Including both free and paid-for components, EFI IQ is a new suite of Cloud-based applications for use with its Fiery DFEs driving cut-sheet digital presses and printers. It is intended to help users identify production bottlenecks, improve processes and efficiency and so increase profitability.
The free elements include EFI IQ Dashboard, which provides a view of the digital printing operation and acts as a launchpad for the others. With it, users can monitor the status of printers, consumables and jobs on all Fiery-driven devices. Printer groups and role-based permissions allow for managing larger installations or sites. EFI Insight provides ‘deep’ historical data to help generate trend analytics including shift or other comparisons to enable data-driven decisions to increase shop-floor productivity. Insight can also import job logs to perform analysis, while EFI Notify sends production-block alerts and can distribute production reports. Various of the IQ capabilities are also available on smartphones via the EFI Go app.
The paid applications in the suite include EFI ColorGuard, which automates and standardises colour calibration and verification processes for consistent colour across presses and jobs. EFI Manage is aimed at sites with multiple Fiery DFEs and remotely monitors the DFEs to optimise production, syncing printing devices and setting compliance targets.
‘Print operations generate an overwhelming amount of data, and it can be difficult to transform that volume of data into actionable business insights,’ said Toby Weiss, senior vice president and general manager, EFI Fiery. ‘Our objective with the EFI IQ Suite is to make data readily available in a form that makes it easy for users to take action. That way, customers can optimise production in real time with a goal of creating the most efficient and effective digital printing operation possible.’
The IQ Suite currently supports cut-sheet digital presses driven by Fiery front-ends but EFI plans to extends it capabilities to its wide-format printers too. To access the free services, print businesses need to open an EFI IQ account online.
