Hi ddunlow,
A couple of points you may want to take into consideration. Prinect is a vast workflow covering the whole printshop from MIS, to Prepress, Press and Postpress. And we can go out the internet to the clients. One of the main features of Prinect is that the system was developed with JDF inside from scratch, it was not added to an older workflow. This defines the basis of one master JDF for the entire workflow. Our MIS uses the same master JDF as Prepress Manager, Pressroom Manager and Postpress Manager. One master JDF file encompassing the complete workflow including what was done from each department. You do not have to search for a JDF from prepress then one from press, post press and yet another from MIS and try to combine the information into one JDF. Prinect automatically does this for you by having the master JDF.
You did not mention if you are a Heidelberg press user but if you are, our integration with Prinect is more advanced than anything out there. As an example, on a XL 105 press, we digitally set up upto 24 points on the press, not just ink zone presetting but also side guides, sheet width and length, etc.
One of the other areas we excel is ink key presetting. We can have multiple printing characteristic curves optimized for paper and ink combinations that will allow to get to color faster on press because the presetting is more accurate. Alls the press operator does is open up the job all presets that are possible are enacted including automatic selection of the proper printing characteristic curves. Once a job is done printing, the set up and color OKed values are saved back into the master JDF. If you reprint the job, the operator just recalls the job number and it will set the press back to the color OK status along with all of the other presets.
With Pressroom manager, you not only setup the ink presets but automatically track the press run for make ready, good sheets, press speeds, wash up, etc. This can be exported back to the MIS to do a cost versus estimate analysis. Real time tracking. The same info can be used to dynamically update our scheduling program.
For a little more insight, here is a link to an article Andrew Tribute wrote at Drupa:
Print CEO - Printing Industry News Blog - Get Prinected - Real Integration
Here is one more on Prinect:
Millennium Press Expands Prinect Workflow - Printing Industry News from WhatTheyThink
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Mark