NextPage Adds arifiQ Development Intelligent Estimating to Print Production Lines
ÖSTERSUND, Sweden — October 14, 2016 — arifiQ Development's flagship solution, arifiQ PRO, has been installed at Kansas City-based NextPage. arifiQ PRO, one of several applications, plugins, and modules engineered by arifiQ Development, provides 24/7 access to printers' estimating servers for instant and intelligent quoting. NextPage is a multi-faceted print manufacturing facility specializing in variable data printing and high value direct mail.
The news follows close on the heels of arifiQ Development's successful participation at Graph Expo 16, which took place in Orlando last month. There, the company showed a new version of the arifiQ PRO solution, which boasts a much-simplified and streamlined user interface. The company also adds integration with the Intuit Quickbooks accounting application to its list of API-integrated solutions. Examples of supported applications — both in use at NextPage — include popular Zoho Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and ePMS Print Management System (ERP).
NextPage CEO Gina Danner.
The Automated Quote/Estimating Component
Among its many capabilities, arifiQ Pro is a full-scale estimating system that provides printers, salespersons or their customers direct, 24/7 access to quotes. Typically, initial printer set-up time can take as little as minutes. arifiQ supports automatic receipt of ready-to-print purchase orders for printers' digital and offset, sheetfed and webfed; production lines.
arifiQ APIs and RESTs for cloud-based connections enable integration and data exchange, as well as processing, with other systems and formats; including MIS, JDF/XJDF, BPM, and graphic design systems, as well as other applications and user interfaces. Every arifiQ application and add-on requires an installed arifiQ Core Engine loaded with the print provider's machinery, paper-stock and costs.
NextPage Growth Supported by arifiQ Team
NextPage provides customers with highly customized direct mail and variable data jobs, each containing unique specs with vast amounts of data. The company has experienced growth at exponential rates due to the proven success of highly targeted direct mail, its niche offering, and expertise.
"Each time we hit a growth spurt in our company, we have to add estimating resources, which is not a sustainable model in the long term," says Gina Danner, NextPage CEO. "We were in search of an estimating system that could easily, and quickly, provide a print and mailing quote based on a production matrix that we could build to speak to the seemingly smallest details, in addition to one that could support the many engines we are running, as well as talk to various internal systems."
The ultimate goal in implementing arifiQ technology, according to Danner, is for NextPage sales associates to continue to live within the CRM system, Zoho, so that all of the company's systems can "talk" to one another.
arifiQ says that virtually any CRM solution can be supported within 30 days.
How the System Works at NextPage
"arifiQ will be integrated with both our CRM and ERP. Sales opportunities will be handled in the CRM, and together with arifiQ we have access to real estimates," says Danner. "When the deal is closed in the CRM, arifiQ will push that data — with all the job details — onto our ERP system; creating the production order."
Danner says that she found arifiQ to be an ideal partner, as the company's technology could support NextPage's significant, and varied, number of print engines and print devices.
Danner adds that both teams have a strong IT infrastructure, and both understand the process, industry jargon, and limitations that custom print estimating requires.
Eva Rosen, arifiQ co-founder and chairman, says, "We are proud of the work that our team and NextPage have done together, to meet the demanding needs of its sophisticated operation.
"In this case, NextPage will reap the benefits of the arifiQ solution for its sales associates to quickly and efficiently produce quotes, all while staying within their own CRM systems."
The Heart of arifiQ Technology
When arifiQ Core is set-up with the print provider's printing presses, paper stock, post-press machinery, hourly costs and profit margin, the estimating engine manages automated:
- Quotes
- Ready-to-print orders
- Job tickets
- Customer data
- Production optimization
- File storage
About arifiQ Products
arifiQ Pro, the company's flagship application, allows anyone, anywhere, to instantly obtain intelligent quotes for even the most complex jobs. arifiQ Pro uses the printer's real (secured) estimating data, and any special pricing (i.e., discounts, rebates, etc.) for every customer, to calculate the precise combination of print resources that will get the job done at the promised price, and on time. arifiQ handles conventional through custom jobs of any kind, including specialized applications like wide format and variable data printing.
As with all arifiQ solutions, arifiQ PRO is entirely cloud-based. It is accessible via any device that can connect to the internet, scalable to any size and useable across multiple sites, and returns the precise, comprehensive quote in seconds. arifiQ PRO is also fee-based per month, and the subscription can be cancelled at any time.
arifiQ deQuote is the perfect option for those who only require simple, quick print jobs. deQuote is installed like a regular printer, and can be reached from any program on the desktop. The user chooses format and quantity, views the quote on the system display, and deQuote processes the print order and sends the print job to printer(s). The printer receives a-ready-to-print file including order and accounting information, with the document.
The arifiQ plug-in for Adobe InDesign scans the document and automatically captures information including size, bleed, pages, images and colors. The information is interpreted and translated to a request for quotation (RFQ).
The user simply chooses the paper stock and enters the required quantity. It's done in a few seconds. The arifiQ plug-in script communicates with the estimating server and the prices are calculated, updated and presented in real time. To order the piece, the user simply clicks on "order".
About arifiQ Development
arifiQ Development is a Swedish company that has, and will continue to, develop several applications, plug-ins, and modules (including one for MIS) based on its unique and powerful technology platform.
The idea that catalyzed the company's establishment was the founders' recognition that the wait for quotes, and then approvals, was a major cause of frustration for customers and printers, both. They felt that solving the problem by making the quote process faster could have major, positive ramifications for the industry.
arifiQ Development's ROI calculator allows interested parties to review savings/profits that result from using arifiQ. Additional profits (or savings) are realized because studies show that 30% of jobs go to the first quote.
