Overview

Customer communications management provider Stralfors is a business with a long tradition in the print industry. Since it was established as a printing works in the Swedish town of Ljungby in 1919, the company has grown and evolved, and today operates in seven countries – Demark, Finland, France, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the UK.

In a fast-moving communications landscape, the company prides itself on developing and selling innovative communication solutions that give companies new opportunities to create stronger, more personalised customer relations. One important pillar of this offering is the company’s ‘white paper’ solution, which enables customers to print targeted, customised communications more cost-effectively and dynamically by printing the information that is needed for each communication in one pass.

With demand for high quality customised communications growing, Stralfors recognised a need to adopt inkjet printing technology, investing in an Océ ColorStream® 3500. Since the device went live at the company’s facility in Redruth in Cornwall, it has not only enabled the company to attract new business, but also to expand its service offering to existing clients.

Identifying the need for inkjet

Tony Plummer, UK Managing Director of Stralfors, explains that the company has evolved from having a small printed mail business served by lithographic printing to offering a full customer communications management service. “In addition to our print offering, we have the in-house capability to offer full data handling services via GMC’s Inspire platform to customers, as well as the ability to offer customers the choice to deliver communications via print, email and SMS.”

“Our white paper, or one-path production, approach gives customers more flexibility, enabling them to use dynamic content in their customer communications. The old

approach of using pre-printed forms can be very limiting, which is why our customers are moving in this direction. One-path production gives us the flexibility to vary the content of the communications we produce and send for our customers. It enables them to use our composition tools to vary the content page-by-page for each individual communications package.”

However, while the toner-based technology that Stralfors was using did work, Plummer explains that the company identified a need to move to inkjet technology to cost-effectively deliver the level of quality that customers demand. “We recognised we needed an inkjet solution. The toner-based device we had was okay, but it was no longer the device of choice for continuous feed colour printing.”

A full-colour solution

Stralfors has a longstanding relationship with Canon, having used Océ VarioStream continuous feed toner-based devices for its monochrome variable printing for many years. “We have always had good support from an engineering point of view when we do maintenance or need fixes, so we knew that the Canon team were reliable guys who provide a good service. We were also already very familiar with PRISMA as an operating platform.”

Moreover, six Océ ColorStream devices had already been installed at Stralfors facilities in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Poland, so the technology was already proven across the business. Plummer adds that this also helped to ensure the seamless transition that was vital to the business: “We needed to get the new technology up and running with no disruption to clients. There was already a detailed implementation plan from previous installations at our facilities in

Stralfors colours the customer communications of the future with Canon

StralforsCommercial Printing

Company Stralfors Plc

Founded 1919

Location Dartford and Redruth, UK

Website

Services

http://www.stralfors.co.uk

Customer communications services including digital colour printing and enclosing, personalised cards and logistics together with conventional lithographic printing.

Case Study

“Most of our customers are now utilising one-path production. The capabilities of the ColorStream mean that they’re now able to do more, such as bringing in digital images to support their dynamic messages. It’s all about improving and making more relevant the information they give to customers.”

Products Océ ColorStream 3500

Click the image to watch the film

other countries, which was followed to the letter, ensuring that things went smoothly.”

As a result, it took only three weeks from the time that the investment was agreed until the new machine was up and running. Plummer says: “Because it was so quick to implement and test, we were actually live before we thought we would be, which enabled some of our customers to move to that platform earlier.”

Soon after the installation, Canon delivered a bespoke two-day training programme in colour management, which has been delivered in every country in which Stralfors has adopted ColorStream technology. Plummer explains: “It was designed for our sales team, enabling them to understand how colour management works so that they can be better informed when they talk to customers and new business prospects. It delivered results right away. Our sales team can now talk in a more informed way about ink coverage and the difference that can make to costs, and they are also getting the pre-press operational staff involved much earlier in the process so that we can add value with the design for the customer. Even better, the programme has helped us bring in new work from an important existing customer by telling them that they will get a better response from materials printed as part of the primary document.”

Delivering end-to-end customer communications

Plummer adds that two major customer wins have already resulted from implementing the technology. “For both, the quality that they were getting from their white paper solutions providers wasn’t of a high enough standard. So the combination of the technology being higher quality works together with the lithographic and pre-press skills and knowledge that our people bring to using it, enhancing the quality of the documents that we’re printing.”

Less than 12 months on from the installation of the Océ ColorStream 3500, the device is running at almost full capacity. Although the company still uses its toner-based device for a few smaller jobs, Plummer explains that it is now very much only a back-up device. In fact, demand for work produced using the ColorStream is so high that Stralfors has

opted for a speed upgrade that will increase its capacity by taking the machine from 75 metres per minutes up to a top speed of 127 metres per minute.

According to Plummer the work the company runs on the ColorStream is very mixed: “Most of our customers are now utilising one-path production instead of pre-printing forms on lithographic presses and personalising with monochrome digital print. The capabilities of the ColorStream mean that they’re now able to do more, such as bringing in digital images to support their dynamic messages. It’s all about improving and making more relevant the information they give to customers, not just selling things, but actually bringing in regulatory or account maintenance information and making it more prominent.”

“Some customers are replacing the inserts that they used to add to mailings with information that has been printed in-line. So the insert has become part of the print file and our customers are sending more targeted, relevant information, which in turn saves them money on both print and postage. In the case of one utility company, being able to be more dynamic with their content has actually also helped reduce calls to their call centre, because the bill design has been able to be changed to reflect customer feedback.”

In addition to the speed upgrade on the

ColorStream, Stralfors has also invested in a new Hunkeler DP6 dynamic perforator, which will run in-line with the ColorStream. Plummer explains that the reason for this investment is that customers are now looking to Stralfors to print coupons and vouchers in addition to payment giros. “It’s also enabling us to design new formats such as cross-fold applications where we can fold an A3 sheet to A4 in-line with the ColorStream,” he adds.

Overall, Stralfors’ investment in colour inkjet continuous feed technology has not only enabled the company to improve delivery of its white paper solution, but it is also enabling the company to win new business and expand its service offering.

“Our heritage was in lithographic printing and that did serve a small printed mail business, but now, by combining new technology with our existing skillsets, we’re transitioning to a true customer communications management service. Rather than being a forms printer with a personalisation unit, we’re now providing an end-to-end customer communications management solution to our customers. And that is where our future lies,” concludes Plummer.

“By combining new technology with our existing skillsets, we’re transitioning to a true customer communications management service. Rather than being a forms printer with a personalisation unit, we’re now providing an end-to-end customer communications management solution to our customers. And that is where our future lies.”Tony Plummer, UK Managing Director, Stralfors

Canon (UK) Ltd

Woodhatch Reigate Surrey United Kingdom RH2 8BF Tel: +44 1737 220 000 Fax: +44 1737 220 022

www.canon.co.uk

Canon Europe Ltd

3 The Square Stockley Park Uxbridge Middlesex United Kingdom UB11 1ET Tel: +44 208 588 8000 Fax: +44 208 588 8001

www.canon-europe.com

Canon Ireland

3006 Lake Drive Citywest Saggart Co Dublin Ireland Tel: +353 1205 2400 Fax: +353 1205 2525

www.canon.ie