Haybrooke to distribute 23,000 copies of PDQ

Haybrooke is to distribute 23,000 copies of its intelligent estimation solution PDQ and deliver a “standard estimating model” to the printing industry in a free 60-day trial CD promotion to coincide with the publication of PrintWeek’s Technology Report this week and IPEX on the 18th May.

The CD is to be inserted into the 14th May edition of PrintWeek and will also be made available at the stand of PrintWeek at IPEX or as a download from Haybrooke’s website. Haybrooke’s managing director, John Roche , claims that the software will give buyers and printers an invaluable insight the current market and is the first serious attempt by any company or organisation to put together a ‘standard model’ of estimating:

“We have built an estimating model into PDQ that takes the best of what we have seen in practice at our clients and embeds it into our algorithm. There is no such thing as a ‘right’ way to do an estimate, but we have eliminated the inconsistencies and, as a result, created a carefully balanced approach to quoting a printed job.”

Roche says the software can provide a commercial insight for a wide range of printed products and is the culmination of years of research and effort:

“We have been involved in hundreds of costing exercises for printing companies and have documented cost rates for a wide range of manufacturing equipment. By using this information and measuring the average performance of equipment as stored in our data archives, we have been able to extrapolate an ‘average’ sustainable cost for a wide range of printed products. Of course, this will differ from printer to printer, but for a print buyer, it should give a very good insight into the costs involved to produce a piece of printed work and how this might compare to the prices they are currently paying. It might come as a real surprise to some just what costs are involved in manufacturing a piece of print and just how much this is being undersold in the market.”

Roche claims that PDQ could be a big help to printers for reasons other than the obvious estimating functionality: “Quite often a printer will be told by his customer that they can buy a job considerably cheaper elsewhere.  Sometimes this is just to push the price down, but often it is because they can. The differentiator is often the type of kit used. We have built a wide range of equipment into PDQ covering digital, B3, B2 and B1 both straight print and long perfect. As such, a printer can instantly see from the specification entered the best manufacturing solution for the job, which is, of course, driven by the cost”.

The software aims to be an education for printers and buyers and not just a functional tool says Roche. Evidence of this is the information supplied by Antalis paper merchants regarding paper stocks. “We wanted to provide the user with information about the type of paper they might be specifying for a job. Not everybody knows the best type of products for ‘Uncoated’ paper, for instance, how it performs on press, its recommended usage, etc. We asked Antalis to provide this information so that each time a user chooses a paper stock type, they can find out more about that type of paper. We feel that this has greatly increased its value as a learning tool for users.”

As well as providing an instant comparison of various manufacturing methods, PDQ also provides an estimate of the carbon emissions for each method. It uses what is described as a ‘carbon equivalence formula’ that converts the energy consumed in the manufacturing process into a CO2 footprint. This footprint also takes into consideration average emissions for the paper content, although Roche accepts this is a big variable in the equation: “It occurred to us early on that a route-based system such as ours could measure energy consumption as easily as cost consumption and, given the political interest in all things environmental, we decided to add in this functionality as standard. The paper is a big variable in this, so we assume an average across all grades, which is approximately correct. Where a user knows the exact CO2 footprint of their stock per tonne, however, they can use this number instead of the default, thus making this part of the calculation more accurate”.

At the end of the sixty day free trial of PDQ, companies can continue to use the software as a service for £49 + VAT per month, per user. Other upgrade options allow the company’s own cost rates and machines to be set up alongside the standard model and extend the facility online to their customers.

The software can also be downloaded freely from here.

