Vantage is a production management platform for printing plants.
 
West Ferry Printers, one of the world's largest print sites producing over 3 million copies per day, has developed Vantage over a number of years as an intranet-based, plant-wide production management system.  Harland Simon has taken on the support of the system and is marketing the system to its existing client base and new customers throughout the World.
 
The platform gives management and operational personnel the best possible Vantage point over the whole production process. Every piece of information, every reason, every statistic is at your fingertips. The complete live and historical picture of your production process helps managers make the right decisions quickly. Productivity gains are achievable in every department. Vantage becomes your business analyst.
 

Monitoring

Live monitoring views are available for all areas of production. Every department has their own specific view of production and hence has their own view in the system.
 

Interaction

Data entry for every department is reduced to the minimum with zero duplication. No reports are emailed, faxed or posted to the customer as they have their own extranet site. The system makes paperless reporting a reality and reduces telephone communication to the minimum. Updates and communiqués are broadcast instantly to the right people.
 

Reporting

The hierarchical nature of the system allows managers to focus quickly on targets and zoom in when more detail is required. Managers and customers use the same data for reporting removing all doubt and giving consistency. It ties together the islands of information inherent in any company. A complete set of performance metrics for publications, equipment and personnel allows you to establish realistic benchmarking and targeting.
 

Web Benefits

As the whole system is web based there's no software to install, upgrade or manage on the client PCs or Macs. A single server can host many web sites for internal purposes and for customer Extranets.
 

What ROI can you expect?

• Administration - No paperwork is produced internally or for customers. Data and effort duplication has gone.
• Data algorithms, collation and formatting are automatic and consistent. Every department gains through being better informed and involved in production.
• Overall, management will spend a fraction of the time producing reports allowing them to concentrate on their real jobs.
Waste and performance awareness
A culture of excellence is bred through a company wide awareness of performance.
 

Value added service to customer

Customers get the same instant access to live production information removing the need for constant telephone calls. No other system offers customers the same level of integration and involvement in the production process. Trust through openness is forged.  Read what some customers have to say.
 

Communication

All levels of personnel can rely on a single point for information without the need for training to get the most out of the system.
 

System features

At the core are a web application server and a Harland Simon PRIMA system. Links to other systems include newsprint, AGV system, helpdesk, plate room, manifest, post press and mailroom, finance, personnel and ink monitoring.  The system requires no administration once configured.  The system is infinitely expandable only limited by imagination.

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