CHICAGO – Avanti Computer Systems Limited, a leading provider of Print MIS and Web-to-Print solutions and GMC Software Technology (GMC), the leader in customer communications and output management, are excited to announce their new integration partnership. Avanti’s Print MIS (Management Information System) is completely integrated with GMC production software for transactional, trans-promotional and direct mail production. This new partnership enables printers to completely automate their workflow and achieve production efficiency.
One of the greatest challenges for print providers is eliminating islands of automation that can’t communicate. It is becoming increasingly important to be able to share information between the administrative workflow (estimating, billing, purchasing etc.) and the production workflow (preparing, designing, composing, ripping, finishing etc.) The goal of every print shop is to limit the number of times someone has to touch a job as it makes its way through the print shop.
“The Avanti-GMC integration enables printers to significantly increase speed and accuracy through automation,” says Patrick Bolan, President and CEO of Avanti. “In addition, printers now have real-time job costing information at the job level, providing important insight into their business to base future decisions on.”
“By integrating Avanti’s Print MIS with our production software, the workflow becomes seamless to the print provider and the end-customer becomes the big winner, through quicker turn-around times and better customer service,” says Michael Watts, COO at GMC Software Technology.
How it Works:
When a job is submitted across the web or entered into Avanti, the job is automatically created in Avanti’s Print MIS. Important job parameters such as the job description, customer info, stock, quantity, number of pages etc., are then sent to the GMC production server, utilizing Avanti’s JDF Framework. Once GMC receives the job parameters, it generates the final VPS (Variable Print Specification) output file from the imported address list. This list can include hundreds of thousands of address records which are combined with graphic elements and variable data, before the file is sent to the next system in the workflow to prepare it for printing.
Once this is complete, the GMC system sends updated job parameters, including asset files and updates relating to job progress and job tracking information via JDF/JMF back to the Avanti MIS system. This bi-directional integration between Avanti and GMC occurs seamlessly without user intervention.
Visit Avanti at Graph Expo in October at Booth #864 for a live demonstration of the Avanti-GMC integration.