Haybrooke and Tharstern agree JDF connection

Haybrooke Associates and Tharstern have arrived at a solution to connect their MIS software products via a JDF link

Haybrooke’s PDQ estimating system uses route-based logic to calculate the most cost-effective manufacturing solution for any given print specification. Following increasing requests from its customer base to connect its solution to incumbent MIS, the company began discussions back in December as to how to connect PDQ to Tharstern’s MIS. Haybrooke’s Managing Director, John Roche , said that connecting PDQ to MIS had become ‘an inevitability’ and that Tharstern was the natural choice to explore the possibility: “Many of our customers have the Tharstern MIS and we had come under increasing pressure to connect our system to it. When we first met with Tharstern late last year, the idea was to discuss the potential of mapping our existing XML file to their table structure. Keith McMurtrie, Tharsterns MD, however, encouraged us to look at using JDF technology as this would be in keeping with other Key Industry Vendors. So we did”.

Becoming JDF compliant is an important step forward for Haybrooke and PDQ as it will position the software above MIS in the JDF schema, making PDQ the only ‘intelligent’ solution to occupy such a position. “Keith has become a mentor to our staff and his knowledge of JDF is second to none” adds Roche “We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity of linking to a system that has arguably the most pedigree in MIS terms in the UK – and one of the largest customer bases.”

Tharstern has, of course, existing estimating functionality built into its system and this too has undergone great change over the years. A powerful solution in its own right, the decision to connect to PDQ was driven by the desire to offer real customer choice, and not pin them down to one option for the future. McMurtrie sees this future connectivity to other systems via JDF as a key driver of his company’s growth strategy “We want to be a solutions provider to our customers and if this means connecting to other systems that help to compliment our own offering, then we welcome this. The ethos of JDF is ‘connectivity’ and any vendor who can demonstrate this along with viable products that fit well with our own, will find us open to the concept”.

The PDQ – Tharstern link will be demonstrated on the Tharstern stand (9/F319) at IPEX this coming May 2010.

Barry Grindrod is Haybrooke's Sales & Marketing Director

IT and telecommunications specialist, Barry Grindrod, joins our team

Barry Grindrod has joined Haybrooke Associates as its Sales and Marketing Director. Formerly of Mercury Communications and Energis, Barry is a corporate sales and marketing professional with extensive experience focusing on business to business selling, primarily to large companies, in both existing customer and new business roles across various enterprise and public sector markets.

Bruce McKenzie-Boyle, former colleague of Barry at Vialtus Solutions says of him "Barry is a seasoned professional who knows exactly what to do, and then gets on with it. He creates excellent customer relationships, drives the business to deliver a class of service commensurate with the customers expectations and having done that, proceeds to develop the business to the benefit of both the customer and the company". Colleague Alun Lewis, also formerly of Vialtus agrees, adding "Barry is the consummate Sales Manager. I have had the privilege of working with and for Barry many times over the past twenty years. His professionalism and tenacity have been an inspiration".

John Roche , Haybrooke's MD, adds "I have worked with Barry twice in the past and it was an easy decision to work with him again. He is that rare breed of sales professional who somehow manages to combine the old fashioned skill of building rock solid, long-term business relationships, with a fresh, often innovative style, yet always a true gentleman. He is undoubtedly going to be a key driver of our business growth and we have already begun to measure the sales impact of his involvement with Haybrooke."

PDQ in PrintWeek

Haybrooke's JDF ambition features in PrintWeek

Haybrooke Associates will launch a JDF-enabled version of its intelligent estimating package, PDQ, at Ipex, to improve the software's integration with MIS. The company said the software allows printers to cut the costs of in-house estimating by allowing customers to enter their own job specifications, such as quantities and production processes. Managing director John Roche said: "JDF means files flow seamlessly from the buyer, through PDQ into the printer's MIS." more...

PDQ goes JDF

Increasing demand for connectivity drives PDQ's JDF evolution

What do you do when you have possibly the best estimating solution around, but it doesn't connect to other incumbent systems? Answer: you write a JDF-friendly xml file output that can be mapped to your partners systems. But wait, what do you do if these vendors are fully JDF compliant and want your xml file to be true JDF, not just 'JDF friendly'? Answer: you re-write your xml file to be JDF compatible. Simples!

