From complete chaos to total control: how automation makes the difference between profit and loss in your print business
6 June 2025
Automation may sound a bit abstract, with terms like JDF/JMF, API or XML, but it’s essential for every sign, LFP and print company. And here’s why: up to 40% of a print job’s cost goes to administration. By connecting all systems, with an MIS/ERP at the heart of your operations, you reduce costs and boost production capacity. In this blog, we’ll explain how automation, tailored to your specific needs and powered by the right integrations, can futureproof your workflow.
Why automation is essential for print companies
Many print production companies still struggle with fragmented workflows. Orders are entered manually, Excel sheets are scattered across teams, and communication often runs through email, or even paper tickets. The result? Errors, delays and frustration, both internally and for your customers.
By digitising and automating your processes, you gain a better overview, speed things up and improve reliability. Think of:
- Automatic order input and processing
- Smart planning tools with real-time data
- Fewer manual tasks, so fewer mistakes
- Smoother communication and more control
The result? Less admin, fewer errors, lower costs. In an average print business, administration can account for up to 40% of the total job cost. By automating processes and connecting systems, from quote to delivery, you eliminate overhead. You cut out unnecessary steps, avoid duplicate entry and reduce staffing costs. Your cost per order goes down, and your margin goes up.
By automating, you can handle the same workload with fewer administrative staff, or avoid bottlenecks caused by a shortage of specialists. But automation can also be seen as an opportunity to increase your production capacity. If you're not yet getting the most out of your current production, automation is the key to handling more orders with the same number of people. The choice is yours.
MIS/ERP: the beating heart of your workflow
In a streamlined workflow, every department, from sales to production to invoicing, must work with the same up-to-date information. That’s where a Management Information System (MIS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tool comes in. It acts as the single source of truth within your organisation, giving every team access to accurate data.
The benefits of an MIS/ERP are clear:
- No more duplicate data entry
- Smooth interdepartmental communication
- Accurate cost estimation and job tracking
- Fast invoicing and reliable reporting
- Clear insights into stock, costs and profitability
But having an MIS/ERP alone isn’t enough. It only reaches its full potential when it’s fully integrated with your other systems and machines. So how do you make that happen?
Industry standards for integration: JDF/JMF, API and XML
To get your machines, software and admin systems to ‘talk’ to each other, you need common standards. JDF and JMF are the go-to standards in the graphics industry for conventional, digital and large-format printing and finishing systems. In fact, Dataline was one of the few MIS/ERP providers involved in the development of JDF and JMF via CIP4.
JDF (Job Definition Format) and JMF (Job Messaging Format)
A JDF file contains all the technical details of a print job, from paper type to quantity and finishing. MultiPress generates these files automatically and sends them directly to your presses, printers or cutting machines. In other words: no more manual handovers of production data.
JMF enables real-time feedback. You can monitor the status of any print job as it happens. Is everything running smoothly? Are there delays? You can react instantly and adjust your planning accordingly. JMF also provides feedback from production to admin, so you get accurate post-calculations, from the start and stop times on a Screen printer to real ink usage on a Canon press.
API (Application Programming Interface)
An API links two software systems directly. MultiPress has its own powerful API to exchange data automatically – no manual steps required. This means MultiPress connects effortlessly with other tools in your business, like accounting software, e-commerce platforms and logistics solutions. Examples include integration with your Magento web-to-print shop, connections to platforms like Print.com or delivery tools such as nShift and Bumbal, or invoice processing with Scan Sys.
Want to handle electronic invoicing via Peppol? You’ll need API-based automation within MultiPress. The same applies to importing external audit data for CO₂ calculations and sustainability reporting, another area where seamless integration is vital.
XML (eXtensible Markup Language)
XML is the standard format for structured data exchange between software systems. MultiPress supports XML to import and export data automatically between platforms, without the need for manual input.
Turn your workflow into a single, integrated system
An MIS/ERP is a powerful tool, but only if it isn’t isolated. The real benefits come when your MIS/ERP integrates seamlessly with every system in your print workflow, from prepress to web-to-print.
Dataline follows a proven strategy of certified integrations with a wide range of hardware and software essential to print production. These include prepress, production workflow optimisation, e-business platforms, logistics, substrate and paper catalogues, accounting and finance systems. Examples are printer and press integrations with Canon PRISMAsync, Screen Equios, Heidelberg and Komori; or LFP and sign integrations with Agfa Asanti, Caldera, SwissQprint and Zünd.
When integrating systems into your MIS/ERP, keep these principles in mind:
- Open standards are key. Thanks to JDF and JMF, your MIS/ERP can talk directly to your printers, cutters, planning software and other applications. That creates a smooth information flow from admin to production and finishing. No more manual handovers. No more double input. And fewer errors.
- Real-time data exchange is essential. You can’t afford to work with outdated information. Making data instantly available across departments, from order entry to production, helps you act faster, plan better and keep your customers informed with precision.
- Ease of use matters. Integration should make work easier, not harder. Choose systems that are intuitive and logical. That’s the only way to get your team on board with automation.
- Scalability is critical. Your business will grow: more customers, maybe new locations or extra services. Your MIS/ERP and integrations must be flexible enough to support that growth effortlessly.
Conclusion: build tomorrow’s workflow today
The future of print production is integrated, automated and data-driven. Most companies already use software for administration or order tracking, but often, that’s where it ends. If you want to move forward, you need to connect that software with your production and operations.
That’s only possible with a modern, complete and innovative platform that brings everything together. MultiPress, combined with powerful integrations via JDF/JMF, API and XML, forms the foundation of a future-proof workflow. Companies like Group Joos and Ricken A/S show what’s possible every day: fewer mistakes, more control and lower costs.
Automation doesn’t mean starting over, it means working smarter. And you can begin today. Ready to take your workflow to the next level? The future won’t wait. The question is: will you?