I need to print 2.5 million invoices per month HOW I CAN DO THAT

[kachete]

Hi im new here

I have a new client that ask me if i can achieve the impresions of over 2.5 million invoices per month with a data variable software

I dont know how to do that

I read some in this forum before register in it and i see that you people can suggest me a very nice solution

The invoices are going to be printed in black

The size is 8 inches by 5.5 inches (21 cm by 14 cm)

Please i need some help here

I need to give and answer t my client and i realley need your help here


Thanks in adavnce

Best Regards

 

[Al Ferrari]

You have a tiger by the tail and don't even know it!

Making each one have different content (name, address, account number, invoice mount, etc.) is done with variable data software. I'm going to let someone else advice you on that.

But just do the math about the amount of printing involved. How many sheets are to be printed if done 2, 4, 8, or more up? Can your equipment do that much in a reasonable time?

You may not be ready for this opportunity.

Good luck,

Al

 

[easiprint]

As you are not aware of how to do this at the moment, I assume you do not do this volume of work on a regular basis. If I am wrong, I apologise and please disregard the following. On the basis you do not currently do this type of work however, it sounds like you would need to make a BIG investment in high volume mono presses to do this. Making a big investment in equipment to service ONE customer is a receipe for disaster in my opinion. If you were to loose this work in a few months time (your client could go bankrupt, change suppliers, bring it in house, etc...), could you still support your new investment or would you be left high and dry with expensive equipment and not enough volume?

I know if I was in this position, I would be looking for someway to service this client too, but with my sensible head on, if I did not already have the resources, I think I would have to bow out.

 

[natty]

Before you 'bow out' as suggested you may just want to look at outsourcing it to someone who has the equipment...

After you put your markup on you may be priced out of the picture but it's worth a shot ? If they are a good client of yours it may make sense to do this on very small margin to win the work so that they stick with you...

There are a lot of things that printers outsource that are out of their league to do themselves... Maybe if you win it and get a few more clients along the same lines you can look at investing in the equipment...

But as someone said you are looking at big investment in equipment and just as importantly skilled people to manage the variable data...

It can be difficult to outsource this sort of thing though because you are dealing with peoples confidential information so you have to be very careful... Even when doing it in-house...

 

[easiprint]

Before you 'bow out' as suggested you may just want to look at outsourcing it to someone who has the equipment...

I only said 'I' would bow out. Having run my own print shop for over 10 years, I have, and still do outsource some jobs. I know how stressful it can be however when you are the middleman in an outsourcing position and there is a production problem. The 'problem' is completely out of your control, but you are still the person the client will be hounding. Not too bad when it is a relatively small order, but when you are looking at this many prints, I would not outsource it to a company I have never dealt with before. Just my opinion however

 

[natty]

I know how stressful it can be however when you are the middleman in an outsourcing position and there is a production problem.

Hey man i hear you i am the same but some people are different and prefer the stress of managing people vs. the stress of managing machines...

Personally i'd rather have in house control like you but some people are different in their ways of thinking and in this case he doesn't have the capacity to do it himself so i just threw it in as an option rather than letting it go to waste...

I would kill to be in the position of someone asking me to do this sort of thing and it would seem a shame just to say 'no, can't do it' if you know what i mean ???

 

[Craig]

Unless you have the software and equipment (sounds like you may not) or are prepared to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars I would take the above advice and outsource or walk away. Your customer will respect you more by telling them you can't do something vs saying you can and come up short when he needs you the most.

 

[kachete]

Hi masters

I read carefully all your post and i have the concerns about the investemnet and the software i have to manage

The client will sign a contract with me for 3 to 5 years

I will have to manage 3 diferrents areas of my country side east, central and west areas so the bussines is still atractive.

