus Switch investment. Before long, it was clear that Four Pees had much more to offer than simply optimising preflighting.
Simultaneously, multinational eye care specialists Alcon, a long-time Altorffer customer, was experiencing a similar need for enhanced automation, specifically relating to marketing order processing and delivery. With a tight deadline of just a few months, Altorffer knew there was no room for workflow and production inefficiencies if they were going to meet the demands of the Alcon project. So, the Four Pees partnership that started as a project to improve preflight processes soon developed into a fully integrated system of automating orders, inventory management, and communication with customers and suppliers. (Read more under the video)
A customer project with a clear vision for success
The main aim of the project was the comprehensive automation of Alcon’s marketing orders. The Alcon Marketing Tools platform (AMT) handles everything from file receipt to delivery notes, and automatically communicates with platforms such as Prindustry and Sendy for delivery, allowing Altorffer to handle higher volume with fewer manual interactions. Philippe Moons, Digital Marketing Manager Alcon says: "This platform was launched with the main purpose of helping our customers, the opticians, to order marketing materials in order to make it easier to market our products to the end user.”
The implementation of the platform has been game-changing for Alcon, allowing the opticians to order the products they need themselves and reduce touchpoints in the marketing order process. The results are evident, as Moons continues: “Since Alcon Marketing Tools - our ordering platform for marketing materials - was launched, the number of active users has doubled, and we are seeing a 50-60% increase in orders. This ensures that more marketing is happening for our products, which further strengthens the success of the platform."
Connected Automation, a catalyst for job satisfaction and efficiency
Such an extensive project with a strict deadline would not have been possible without Altorffer’s approach to connectivity and automation, as Mireille van Osta, team leader, Prepress Innovation & IT at Altorffer, says: "We have been working on automation within Altorffer for over a decade. Over the years, we have learned that to get the most out of your workflow, you have to automate the smaller problems first. When you connect all these processes together, you create a whole new efficiency: connected automation.”
The impact of connected automation goes beyond the improvement of print production efficiency; it boosts job satisfaction thanks to the reduced need for members of the team to carry out repetitive tasks, which in turn allows them to focus on more high-value, engaging duties. Eddy Bouwens, co-owner of Altorffer, says: “For us, it is important that our people have interesting jobs, with fewer repetitive tasks and less chance of mistakes. This not only adds to their job satisfaction, but also increases our efficiency. This is why we decided to partner with Four Pees to implement 'Connected Automation'. It connects all our processes and ensures seamless workflows with minimal human intervention.”
The benefits of the partnership with Four Pees are felt across Altorffer, and not only due to the success of the Alcon project. Natascha van Gils, team leader, PostPress and AMT and thus also responsible for post-processing in Alcon production, highlights the convenience offered by the new automation: “You get more peace of mind. Everything is now in its place, and if stock is running low, we automatically receive a notification so that we can start new printing orders in time. As a result, work has become easier and clearer.”
Marieke Kiebert, P&O and Financial Administration, is also enthusiastic: “The project was set up quite smoothly. In the beginning, you don't know exactly what is going to change, but the process went smoothly. There were no struggles and confidence in the system grew quickly.”
A look to the future
This success story does not end here. Connected automation is an increasing requirement for print businesses looking to remain competitive and profitable in today’s environment, and companies such as Altorffer will continue to lead the pack thanks to its mindset. Eddy Bouwens concludes: “We have noticed that this trajectory of connected automation is of interest to many of our customers. Our mission is to take Altorffer to version 2.0 by connecting and automating all our processes. This will enable us to generate more revenue with the same number of employees and strengthen our unity. This is the future for a graphics company like ours.”
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