MIS proves its worth

Added by Sharon Mordey on November, 7, 2012

article courtesy of Proprint, 7th November 2012. www.proprint.com.au

JayPak general manager Jayden Fraurud says the firm’s Optimus system has provided clear and measurable return on investment

Perth-based carton manufacturer JayPak is celebrating its 30th birthday this year. The company’s longstanding MIS partner, UK-based Optimus, is also celebrating 30 years in business. The two have worked closely together since 2008 when JayPak installed its first Optimus management information system (MIS) across its Perth operation.

The packaging company has been able to achieve many efficiencies through the adoption of the Optimus 2020 MIS. These include greater stock monitoring; the seamless capture and saving of job information and monitoring of job production through its ‘LIVE’ system.

JayPak has been so enamoured with the return on investment delivered by its Optimus 2020 MIS that it is embarking on an upgrade based on what it saw at Drupa. But more on that in a moment.

JayPak’s original decision to invest in an MIS in 2008 was not taken lightly. The firm consulted the industry extensively before taking the plunge and investing.

“Our business is only a small family-run business,” explains JayPak general manager Jayden Fraurud. “This was a big investment for the business in that we had no experience of how much it would cost

and what it would deliver.”

However, the decision to invest was a worthwhile one. “It has certainly paid for itself over and over,” he says. JayPak took the decision to invest in Optimus on the recommendation of other local carton printers who had already installed the system. “At the time of making the decision four or five years ago, we got strong recommendations from other users. We spoke in great detail with Colorpak and the system came highly recommended,” says Fraurud.

The Optimus system is in use around the world across a variety of print sectors, not just packaging but books, sheetfed litho, wide-format, sheet- and reel-fed digital, web offset, labels and more, attesting to the unique ability of Optimus to manage any substrate and any process.

UK-headquartered Optimus has been supplying management information systems to the printing industry since 1982 and in Australia since 1984. Its system covers all aspects of manufacturing: invoicing, staffing, sales analysis, machine availability, performance and quality and gathers all this information together in clear, simple displays.

The windows-based system is simple to understand, according to Fraurud. “You can view and explain the job at shop level and customer level.” The system can help users answer key questions about efficiencies in the business. How long does it take to produce a quotation and get back to customer? How much stock is over-ordered due to lack of transparency in stock already held? How many late deliveries are due to lack of transparency in where the job is in production?

JayPak’s Optimus system has a comprehensive estimating module, which was customised specifically for folding carton manufacturing. “With a solid estimating platform we can now measure our actual production data from the shop floor terminals at each manufacturing process. All this information is compiled through a wide range of performance reports in the Optimus MIS,” he says.

In light of the high volume of jobs going through the JayPak factory, it was important for the company to be able to closely monitor stock levels and find where rationalisations could be made.

We have grown into the huge capability that the Optimus MIS offers

Jayden Fraurud, JayPak “Stock control management is paramount to our business, as we vendor manage stock for our major customers,” says Fraurud. “We’ve grown into the huge capability which the Optimus MIS offers – we now have a 700-plus pallet racking warehouse with individual pallet traceability.”

The stock audit and stock check features of the Optimus system assist JayPak in effective inventory control. “With a comprehensive stock inventory system, stock procurement volumes are precise and correct,” adds Fraurud. The stock procurement system allows the user to add time-stamped comments at any stage and the relevant departments are updated automatically with this information.

“The ‘LIVE’ system can generate a capacity report that allows each manufacturing department to be managed individually so efficient scheduling of staff, maintenance and overtime can be planned at the appropriate time.” Meanwhile, the Optimus purchase ordering module tracks items and prevents procurement and receipt errors.

Around a third of the JayPak’s 35-strong workforce is trained on the MIS, which has been at the core of rationalising the carton maker’s operations over the past few years. Their timesheets are even captured electronically to help generate the units per hour achieved by the business.

Optimus has had a hard-and-fast, measurable impact on JayPak’s ability to grow its business. In 2008, JayPak had reached maximum capacity levels and was looking at ways to improve efficiencies in the business and redefine the focus of the company. The company was producing a mixture of short and long runs for a high number of clients. The data provided by the Optimus system gave JayPak the insights it required to refocus the business.

“It really identified areas of the business where we weren’t manufacturing to a high efficiency level,” says Fraurud. “What Optimus identified was that we had work that we couldn’t manage. The system

allowed us to make a decision and take a new direction to higher-volume business and a lot of that is now under contract.”

The result was fewer customers, but greater rewards. Today the business goes from strength to strength. Backing this up is JayPak’s supplier contract with Optimus, which means the MIS developer

is always on hand to offer support for the system.

The company is working closely again with Optimus as it undergoes testing of the new version 19 system. “We are currently going through the process of an upgrade to a system we saw at Drupa

this year in Germany,” says Fraurud.

The new version includes an updated job system with new features that will benefit JayPak. Fraurud also identifies the ability of the system to connect to tablet devices as a key selling point.

 “The new V19 system will give our customers the opportunity to log into the system and check stock figures themselves,” he explains. Operators will also be able to access the new system remotely using tablet devices to monitor reports and demonstrate efficiencies to customers on site visits.

“The most exciting new feature, which I saw at Drupa, is the mobility of Optimus using an iPad,” says Fraurud. “It allows access to the MIS while on the road or onsite with a client. Job information, stock queries and sales order information is available on location.”

Fraurud expects testing of V19 to continue in the coming months and the full upgrade to V19 to be complete in February 2013.

Now, it seems, JayPak’s relationship with Optimus has come full circle. Whereas in 2008, the company consulted fellow carton manufacturers as to the benefits of the system in a manufacturing capacity, Fraurud admits to recommending the Optimus system to commercial printers in the Perth area.

“It certainly has assisted us. The figures and the information the system provides us, has enabled the business to make calculated and targeted business decisions.”

So, as JayPak enters its 30th year of business, it seems only fitting that it celebrates alongside its longstanding MIS partner Optimus.

Q&A Optimus

UK-based MIS system supplier Optimus was one of the first management information systems designed for the printing industry. The company celebrates its 30th birthday in 2012. Group managing director Nicola Bisset gives the lowdown on its eponymous MIS.

Who is the Optimus system aimed at?

Optimus is not just suited to packaging but to all sectors of print - specialist printing, all digital sectors, litho, mixed houses and of course packaging. Optimus’ unique offering ensures that anything produced can be managed by Optimus MIS.

Is the system cost effective for businesses of all sizes?

With the introduction of Optimus dash MIS at Ipex 2010, the flexibility and functionality has increased significantly. Due to the ability of the unique Sales Enquiry System to replace traditional estimating, any product, service or process can be catered for. Regardless of the size of the business, Optimus is suited to all sectors within the graphic arts industry. We have customers ranging from two users to hundreds.

Optimus is a modular system thereby ensuring that our customers only have what they need but with the knowledge that the system can expand and change as their business does.

What are the key features of the Optimus system?

Flexibility, with the management information available to allow our customers to drive their businesses with accurate, relevant data. Equally, Optimus MIS is no longer just about controlling production, we believe that our systems should help support our customers in growing their business. This is why our emphasis in 2012 has been in creating new software to assist our customers in increasing their sales.

Is the Australian market a big one for the company?

Yes and growing. Australia has always been seen as a key market for Optimus as they are keen to

embrace new ideas and not afraid to try something new!