From the very first time that PDQ was placed into the hustle and bustle of our printing customers, the requests for connectivity to their incumbent MIS began. Although not required to be connected to any system to provide our service, we believe that responding to customer needs and desires is one of the keys to being a successful company. As such, Haybrooke Associates have taken the step to completely reprogram its xml file output to become truly JDF compatible. This is no mean task and will make PDQ the first product of its kind to sit above MIS in the CIP4 JDF schema.

So what is JDF? The CIP4 website sums it up as follows:

"JDF is based in the Extensible Markup Language (XML), but not entirely. XML was selected as the underlying standard language for JDF because it is already a widely recognized language and is a standard... XML provides rules of syntax and default data types; however, XML alone is not enough.... JDF is based on the Worldwide Web Consortium’s (W3C) XML Schema Recommendation. By using a schema, JDF allows for validation (think preflighting, but for metadata) and allows CIP4 to create user defined data types, (ex. “Rectangle” or “Matrix” as used in transforms, or “NamedColor”). The JDF Specification also provides specifications for file naming (e.g., URL/URI usage for hot folder exchange) and methods for packing JDF and content files together in MIME Multipart Messages."

In other words, it allows two disconnected systems to communicate with one another (why didn't they just say that!) We have already agreed with one major MIS vendor to connect our products via the JDF link, the details of which will be released soon.

Superior solution for Superior printers

Creative powerhouse, Superior, sign up to PDQ

Deep down in Wiltshire operates a company of sublime flair and creative prowess. Superior provide special, cost-effective solutions in design, marketing and print, for companies near and far, local and national. Their unique structure allows them to pick the precise mix that meets its customers requirements, from a wide range of in-house services, that includes creative design, digital and litho print - including wide format, fulfillment, cardboard engineering and POS. A dedicated account manager looks after each client and, with the introduction of PDQ, each RFQ is guaranteed to be returned speedily and on time.

"We met Superior through our involvement with iPPSA" says John Roche "and Ian O'Connor [Superior's MD] was instantly interested in using the software in house. The implementation has taken an awful lot of thought as their company has such a wide range of production methods, but we eventually got there! It goes without saying that we are very proud to be involved with such a forward thinking and creative company".

Crafty Fox Print bring estimating up to speed

Environmental specialist, Fox Print, go for green firepower!

Based in Shepshed, Leicestershire, Fox Print are an unassuming bunch. Tucked away in the back streets of a quiet trading estate, you might hardly notice they were there, but its customers sure do! Building upon an enviable reputation for quality and service, the B3 and digital small volume outfit now places the environment at the top of their priority list and have gone to great lengths to 'go green'. With a raft of initiatives already in place, it was a natural evolution of its estimating function to need to know the carbon footprint of each and every quote - and every process used in the making of a product.

"PDQ gives us this information and in doing so will give us the edge" commented Gavin Wells, Fox Print's MD, "We lost a member of our estimating staff recently and had a stark choice to make: replace them, of replace our estimating system with a solution that allows us to do more quotes with a man down - and that is exactly what we did". Philip Roe , Haybrooke's Operations Director, who opened the account, said, "I am really pleased for Fox Print as we all know what it's like to be a small printer in the industry at the moment. Our software will help them to stand out from the competition and give them the edge they deserve".

Philip Roe promoted to Haybrooke's Op's Director

Roe charged with making PDQ market leader within 2 years

Philip Roe, who joined Haybrooke Associates last year as Client Services Director, has been promoted to the position of the company's Operations Director. Phil has shown an amazing appetite for his role and enthusiasm for the company's products - in particular PDQ - and has, for his efforts, now been charged with the responsibility of making Haybrooke the market leading estimating and online solutions provider within the next two years.

