Output Management

Solutions for Printer Management, Document Delivery Challenges and Output Management Issues

Plus Technologies software and services solutions solve a wide variety of output management and document delivery challenges.  The solutions on this page have been implemented to address this type of document delivery challenges as well as other output management issues.

If you have any specific questions about the solutions outlined here, please contact us.

Solutions	More Information
Solving Document Delivery Challenges with intelligent document routing	Case Study
OM Plus (in conjunction with its CD Plus option) provides dynamic delivery actions to be invoked based on triggers found in the document prior to the spooling process. Based on trigger matches, user defined delivery options are executed such as dynamically adding text to the document, invoking a form, changing destinations or number of copies, scheduling the job, notifying a user, or re-routing the job to the printer used for large print jobs.  It’s output management made easy. OM Plus adds capabilities when command line options are not available in mainframe, AS/400, etc. application environments.  OM Plus greatly reduces custom programming that used to be required to provide advanced document delivery functions.
Automated Load Balancing for Distribution/Logistics Documents	Case Study
When fulfilling customer orders documents such as labels, pick tickets, invoices, etc need to be printed on a printer at the end of the production line, in real time. As print volume increases, the single printer model can no longer keep up with the volume of printing, which impacts customer satisfaction, revenue, and profit. Utilizing OM Plus, we can automatically split the print jobs and load balance them across multiple printers--WITHOUT requiring any changes to the underlying application and ensuring all documents related to a specific customer order stay together in a "bundle" so related documents are not split across multiple printers.
Replace large centralized printers with multiple network printers	Case Study
Many organizations print large quantities of documents (invoices, credit memos, etc.) every night on a large, centralized printer from companies like Xerox, IBM, OCE, etc.  The process they follow calls for them to run documents such as invoices, credit memos etc. during the business day and hold them for batch printing at night.  At the end of the business day, a nighttime operator accesses their ERP system and releases a range of documents (i.e. invoices for example) to be released to their large central printer(s).  This process is then repeated throughout the night for each different type of document that had been created during the day.  The business problem that organizations is fairly simple.  The large central printer is expensive to run due to the cost of the maintenance contract, supplies and the people required to run it.  Utilizing OM Plus is the solution to the need to reduce the cost associated with printing these types of transactional documents with a lower cost solution that includes less expensive network laser printers and fewer staff.
Single, Streamlined Enterprise Print Infrastructure	Case Study
Supporting printing from multiple applications on multiple platforms, including a mainframe, each with its own disparate software tools and technical support staff, and its own “print architecture/infrastructure” is very complex and causes several problems: --Redundant software licenses for print management and electronic forms are needed --Redundant technical support resources are usually in place --Poor customer service results because the end-user had to determine which technical support team to call based on which system the print job was generated by or which system failed --This is a lack of flexibility in implementing changes to document or printer strategy Through the implementation of OM Plus, we can create a single common, enterprise-wide print infrastructure.
Job splitting and automated load balancing across printers	Case Study
In a Windows Server application it is common for all documents related to fulfilling customer/patient orders such as labels, pick tickets, invoices, etc to be printed on a single printer at the end of the production line, in real time. As print volume increases, the single printer model can no longer keep up with the volume of printing, which impacts customer satisfaction, revenue, and profit. Utilizing OM Plus, we can automatically split the print jobs and load balance them across multiple printers--WITHOUT requiring any changes to the underlying application.
Dynamic re-routing of large print jobs from network to production printers	Case Study
Organizations face a very real challenge regarding moving to de-centralized printing.  When analyzing the thousands of print jobs that are being printed on your centralized production printers, it is likely that most of the jobs are under a couple of hundred pages. Deploying network printers and directing print to them can effectively handle these jobs.  However, some  percentage of your enterprise application print jobs are over 200 pages and would prove to be problematic if they were printed on the network printers.  Problems that would arise include: --When a job is larger than the paper input tray of a printer, the job may not completely print until more paper is added (unbeknownst to the user who requested the job and picked it up thinking it was complete) and their information would not be accurate due to lack of pages --Printers would be monopolized by large jobs creating a bottleneck for end users trying to print, putting the user back at the same point they were before de-centralization, lack of productivity while they waited for the delivery of their print jobs. --Bandwidth on network segments could be over saturated by printing large jobs, causing throughput problems for other users and applications --The cost per page associated with network printers is higher than the large production printers.  This cost increase is offset by the improved delivery times of small print jobs, however, the cost to print very large jobs on the network printers usually can not be justified. Utilizing OM Plus, jobs can be automatically re-routed from the network printer to the large central printer if they exceed a certain number of pages (or other criteria).  At that time, the end user receives an email instructing them how to pick up their re-directed job.
Print documents from mainframes on network printers
Any large enterprise that needs to support mainframe and network printing faces the challenge of the migration.conversion from a mainframe based print infrastructure to a network or shared network and mainframe environment. The tools commonly used to manage printing and print infrastructure in the mainframe environment are very robust. However, the native management and control of network print resources are not nearly as robust and without the installation of expensive proprietary software, mainframe printing can’t be done on network printers.  Utilizing OM Plus, we can provide mainframe like printer administration, job scheduling, document delivery confirmation, etc. and a single user interface across both environments which greatly simplifies the administration of printing and document delivery (regardless of whether the mainframe or network application created the document)  The applications just “print” to OM Plus and it does the rest.