by Toon Van Rossum, Switch Product Manager, Enfocus
28.03 Le Studio relies on the Enfocus Switch automation solution to stay on top in a highly competitive market, meeting the needs of increasingly demanding clients with ever tighter deadlines. Result: increased productivity and guaranteed workflows that release staff time for high-value tasks.
For Emmanuel Branger, founder and director of 28.03 Le Studio, the Switch solution was indispensable: “I was familiar with Enfocus Switch and its many benefits. I knew the solution would be the backbone of my work.” So it was a matter of course that 28.03 Le Studio, specialists in pre-press and large-format digital printing, acquired Switch.
“We had a heavy workload of image retouching and prepress work to manage. I would have to retrieve the native files from clients’ FTPs. Switch makes this process very simple. Now I retrieve and deliver files automatically. This was my first reason for acquiring Switch: to eliminate simple and repetitive download tasks”, explains the founder of 28.03 Le Studio.
Managing in a highly competitive market
Emmanuel Branger is operating in what has become a highly competitive market. He explains:
“My rates are a quarter of what they were eight years ago. I had to automate to speed up. Spending 15 minutes opening a file (to check the format, colorimetry, etc.) was no longer cost-effective.”
His €1 million-turnover company deals with communications agencies, advertisers, and production platforms. Their deadlines are becoming tighter. “Sometimes, a project will turn into a real challenge,” declares Emmanuel Branger. For the company to meet client demands and stay profitable, implementing Switch to automate processes was essential.
All repetitive tasks can be replaced by a Switch flow
Switch is a modular automation solution, integrating with systems already in place, and runs third-party applications to accelerate workflow, avoid errors and automate repetitive tasks.
“All repetitive tasks can be replaced by a Switch workflow,” explains Emmanuel Branger. “For example, if I need to send a number of elements to a client’s FTP, I’ve got a folder with the names of the client and contacts. I drag the items into the folder. It’s sent. That saves a significant amount of time compared to sending files manually. Depending on the operation, using Switch can save between 10 and 15 times more time when compared with manual procedures.” Furthermore, the risk of error or omission is greatly reduced: “Imagine that you are in the middle of manually sending items to a client. The telephone rings. You answer the call and forget the file. It’s only human”, adds the director of 28.03 Le Studio.
How does this work in practice?
28.03 Le Studio runs through a typical procedure to demonstrate the value of Switch: “Opening a file, checking whether it is homothetic, RGB or CMYK... This used to take us a lot of time. We had to import the file into InDesign to create a proof, which we then sent to the client. Now, to carry out the same tasks, we have created a workflow. I “drop” the PDF into an application, select the client from the dropdown menu, enter my file reference and select my media. I fill in the options (delivery dates, for example) and this creates a folder on the server containing the basic client files.” Emmanuel Branger continues: “The PDF has been analyzed and normalized and production files have been created without me having to do anything else. This automatically generates the proof and initiates printing. From 15 to 20 minutes manually, this process now takes only two or three minutes.”
Financial savings are closely linked to time savings: “I save money when I save time. And in this profession, I am selling time,” says Emmanuel Branger.
Switch allows you to work around the clock
Automating tasks with Switch frees up time for staff to spend on new, profitable activities. “You need to make this clear when you implement the tool, because the time gained could be perceived negatively by employees”, explains Emmanuel Branger. “They could think that production is going to be streamlined and posts will be lost. Whereas, the reality is that they will be able to focus on more productive and profitable tasks.” Another example is online proofing for print adverts: a communications agency was spending an entire weekend mounting boards to pitch a presentation on Monday morning. They needed a total of 100 70x100 paper prints. Emmanuel Branger created a workflow that enabled his client to deposit files when they were ready, and the files went straight to printing without requiring any special intervention.
“Switch allows you to work around the clock!” says Emmanuel Branger.
Emmanuel Branger cannot praise Switch highly enough. He concludes: “Anything you can imagine doing is possible, and creating workflows does not hold you back creatively!”
Enfocus solutions for large format printers
Our solutions turn time consuming tasks into an automated workflow: from automatically adding grommet holes to PDF quality control.
