The Scan Group Streamlines Print-on-Demand with HEIDELBERG Versafires
The Scan Group, a full-service print management group based in Waukesha, WI, recently installed a Versafire LP from HEIDELBERG. This marks the company’s second Versafire installed in the last eighteen months and is part of a strategic effort to expand and improve the efficiency of its print-on-demand services.
Expansion Through Print-on-Demand
With 50% of its orders driven by custom web storefronts, Scan Group enables customers to easily and remotely manage the printing, warehousing, receiving, fulfillment, and shipping of all their on-demand and warehoused items. The company began creating online storefronts for its clients nearly 15 years ago and continues to expand – now operating three locations in Wisconsin to support its full range of services, including offset and digital printing, wide format, binding/finishing, mailing, and warehousing.
“We have customers with as many as 160 locations,” said General Manager Dave Dec. “They really appreciate the convenience of logging into their web portal to order materials – business cards, notepads, signage, etc. – for any of their locations.”
As Scan Group expanded its web store offerings, its digital print and wide format businesses grew significantly. The company, who runs its digital presses three shifts a day, has installed five HEIDELBERG digital presses over the past nine years. Dec explained that the company originally switched from a different digital supplier after seeing the print quality of the HEIDELBERG offering. “The quality was far superior,” he said. “It didn’t look like toner on paper. It looked more like prints from our offset press, and each machine generation keeps getting better – print quality, speed, reliability.”
Improving Efficiency
This commitment to quality and efficiency has also influenced how Scan Group manages its print-on-demand services. Historically, many of Scan Group’s customers printed bulk orders of brochures on its Speedmaster press, stored them in its warehouse, and shipped them out in small quantities when ordered. However, when changes were made to stock items, clients often had to discard unused inventory and print new batches. To improve efficiency, reduce waste, and cut costs, Scan Group shifted many of its clients to print-on-demand, producing only the exact number of brochures ordered – 25, 50, 100, etc. – on the Versafire and shipping them directly to customers.
While this model worked well for many clients, Scan Group’s Versafire EP, installed in 2023, is equipped with an inline booklet maker that can only produce 8.5 x 11 inch books. Many of its customers require landscape format materials, and according to Dec, “While we were able to print small batches of these wider format books, it was killing our production because they then needed to be folded, collated, handstitched, and trimmed offline or by hand.”
To further improve the efficiency of its print-on-demand services, Scan Group installed HEIDELBERG’s latest digital press, the Versafire LP with booklet maker, which allows the company to print, fold, bind, and trim 11 x 8.5 inch “landscape” books all in line. Now, customers can easily order small batches of these products without committing to larger print runs. Additionally, any changes made to a product on the storefront are updated and saved in real-time, ensuring that the most current version is always available for future orders.
Both Versafires also produce a wide variety of variable data mailings, sales materials, business cards, and postcards on substrates ranging from 50 lb offset to 24 pt board – delivering consistent, reliable results without jams or stops. “Having both Versafires running across three shifts really enables us to offer a wide range of products for our customers. The more we can do in house, the greater our potential for business growth,” said Dec.
Fully outfitted with a comprehensive range of HEIDELBERG equipment, including Stahlfolders, cylinder die cutters, stitchers, platemakers, and offset presses, Scan Group has had a partnership with HEIDELBERG for many years due to its reliable equipment and industry-leading service. According to Dec, “Whenever we run into an issue, HEIDELBERG always figures out a solution and makes a wholehearted effort to keep us running. That’s what matters – because when we’re running, we’re making money.”
The preceding press release was provided by a company unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions.
