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New York, NY-- As digital technologies become more intuitive and
user-friendly, they become an integral part of any production workflow. One
of New York's major financial institutions, in a close alliance with GSG
Design Inc. (A division of Graphic Systems Group), is taking advantage of
this development. It is incorporating workflow systems designed and
maintained by GSG Design to streamline the pre-production process of
direct marketing pieces for its credit card business. "Through our long
relationship with the bank, it was inevitable that we would be asked to
develop a digital workflow process that would not only shorten the time to
market but also be more accurate, easy to edit and update, and most
important, increase the volume of work while maintaining staffing," says Jan
Stollerman, Director of GSG Design.
While the bank immediately understood the advantages, it was left to
Stollerman and his team to recommend what software to implement. After a
thorough study of both the client's needs and the workflow currently in
place at GSG Design, software was chosen using both existing and newly
created software applications. "What we've created, is unique in the design
industry. Nothing like it exists, it was created to fulfill this particular client's
needs. The client needs not modify their workflow to fit the software, but
the software should fit the client's needs. Furthermore, this process does
not end here. We will constantly scrutinize and improve, creating
opportunities for value-added services for the client, making sure the
client's workflow is always efficient." Stollerman adds.
Although they are the first, this phenomenon is not limited to this particular
client. "In learning about digital workflow, several things become apparent,"
says Ken Madsen, owner of Graphic Systems Group "First, of course, are the
immediate benefits of reduced cost and efficiencies. Second, the likelihood
of using these systems for our other clients' workflow was a no-brainer."
GSG is in the process of developing other workflow systems that can be
used to solidify our relationships with other clients, notably agencies.
"Business may be overly fond of using the word 'partnership,'" says Madsen,
"but it's exactly the right term to describe another benefit of these
solutions: they bring the client and vendor closer and closer with a common
goal in mind."
GSG Design is living proof of these changing roles. As its parent, Graphic
Systems Group, expanded its digital and large-format services during the
1990s, it found that clients were increasingly calling upon them to be an
extension of their own in-house production departments. Demand was so
consistent and substantial that Graphic Systems Group launched GSG
Design in 2001 as a focused answer to providing immediate, expert
turnaround using the latest digital production techniques. Today, the
division offers complete, turnkey services, including large-format, ink jet,
full retouching capabilities and a complete line of proofing options for
prepress applications. Its staff of designers and production artists frequently
work in three shifts, seven days a week, to meet the frantic deadlines of its
clients. Their extensive agency experience and ability to benefit from the
on-site production resources of the parent company provides expert
full-service capabilities for fast turn-arounds.
"Since our doors opened, this division has provided increased productivity
and extended services to our agency clients," says Madsen. "Once the
agencies experienced this, they quickly began seeking other ancillary
services. Ultimately this drove our entire process, making us a unique
resource and the most forward-thinking graphic arts business in the city.
The more we pursue this vision, the more services and efficiencies we find
we can offer our clients."
Every service the company provides centers on some aspect of a client's
workflow. For example, GSG's staff work in teams organized around clients
and their workflows. It allows GSG's teams to seamlessly manage overflow
and last-minute deadlines for clients, as if they were the agency's own
in-house staff. The firm builds teams around each client, studying the type
of work they do and how they produce it. This not only eliminates the
learning curve, it eliminates both physical and communication errors. "Our
clients aren't leaving anything to chance," comments Madsen, "they're
entrusting their key work to someone who's a true extension of their
agency. As a result, we can help them achieve the highest digital capabilities
without changing their internal workflows."
Having a staff extension helps agencies stay competitive by providing
immediate turnaround and controlling costs. In today's erratic economy,
business partners such as GSG Design help agencies meet clients' demands
without losing their shirt in staffing costs. They can keep their best
employees loyal by retaining them during slow times to meet regular
demand, while using GSG as an adjunct staff to meet peak demands. Such
a consistent-but not overstaffed-employee base gives agencies a distinct
productivity and competitive advantage.
A second major workflow solution driving GSG's success is its built-in
efficiencies, which Madsen says dramatically decrease processing and
turnaround time. GSG Design's relationship to its parent allows it to handle
complete outsourcing for a project-from concept through retouching,
producing large-format or any other type of graphics, proofs, creating a
complete digital mechanical, and handing the job off to a printer. (They'll
handle the printing for you as well.) Having one source produce all the work
components reduces both costs and errors and substantially minimizes the
time required in routing each phase of a project to a specialized vendor.
Beyond reducing the client worry factor-"multiple vendors means multiple
concerns," says Madsen-this offers agencies a tremendous advantage when
they have clients with major brands and line extensions. It also benefits
massive direct mailers who want to test offers, change terms, or make
other frequent, fast revisions to mechanicals. "This is where we apply our
motto: "Simplify" we simplify their process, billing, monitoring, and budget."
Advanced Workflows to Meet Today's Digital Challenges
Sometimes it takes more than an additional hand to meet a challenge. Many
of today's issues require establishing a digital workflow that will save time
and money while streamlining the creative-to-market process. This is where
GSG Design truly shines and is the third leg in its magical workflow hat
trick.
Today, extensive repurposing of digital assets challenges agencies to find
flexible, secure, and organized ways to store, retrieve and use image data.
Often these digital assets must be accessible to multiple locations around
the world. GSG Design clients can solve this dilemma without extensive
investment by using its exclusive (M.A.R.I.O.) image archiving system.
Clients use this high-security technology to download and link low-resolution
copies of their stored images in page-layout programs, then upload the
finished document for separation, printing or whatever output is needed.
Files can be accessed for retouching, resizing, repurposing, and more.
"We make the investment for them," says Madsen, "helping them
substantially reduce their digital investments while making their day-to-day
work easy and secure. When you look at the total cost of continually
investing in digital technology, the numbers can appear daunting. However,
GSG has built a sound and robust infrastructure that is economical and
quickly scalable to meet expanding clients needs. It would be prohibitively
expensive for clients to duplicate the requisite core infrastructure. Moreover,
we are a company with active owners, we can reach these decisions quickly
and respond to clients needs without a lot of red tape."
Clearly, the digital age has blurred as many boundaries as it has crossed.
One thing is certain: as technology continue to evolve, so will the
relationship between vendors like GSG Design and their agency clients.
For more information on GSG Design or Graphic Systems Group, please call
Ken Madsen at (212) 242-8787.
GSG Design Inc. is a division of Graphic Systems Group, a full-service
production facility that integrates the latest imaging solutions with the
highest level of customer service. Founded in 1980, Graphic Systems Group
provides complete turnkey services, including design, retouching, digital
imaging, digital mechanicals & output, photolab services, large-format
output & printing, and digital asset management and B2B workflow
solutions. GSG Design concentrates on simplifying the digital workflow for
its agency clients.
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