Yes i only have to print black and in others ocassion very few color

They will provide me the main data that we are goint to print in the invoices


I need from you is it posible the name of the machines and the data variable software im be willing to spend with your master recomendation i know i will succes i this shot of bussines

Please tell me thew name of the machines, the amount of machines i have to buy and the data variable software i have to purchase

And other types of advices are welcome

With this inversion im going to to offer my new services to a new clients that will print a less or a similar amount of works


Please advise me well in rder that we can make a good and well advice investemet

best regards

Thanks for the answers

 

[odiseas]

Canon IR 1135, 7150VP ($$$), KM 1600, Xerox nuvera or IGEN 110, rico 1137; EFI MicroPress, Xerox FreeFlow, o CREO; software like Planetpress, Lytro ( 4 xerox), Docform Pro (ricoh) ,PinNet.; Time to learn how to do this and..alot of money....

 

[Greg Imhoff]

A run length of this type should be looked at in production delivery needs with cost requirements. It was suggested earlier to consider printing multiple up formats and I endorse this stating specifically onto hi speed webs.

This is due to time then paper cost and depending upon press layouts, to also apply in line all the variable data addressing. Do not take bids unless you know the business is capable of opearting this job press and technology meaning, having dedicated qualified staff.

This monthly work could be run for exmaple 4 up on a 20"x17" press conservately at 350 FPM assuming the personalized data adressing keeps up in ~ 30 hours per month.

If you were to purchase a multicolor Didde or any web to sheet press, you may easily accommodate the job needs accurately and profitably with the key being to address in line. Contact me off line if I may be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Greg Imhoff
President GRIPdigital, inc. & Director EPG Color Solutions
(800) 394 - 7130 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting**************(800) 394 - 7130******end_of_the_skype_highlighting - office
(708) 557 - 2021 - cell
Skype: gregimhoff
Print Properties Committee Member and GRACoL G7 Expert
Essex Products Group | Integrated Color Control Systems

Hi masters

I read carefully all your post and i have the concerns about the investemnet and the software i have to manage

The client will sign a contract with me for 3 to 5 years

I will have to manage 3 diferrents areas of my country side east, central and west areas so the bussines is still atractive.

Yes i only have to print black and in others ocassion very few color

They will provide me the main data that we are goint to print in the invoices


I need from you is it posible the name of the machines and the data variable software im be willing to spend with your master recomendation i know i will succes i this shot of bussines

Please tell me thew name of the machines, the amount of machines i have to buy and the data variable software i have to purchase

And other types of advices are welcome

With this inversion im going to to offer my new services to a new clients that will print a less or a similar amount of works


Please advise me well in rder that we can make a good and well advice investemet

best regards

Thanks for the answers

 

[JayDA]

One thing I can tell you, is don't bother with cut sheet at that volume.....

 

[ondemandbindery]

You can't be everything to everyone. I have some equipment now that has some nice dust collecting on it to prove that. It could be a great opportunity. This type of volume is going to be based on price. I would try and get a target price on the project from your customer and work your way back. In this market it would be very rare that you are given an opportunity like this without pricing coming into play. And the reality is are you mechanically or mentally set up in your business to do this type of volume? If something goes wrong this type of volume can financially burry you. Just keep that in mind. I love swinging for the fence though........... Babe Ruth style. Unfortunately, he had to stay drunk to keep himself in check with that mentality. Last thought- find a Printer to partner up with on this and service the heck out of this account. Eliminate their pain point and lock yourself in and make some money.


Good luck

 

[X33]

in what country are you?

You should call the major vendors in your area with experience on this: probably Xerox, IBM (InfoPrint), OCE.

This kind of job can be very easy or very complex. One thing you need to know, is exactly how the "data" from the customer is coming to you (format, size, language, media).

 

[Wayne]

I can do this for you, if desired. You can email me: [email protected]

Thanks,

Wayne

 

[tobias]

VDP here is key; so use a digital press as a 'dumb' printer, with all the bonus that digital offset gives you over their desktop nephews (websheet, etc). For volumes like these in FC i'd advise an HP Indigo 7200 WS if you need doublesided variable. If not, there are cheaper presses out there. I dont know what it would mean to go black-only. The reason I'm saying 'HP' is purely based on personal experience. There are probably lots of other vendors that can sell you this.

