Written by 
Heidelberg announced that Prinect Performance Benchmarking has earned the prestigious 2012 InterTech™ Technology Award presented by Printing Industries of America.
Prinect Performance Benchmarking is a subscription-based application for printers that have adopted a variety of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives based on the concept of Overall Equipment Effectiveness or OEE. This approach has been highly successful for increasing numbers of progressive printers who want—not only to stay in business—but also to sharpen their competitive edge, improve their sustainability, and increase profits.
The cloud-based application enables printers to determine whether or not their presses are performing below, at, or above the average production of the peer group. Although the concept of benchmarking is hardly new, the implementation of an easy-to-use, secure, web-based tool grounded in OEE methodology for capturing and analyzing production data is the basis for this breakthrough technology. It is the first and currently the only such tool available to printers.
According to Harald Weimer, President of Heidelberg USA, “The nature of our industry today demands that printers seize every available opportunity to improve their production efficiency. Knowledge is power. When printers have sufficient information about the performance of their presses in relation to their peers, they become empowered to analyze strengths and weaknesses in production and take the necessary actions to correct and capitalize accordingly. Heidelberg is proud to have introduced this invaluable tool to the industry.”
“Performance Benchmarking is a powerful ‘behind-the-scenes’ tool that not only collects high-quality data, but also organizes, analyzes and presents them in a format that can be used by everyone—from the pressman to the production manager to the owner—to gauge how well they really are performing,” said Mark Bohan, Printing Industries of America Vice President, Technology and Research. “Armed with this information, companies can develop best practices to become more efficient and profitable. Our judges were very impressed by its functionality and by its utility.”
An End to Guesswork
Without qualified information, a printer can make only an educated guess as to the performance of his machine inventory, putting both his sustainability and profitability at risk. Prinect Performance Benchmarking is the first application for the printing industry that gives printers the ability to visualize their OEE quickly and easily, and compare it with that of other print manufacturers in similar print segments with similarly configured presses. It also enables printers to obtain personalized and objective performance data they can use to improve their performance and efficiency.
Once Prinect Performance Benchmarking is activated, the Speedmaster press automatically delivers completely anonymous performance data to a highly secure Heidelberg central server, where it is processed for evaluation. These data form the basis of personalized, objective performance reports that can be accessed securely online at any time using a simple Internet browser interface with easy-to-read charts and diagrams. Reports can be saved in the PDF format for printing and storage for future reference.
Press performance is compared to the average performance of all participating presses and also to the highest performing press in the selected peer group. The application analyzes achieved production speeds, waste vs. good sheets, and time efficiency, helping the printer to understand and identify performance optimization potentials in and around the press.
All data are highly encrypted and collected anonymously, protecting the identity and product-specific information of all contributors. Sensitive confidential data provided by the Speedmaster press cannot be accessed by other participating subscribers.
Because the Prinect Performance Benchmarking application is cloud based, there are no software or hardware components to install or license. All that is required is that the Speedmaster press be configured with a Prinect Press Center operating console running a current version of Speedmaster software, and is connected to Heidelberg’s web-based Remote Service portal. Activation of the service occurs within 24 hours after the application has been completed and submitted.
A Habit of Proven Innovation
Over the past six years alone, Heidelberg has earned the coveted Printing Industries of America InterTech Technology Award for seven innovative, game-changing technologies. Heidelberg previously was recognized for groundbreaking technologies including Prinect Inspection Control (2010), Prinect Press Center with Wallscreen and Intellistart (2009), POLAR P.A.C.E. system and Prinect Inpress Control (2008), and Anicolor technology and the Speedmaster XL 105 (2007). All are technologies that have proven their staying power in the marketplace.
Since 1978, the year InterTech Technology Award was introduced, Heidelberg has garnered no fewer than 31 InterTech Technology awards—a record of innovation unrivaled across the print media landscape. From prepress and workflow to the pressroom and bindery, Heidelberg’s technology leadership is validated by its worldwide installed base and underscored by legions of loyal customers.