John Roche, Haybrooke's MD, commenting on the promotion, said "Philip Roe is one of the most enthusiastic, energetic, 'glass-is-full' people I have ever met. He has brought an amazing depth and quality to our organisation and his professionalism is second to none. I feel very privileged to be able to give Phil the type of opportunity that I know he will squeeze every ounce of success from and in doing so help us to thrive and grow as a young and entrepreneurial organisation".

Philip said of the promotion "I am having so much fun working at Haybrooke. It's software products are amazing and it has become a catchphrase in the office already when I pipe up 'we are the next big thing in print' - but we are! - and I can't wait to help us fulfill our collective potential".

C&R take PDQ following successful DM set up

C&R follow in the footsteps of sister company FastAnt

C&R Printing Services, based in Leicester, have followed in the footsteps of Print People Group company, FastAnt, and invested in PDQ for all their print estimating requirements. FastAnt, the direct mail specialist within the group, had put PDQ to one of its sternest tests in accommodating the nuances of a direct mail environment. Inevitably the software shone through, and it prompted the full-colour B2 litho printers to follow in its sisters footsteps. John Roche, Haybrooke's MD commented, "the set up at FastAnt was by no means straight forward, but a successful outcome, we felt, was always inevitable. We are very pleased that this has given C&R the confidence to move forward with our product and look forward to helping them gain a competitive edge in today's tough economic climate".

FM Print go carbon crazy with PDQ

Basildon based FM tap into PDQ's environmental credentials

FM Print, based in Basildon, Essex, have rolled out PDQ to its commercial staff and estimators in an attempt to answer all of its estimating enquiries within a few minutes - but with an eye firmly on the environmental cost. Already a bona fide model of an environmental company, the high quality B2 set up have made it a priority to provide its customers with as much information about the cost to the environment as possible, in keeping with their strong sense of business ethics. PDQ delivers a CO2 footprint for every conceivable production method for FM and even calculates the cost to make a job carbon neutral

In a recent site visit, the only complaint following the installation was that PDQ was helping attract so many new enquiries, the company would not now be able to cope without the software! One might say, a real 'win win' for both FM and Haybrooke.

Simpson invest in PDQ

T&W and Heathrow based Simpson choose PDQ for POS

Simpson Group, whose head office is based in Washington, Tyne and Wear, have chosen PDQ to become their estimating standard and will become the software's first all-POS user. Philip Roe, Haybrooke's CSD, said "we have plenty of customers who have small elements of POS in their businesses, but Simpson is the first PDQ user where all the processes are point of sale, which makes this quite a first for us - but I'm sure it won't be the last". The Simpson Group has a turnover approaching £20 million and possesses wide format litho, large format silk screen, and wide format digital. It also has various laminating and die cutting plant.

Bill McNally, Simpson's MD, says that its incumbent MIS was slow and getting out the volumes of quotes was becoming an issue. Because PDQ is one of the very few expert systems that can handle POS, it ultimately became the only serious option for Simpson after it had researched the market for a suitable replacement system last year.

FastAnt take PDQ

Leicester based FastAnt put PDQ to the test on direct mail

FastAnt, part of the Print People Group, that also includes Taylor Bloxham and C&R Printing Services, have taken on PDQ to test the software in a busy Direct Mail environment. John Roche, Haybrooke's MD, said he was delighted that PDQ had its first 'real' direct mail house and was eager to put it to the test in this challenging environment "PDQ is not just for sheet fed and digital printing presses - far from it. We have a framework built into the software that allows us to create virtually any manufacturing process. We could even set up a golf ball manufacturing machine or a plastic extrusion process if we really wanted to, so direct mail will not be a problem!"

Matthew Wennington, PPG's Technical Director, said he was looking forward to putting PDQ through its paces in his environment. He also hinted that PDQ might become the groups de facto estimating system if it can prove its worth in the DM facility. Roche added to this "we know we have to get this installation right to open up the prospect of the PP Group, but we are very confident we can do this and we will be working very hard to make sure FastAnt get the full benefits of our system as soon as possible."