Page 112 - Packaging News Magazine Nov-Dec2020

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PACK PRINTING AND DECORATION www.packagingnews.com.au | November–December 2020
The future of packaging production in a VUCA world
Agility and planning are two key business concepts for a time of widespread uncertainty and pandemic. Many packaging companies are coming up against challenges as they work to remain operational and efficient during these unprecedented times.
FROM maintaining critical supply chains, fulfilling surging orders, or simply managing remote work- ing, the difficulties are myriad.
Business owners need a solu- tion to the challenges that can give flexibility and visibility in
the key areas to help inform smart decision making. Having a clear grasp on inventory, work in progress and customer demand all have a sig- nificant impact on cash flow and working capital, which is where capabilities like MRP and customer engagement platforms can come into their own.
THE RIGHT SOLUTION
Digital printing technology specialist EFI continuously develops tools to help address many of these chal- lenges and pain points modern busi- nesses are facing. Digital innovations such as open suite architecture, pro- ductivity workbench dashboards to optimise user experience, and enhanced automation built into workflows, can help streamline the manual labour required to process jobs through a factory, and redefine key roles within the company.
New digital storefront platforms can help drive engagement between customers and suppliers, as well as speed up transactions for repeat order items. Smart planning algo- rithms with artificial intelligence built into scheduling solutions will help companies optimise and stream- line the planning of jobs, so they are scheduled in the most optimum way, working in combination with addi- tional layout optimisation tools, to be able to more effectively gang and group jobs together.
EFI’s comprehensive JDF workflow developed for digital printers, inte- grates through the Radius MIS/ERP platform seamlessly with third-party artwork management/approval solu- tions and direct to digital front-ends,
giving a lights-out, touchless work- flow. The final piece that sews this all together is the advanced shop floor data collection system, which collects key information from the shop floor and enables product com- pliance and traceability for digital and analogue packaging printing.
LEVERAGING AUTOMATION
Taking an ecosystem approach to a business, and reviewing processes, automating workflows and connect- ing the relevant pieces of the work- flow, together with open technology is where EFI believes companies will benefit the most in the future, and is generally the partnership approach the company takes.
EFI has been working on the continuous develop-
ment of its pack-
aging suite for
several years,
developing the themeofadigitalecosystemthroughits productivity software brand and extended connectivity to its Fiery and Industrial inkjet applications.
Radius has been the core MIS/ERP platform at the centre of the produc- tivity software suite, and is compli- mented by the integrated value-add products that EFI says give focused solutions in the key areas that make a difference.
EFI’s customer base is represented across a broad geographical foot- print, and with the given supply pressures and continuous consoli- dation in the packaging industry EFI says its solution offers the end- to-end scope needed to manage a wide range of manufacturing pro- cesses and applications that fully accommodate the complexity seen across the packaging industry. ■
EFI Fiery application: several printers from a single station