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Workflow Management with Caldera Flow+

Caldera, the RIP software manufacturer has recently developed Flow+, an operating system to help print businesses standardize processes and take control of every step of the workflow, from the client's order to the delivery of the finished product. Flow+ is a combination of systems for information management (MIS), enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relation management (CRM).

Flow+ is integrated and customized to your specific needs because Caldera makes an analysis of your company workflow data to determine how each stage work and interact. Then, Caldera implements the best personalized tool according to your own information. So, the software adjusts to the nature of your business (management of prices, availability of substrates, etc) instead of you having to adapt to any general standard.

Caldera's aim is to make a more intelligent and easy to use software that will help organize a print business. Flow+ has six tools that make it easy to manage all information from all sign shop departments.

Caldera Flow+ at SGIA trade show 2008.

With all the new models available at ISA and FESPA 2010, FLAAR is offering personalized consulting at each trade show. You can walk-the-floor with the Senior Editor of FLAAR and get his comments on any and all printers, inks, RIP software, color management, substrates, applications, etc. So if you wish to learn about the difference between combo, hybrid, and dedicated UV printers, how latex ink compares, about textile printers, etc. contact FLAAR to obtain consulting. You can also get consulting before ISA or FESPA anywhere in the world: Dr Hellmuth was in Dubai and India last week as consultant, and will be in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and China as consultant in the next two months. He was consulting in Korea and London in late 2009.

1.Job Tracker. This tool is directly connected to your RIP allowing a complete overview of the stage of a specific print job.

2.Sales Manager. This second tool allows you to keep a record on customer quotes, invoices, price lists, production costs, etc. You can also customize the price of a print job according to your client's standards. Flow+ has the ability to save parameters and printer settings information such as substrate, print speed, number of passes, quantity, delivery time, etc. because all this variables make a price change. The software also reports quantity or price mismatches.

3.Client Service. The third module helps you create client profiles, to manage customer accounts, logistics and final product delivery.

4. Stock Control. This instrument allows managers to keep track of availability of supplies, helps you organize supplier accounts, stock orders, etc. This module has a run-out alarm that warns you in advance what media is running out. You can easily see via software what is in stock and what is not.

5.Finance Viewer. This component enables you to collect information from all of the other modules of Flow+ and organize it in an easy-to-read printable report format

6. Users Machines. Helps you in the management of user accounts and machines used for a specific print job in the past.

One of the important features of Flow+ is that you can link offices online to manage information from every location of a franchise chain. Besides, it is the first software that works directly updating information gathered from the RIP.

But the key advantage over other workflow management software is that it was specifically designed to satisfy the needs of this kind of businesses. Caldera has had years of experience developing RIP software. FLAAR has visited many wide-format printer manufacturers and Caldera tends to be the RIP used by most serious UV and solvent printer manufacturers. The company has put a lot of work and knowledge as well as input from end users to develop Flow+, a tool that automates and helps control every process of a sign shop.

The benefits are reflected in a higher productivity and a better service performance. This job management will then result in an improved return of investment.

This is the Caldera booth at SGIA trade show 2008.

 

First issued April 2009 after ISA tradeshow.