The Xeikon 8500 digital press
Arvato Services, direct marketing specialist, has improved its performance, introduced innovative services and increased customer loyalty with the installation of a Xeikon 8500 digital press.
‘Today, customers tend to favour focused direct marketing operations, on smaller customer bases, but with higher quality documents, with a higher level of personalisation and high end finishing,’ explained Manuel Montigny, general director direct marketing. ‘Our investment in Xeikon technology is a perfect response to this growing trend.’
The company’s direct marketing customers are mostly telcos, banks, large retail companies, mail order companies or city councils and administrative bodies. ‘Our business is evolving rapidly. Direct marketing remains a highly effective tool to address customers, but the business model is changing. Online direct marketing in particular has gained ground over the past 10 years and became an entry point for many new activities such as on demand printing,’ said Mr Montigny.
In 2006, the company made the strategic decision to add digital printing to their services and move up one step in the value chain: the capability to produce high quality direct marketing pieces, with a very high degree of personalization, fully leveraged Arvato’s database management skills and resources. Combined with powerful Internet technologies, it allowed the company to offer a whole array of new services.
‘We designed an online platform – called DM Factory – that allows our customers to provide their sales network a web-based tool to manage direct marketing operations entirely. They can also use it to order brochure and product sheets. The platform triggers a fully automated Print On Demand production process, using our digital presses, after which our direct mail services are set in motion,’ explained Mr Montigny.
Last year, Arvato decided to invest in a web-fed Xeikon 8500 system with online cutting and folding units. ‘Until then, our digital production equipment was entirely sheet-fed,’ said Mr Montigny. ‘We wanted to draw on the new possibilities a roll-fed unit offers, such as scalable print media widths, and be able to produce leaflets in unconventional formats, as well as letters with folds and coupons. We also required a press that would fit our printing quality standards, especially on photo quality documents. Xeikon was the best option for us.’
Also finishing played an important role. ‘We didn’t want to compromise on inline finishing options. Xeikon offers a large selection of finishing modules. We now invested in cutting and folding but if one day we want to add gilding or film coating, we know Xeikon will have a solution for us,’ explained Mr Montigny. ‘Xeikon’s involvement in package printing was another decisive aspect. Producing point of sales material and boxes for product sample mailings is an area where we are gradually gaining momentum. Our decision to work with Xeikon is fully consistent with this.’
