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 HIFLEX presents closed and open Web-to-Print solutions live on its drupa stand 9D44.
The closed Web-to-Print solution "HIFLEX eBusiness" allows customers and/or
suppliers to access individually configured areas on the printer's website with login-data. In the secure area the customers then have the possibility to
carry out, for instance, one or more of the following processes: to order customer-specific standard products, to check on the status of the job (job tracking),
to order from a stock of finished goods or place a print order when the stock is too low (warehouse release order), to personalize print products within a
given corporate design, to transfer printing data with assignment to the job, and to approve proofs via the internet (softproof). |
| The open "HIFLEX Webshop" (Example: www.printplaza.com) is a unique global web shop system that is fine-tuned to the needs of the print product market and facilitates
an integrated product configuration. By the product configuration a print product can be assembled from several modules (such as number of pages, color, paper,
finishing, and refinement) at lightning speed. Highlights: online estimate also of variable product formats (format of one's choice), secure payment processing,
data upload function with automated data check (Preflight), online proofing, order tracking, and package tracking. HIFLEX Webshop communicates with the printing
company's MIS system via digital JDF job ticket. Furthermore, the system contains several tools for successful marketing (newsletter functionality, voucher-system, and others). |
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| HIFLEX Webshop is a useful tool for every print shop that would like to quickly and effectively enter the online business world; ideal for offset, digital or folding box printing. |
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| Today nearly everything can be purchased on the Web, even print products. The necessary portals are essentially the print shop's individually programmed shop solutions.
If a print shop would now like to enter into web commerce and take advantage of the huge market potential, it was previously possible only through protracted, cost
intensive in-house development. |
| With "HIFLEX Webshop", software developer HIFLEX offers a complete web shop system that is fine-tuned to the needs of the print product market. The portal layout can be
configured freely and, using a network API, references a streamlined HIFLEX MIS packet. This packet pulls the strings in the background, by managing customers, orders, and products. |
| The system facilitates a simple product configuration. A print product can be assembled from several modules (such as number of pages, color, paper, finishing, and refinement)
at lightning speed (Example: www.printplaza.com). During the configuration process, unworkable combinations are excluded using a plausibility check, and necessary processing
steps are added (e.g. scoring with 200g/m2 paper). The products can also be based on multiple product components, for example, cover and content. This leads to a huge number
of possible combinations. The special feature: only a few modules are needed in the background, because more than 1000 product combinations can be generated from only 20
modules. Modifications to the products (e.g. a new price for a specific paper grade) can be entered easily, and will then apply to all dependent products. |
| The price feedback (market price) is immediately generated, and scaled according to print run. The prospective buyer can open a PDF quote with complete fact sheet
(product specification) and receive immediate notification when the print data must be delivered and when the product will ship. He can define the shipping type based
on the calculated weight. Exactly like at Amazon, he brings his virtual shopping cart to the checkout. After the customer has registered, various payment methods can
be selected, including credit card payment. The customer receives the invoice through an automated e-mail PDF. |
| At the next step, the portal offers the upload of the print data for the issued order. The print data is checked immediately (Preflight), and the customer receives immediate
notification of whether the data can be further processed. If "Soft proof" was selected when the order was placed, the Print Shop system will digitally process a proof
(online proof.) |
| The customer can keep track of the order status all at times during the order processing. As soon as the delivery process has begun, he can also track the status using Package Tracking. |
| But the HIFLEX Webshop is not only convenient for buyers. A large portion of a print shop's administrative and technical processes are automatically processed through the
HIFLEX back-end. Customer master data, supplier addresses, and orders are automatically applied. The system automatically generates quotes, order confirmations, job dockets,
invoices, and delivery notes. Furthermore, the order is placed in package pickup using a direct UPS interface, and a standard UPS shipping label with tracking number is generated. |
| HIFLEX Webshop is a useful tool for every print shop that would like to quickly and effectively enter the online business world. A turnover of 5 Million Euro with a typical
print webshop is no longer a rarity. The system is ideal for offset, digital or folding box printing. |
| The enabling technology is minimal. What you need are two Intel-based servers with Redhat Linux (beside a firewall). Both servers each run a virtual machine (VmWare).
In VmWare 1 the Apache Webserver, a mail server and HIFLEX Webshop will all be set up. The software for pre-flight checking and for PDF-Online will also be installed
on VmWare 1. In VmWare 2 HIFLEX MIS will run as backend for the HIFLEX Webshop. In general, the system will be set up ready to go. |
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