by Cassandra Balentine
Workflow Challenges differ by application.
For example, in commercial print, Alex Bowell, managing director, Infigo. believes pressure comes from volume and speed. “Shorter runs and more frequent orders mean there’s far less tolerance for manual intervention. Every touchpoint adds friction and risk. When these steps aren’t automated or properly connected, production teams spend more time fixing problems than producing work and margins suffer as a result.”
Islands of automation are a primary pain point for commercial printers. “While many have implemented some form of automation, because the systems do not talk to each other equipment will sit idle while operators manually check status across multiple interfaces,” cautions Hans Sep, product line manager, Fiery.
For in-plant operations, parent organizations expect print to connect to ERP, procurement, and reporting systems like every other department, but Sep admits that legacy workflow tools weren’t built for this.
Labels and packaging face a different, but equally challenging, set of problems. “Here, control matters more than speed. Artwork is more complex, approval chains are longer, and regulatory or brand requirements leave little room for error. A single mistake can mean wasted materials, missed deadlines, or serious customer issues. Without structured approval workflows and reliable file handling, the risk increases quickly as volumes grow,” shares Bowell.
Finally, print providers struggle with micro-run economics. “In segments like labels and promotional products, the administrative overhead of setting up a job for 50 items is often the same as for 5,000. Without automation to streamline these short runs, the cost of manual touchpoints can quickly destroy profitability,” says Dmitry Sevostyanov, CEO, Customer’s Canvas.
Automation engines can now handle the heavy lifting for micro runs. “They use conditional logic to process variable data and generate print-ready files at scale. This allows print providers to batch small orders efficiently and handle complex personalization rules without writing code, making short runs just as profitable as long ones,” adds Mariusz Sosnowski, CEO, HiFlow Solutions.
Print and packaging plants live in constant change—rush orders, changeovers, materials, and downtime. Short runs and an explosion of SKUs put constant pressure on production workflows in print and packaging operations. “Without real-time visibility and flexible systems, teams spend more time re-estimating, re-planning, and troubleshooting than producing. As job volume increases and run lengths shrink, success depends on fast, accurate estimating, dynamic scheduling, and tightly integrated workflows that can handle variability without slowing the shop down,” notes Sosnowski.
Printers today face more challenges than ever. “Faster turnaround times and rising order volumes, complexity in jobs and multiple output formats, manual bottlenecks, inconsistent prepress processes, and integration limitations, hardware and software compatibility across multiple devices—the list goes on. And each print business will have their own unique mix problems to solve,” admits Piet De Pauw, head of marketing, Enfocus. “That’s why flexibility is the most important thing to look for in automation software—it means you can adapt and evolve alongside the industry.”
Increased Role of AI
AI helps print providers replace human judgement at scale. “AI in print workflow isn’t about chatbots or novelty. It’s about automating the thousands of small decisions that currently require human judgment,” says Sep.
Kevin Roman, director of professional services, Production Print Pro Services, Canon U.S.A., Inc., says AI-assisted decision making and predictive analytics may reduce operator dependency and improve production consistency.
In any automation solution, integration is key and the first step. “You have to be able to get data from a trusted source in order to program around that data—and build the workflows,” offers Mike Agness, EVP, Americas, Hybrid Software.
Nicole Miller, COO, Nordis Technologies, also believes it starts with data. “Fully trackable, end-to-end record management creates data to power our own AI-driven tools and help us pinpoint improvement opportunities throughout the process,” he suggests.
These include content analysis, intelligent routing, and preset recommendations. “AI examines what’s actually in a PDF rather than relying on file names or customer instructions. Documents flow to appropriate workflows based on their characteristics, not manual classification. AI suggests optimal settings based on document content, reducing wrong preset reprints,” says Miller.
Bret Farrah, EVP, Xitron, says modern systems are beginning to use AI to suggest fixes, classify incoming jobs, or prioritize queues. Chatbot-like interfaces and intelligent assistants can surface the right templates or suggest operator actions, reducing training overhead and speeding decision-making. “The industry trend is toward adding AI-driven analytics and assistant layers to reduce exception handling time.”
In terms of preflighting, Servi Pieters, CEO, Viesus AG, admits that most automation software does have checks for quality in terms of resolution. “The check highlights when the resolution is too low. But they don’t offer a solution. That’s where Viesus comes into place.”
De Pauw states that AI and automation are not just trends—they are the future. Enfocus’ own solutions like Botus, Phoenix AI optimization, and Griffin’s automated cutter communication demonstrate that AI improves efficiency, reduces waste, and unlocks complex job capabilities. “By complementing operator expertise rather than replacing it, AI ensures businesses can scale profitably while meeting increasingly sophisticated customer demands.”
Mar20206, DPS Magazine
