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Reprographics management software

googlemad

By googlemad
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googlemad

googlemad

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Does anyone here have any ideas how to implement a reprographics management solution? In that users can submit their jobs (electronically - file attachments or send to print queue but reprographics staff must be able to view the documents on their screen before printing them) and the users can track their 'progress' in the queue etc?

 

We got quoted nearly £8000 (not including the yearly maintenance charge!) for one solution which seems absolutely ridiculous considering it isn't the most complicated in the world to develop...

googlemad

googlemad

Posted
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Thanks - We have one of their sales guys coming in tomorrow...but I should have mentioned we already have PCounter in place for the general printing / copying so just looking for a 'print room management' sort of thing standalone as we're tied down to PCounter for the next couple of years.
dhicks

dhicks

Posted
Posted
Does anyone here have any ideas how to implement a reprographics management solution?

 

Install a Debian server, install Samba, join it to the domain. Install GhostScript. Set up a Samba "printer" using one of Windows' basic, default Postscript print drivers (so you don't have to install the driver on any workstations) and have Samba pass through the print job to GhostScript, which will produce a PDF document for you, keeping a bunch of handy information about the print job like which user submitted it and from which machine. Then create a simple web interface for the reprographics staff to use to print the PDF documents, probably with a cover sheet detailing who it belongs to, and update a simple database to say who printed what and how much it cost them.

mrbios

mrbios

Posted
Posted
We found the best way of obtaining reprographics management software was to wait until our copier leases had expired and got in a whole host of companies to bid for copiers + management software in one package. Forced the price down a fair bit, we went with Uniflow + canon in the end, I'm not convinced it was the cheapest solution, but the service we get from the company that supplied them has more than made up for it in that respect :) Plus the software is fantastic. (Not saying you should go for uniflow, just that you should look at your copier leases and see if it could work out the same way for you getting a whole load of companies in to bid with their software + copiers)
Admiral208

Admiral208

Posted
Posted

We have a great system, its called email.

 

staff email the reprographics tech, she prints it, the staff pick it up from her when she says its ready.

 

It works every time and because we already use email, it one less system for people to have to worry about.

mrbios

mrbios

Posted
Posted
We have a great system, its called email.

 

staff email the reprographics tech, she prints it, the staff pick it up from her when she says its ready.

 

It works every time and because we already use email, it one less system for people to have to worry about.

 

Doesn't give you detailed reports, cost centers per department / group / user that can be limited/restricted among other various settings, linked to AD machine logins + proximity card logins, and more though. ;)

 

We've halved our yearly printing costs thanks to print management in reprographics, making sure people go to the cheapest option or are forced into using the cheapest option based on the properties of a print job for example. You'll always get some idiot that thinks their little inkjet (we don't actually have any inkjets any more mind you) is the best thing suited to printing 200 pages of crap.

AngryTechnician

AngryTechnician

Posted
Posted
I think you giuys may be confusing "reprographics management" with "print management". To me, it sound like the OP essentially wants a ticketing system for reprographics, which is far simpler than a full print management system like PaperCut.
mrbios

mrbios

Posted
Posted (edited)
I think you giuys may be confusing "reprographics management" with "print management". To me, it sound like the OP essentially wants a ticketing system for reprographics, which is far simpler than a full print management system like PaperCut.

 

When he mentioned being quoted nearly £8k for something, that sounded like a full all inclusive piece of software, if it isn't and you're right then damn i'd hate to see that piece of software he was quoted for!

 

If you are correct though, the way i did this was to make a little web form for people to fill in and attach a file to along with their details and requirements for the print job, this file was then deposited into a folder the reprographics tech could access and emailed her to notify her of the new file. Simples. (Main reason for this method was to avoid huge email attachments)

Edited by mrbios
Admiral208

Admiral208

Posted
Posted
Doesn't give you detailed reports, cost centers per department / group / user that can be limited/restricted among other various settings, linked to AD machine logins + proximity card logins, and more though. ;)

 

We've halved our yearly printing costs thanks to print management in reprographics, making sure people go to the cheapest option or are forced into using the cheapest option based on the properties of a print job for example. You'll always get some idiot that thinks their little inkjet (we don't actually have any inkjets any more mind you) is the best thing suited to printing 200 pages of crap.

 

I agree, but the OP didnt ask for any of that. they said they wanted to be able to submit a job to the tech and they could print it, and then be told when its ready. That sounds like an email system to me...

mrbios

mrbios

Posted
Posted
I agree, but the OP didnt ask for any of that. they said they wanted to be able to submit a job to the tech and they could print it, and then be told when its ready. That sounds like an email system to me...

 

His £8k quote + thread title threw me off :D

localzuk

localzuk

Posted
Posted
How about just using a helpdesk system like request tracker, or spiceworks? Ok, they're designed for IT helpdesks, but the outcome is the same - users have somewhere they can submit things, the reprographics dept can provide updates/request changes etc..., and the end user can see the updates via the system.

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