Simon Edel
Save time and costs through parallel production
Precise product communication quickly becomes a challenge, especially for companies with a wide variety of products. In order to be able to advertise a large number of articles in small time windows with pinpoint accuracy, an efficient and targeted approach is essential. For Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof, the solution is called “Complete Production” with Laudert.
Time and economic advantages
What does complete production mean?
The Complete Production approach is characterized by a digitized workflow that bundles image processing, layouting, and page layout up to the final print data preparation with one partner. Integrated into the customer’s IT technology, this results in enormous time and thus also economic advantages.
The overall workflow thrives on its short communication paths along fixed and direct correction and release steps, which are automatically transferred to the next processing steps. Digital integration into the existing infrastructure also makes cross-site production feasible.
Work is carried out simultaneously if possible
Galeria shines through synergies
With this approach, Laudert has implemented a stringent and compact process together with Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof. Starting with a creative concept for the weekly Galeria brochure, the “Home of Media” develops the final print data in just a few steps. The fact that a large part of the photo production has already been taken over by Laudert Studios is an advantage here. The entire process is mapped in the studio management software LaudertContentFlow®.
The arrival of the concept is the starting signal for many processes that run in parallel: Image processing and elaboration for photographs already taken (also by external service providers), layout processes, textual coordination as well as price finalizations. The integration of Priint:Comet from Werk II ensures a clean and data-safe page layout. Incidentally, the LaudertMediaPort® PIM system acts as the data center.
The coordination and approval processes for Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof are carried out almost exclusively on print-ready data via DALIM Softproof. This shortens waiting times enormously. Images are available immediately, are already finalized – as soon as an approval process is complete, the GO! can be made for printing.
Years of cooperation
Interfaces small, flexibility large
Sven Kuhn from Media Consulting at Laudert emphasizes: “What sounds quite simple at first often turns out to be a bit more complicated in practice. Our challenge is to embed the existing IT infrastructure in a smart, digital workflow that reduces and automates control and approval processes. Our goals are simplified coordination, elimination of manual processes, and automation of all work steps.”
Jörg Böttcher, Head of Production at Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof, also sees efficiency as one of the major advantages of the collaboration: “Due to the short phases from one brochure to the next, a smart and fast approach plays an extraordinary role for us. With Laudert, we work in parallel on many parts of the project at the same time without losing track – and thanks to granular workflow setup, we are able to deliver our brochure on time, even for time-sensitive issues.”
So it’s not just the implementation at Laudert that benefits Galeria Karstadt Kaufhof, but in particular the framework created for synergy-rich IT integration.
The success of the joint “Complete Production” can be seen in the many years of close cooperation between the two companies. Incidentally, Laudert is also responsible for point-of-sale advertising media support.