As many people here already shouted, I can assist you in the rollout of such a product. I am experienced with and trained by HP Indigo for these specific high-volume highly variable VDP jobs.

 

[printmail]

Have you thought about partnering with a mailhouse, doing a Joint Pitch? This type of organisation will not only have the machinery/printers and finishing equipment they will also have the data manipulation and Document Creation software and more importantly someone who knows how to use it. What happens once printed? If this then has to be mailed out they will also have all the postal software and be able to get Volume postal rates.
I work for a reasonably small Mailhouse in NZ and can print 25,000 Variable Black Simplex SRA3 images an hour, on the finished size you are talking about (210mm x 140mm) a Mailhouse with some standard High volume printers (Xerox 4180, 4635, Nuvera 120, 144, 288, Konica 1050E etc) could print 4 up on SRA3 (or a custom size for the 4180, 4635) for me that would equate to 100,000 an hour if I had all printers running, again we are a small Mailhouse.

 

[Larry Lindquist]

Beware of of this kind of inquiry!

Beware of of this kind of inquiry!

I have a few questions you should ask yourself. How is the customer doing it now? What has changed? Why did he come to you? What is really the best way for the customer to accomplish the task that he need to get done?
I have sold printing and binding equipment for many years. I have had many people contact me over the years that have had similar requests from suspects who ask them to do a job that appears to be the chance of a lifetime. Many times the printer does not have anywhere near the capacity to do the the job. The job often requires a substantial cost in both time and money. Beware of this kind of request, often it is a scam
I hope this helps.
Larry Lindquist

 

[Ultimate]

Since the original question is from last July, I'd be curious to learn about the progress this company from Venezuella made on 2.5 MP/M project. Did you invest in equipment? Did you learn more details from your customer?

We offer a scalable imposition server solution that is designed for extreme daily volume (hundred thousand to millions of pages). If you want to learn about Impostrip Scalable Server Edition, please contact us.

Ray Duval
Ultimate Technographics
www. imposition.com

raymond (at) imposition.com

 

[Greg Imhoff]

Sage Advice

Sage Advice

Listen to Larry I know his experience is deep and advice is well founded. If you need to followup on this project:

1) First estimate your job costs and profit needs along with cash flow aspects - professionally.

2) Assuming you have a business model and plan then sign a contract with this client before purchasing equipment and starting a plant. Going forward from informed basis is the way to build the business, so all may benefit.

In the process do talk with experts like Larry, take in their suggestions to take care of your business smartly with your client needs being foremost. Greg Imhoff

I have a few questions you should ask yourself. How is the customer doing it now? What has changed? Why did he come to you? What is really the best way for the customer to accomplish the task that he need to get done?
I have sold printing and binding equipment for many years. I have had many people contact me over the years that have had similar requests from suspects who ask them to do a job that appears to be the chance of a lifetime. Many times the printer does not have anywhere near the capacity to do the the job. The job often requires a substantial cost in both time and money. Beware of this kind of request, often it is a scam
I hope this helps.
Larry Lindquist

 

[gohdan]

HI, this is what I call it "Transactional Printing".
First you need a high speed digital machines price range around (0.5 mil onwards)
Secondary you need to know what is the data stream the customer is outputting from, (I mean what platform are there using. if it is IBM Host then the data stream is IPDS if it is AS400 then the data stream is APS) Sorry it technical but no choice you need to know the data source it could be djde format also if it is from sun or oracle system.
Why I say these because if you do not know what output format you will be buying a wrong machines and it will not print.
Thirdly you need to invest in s print management software to manage the data.
Lastly you must have technical team to support and program the data.

So all in all this is mega project. And when you are printing invoices you need enveloping machine to auto sort and insert them into envelopes also.

pm me if you need more info.

Daniel Goh