Diggypod Conquers Downtime and Finds Profit

Océ Case Study

DiggyPod conquers downtime and fi nds profi t

Online printer saves $4,000 a month with reliable Océ VarioPrint® 6160 system The last thing DiggyPod.com owner and President Tim Simpson expected was to get into short-run book publishing. Now it accounts for almost half of his company’s volume.

The Saline, MI business had been around Fed up with downtime DiggyPod now sees monthly savings of for twenty years, and when Simpson bought The outlook was not always so positive. $3,000 to $4,000 because it doesn’t have to it, DiggyPod was a quick print operation. At one point, DiggyPod struggled for six incur overtime to get jobs done. Simpson’s Four years ago, DiggyPod wasn’t doing months to keep its previous cutsheet system time is no longer consumed by keeping a key any book work at all. “We didn’t plan to running. Simpson spent hours of his own machine running. “We’re happy we never do books, just quick printing. Then, a time pressing the vendor to fix the problem see our Océ service tech,” he said. “The Océ large book manufacturer approached us to and overseeing engineers who sometimes equipment runs and runs and runs. In fact, worked on the machine a week at a time. do all of its short-run books. We found jobs are often delivered ahead of schedule. we were good at it,” he said, so they People are shocked to have a print provider The constant downtime caused serious launched a website and rebranded to offer who delivers early instead of late. Sometimes problems. “We needed all kinds of overtime an order comes in, and we have it shipping online printing services. and service people to get the job done, and out the next day.” then we were always trying to get caught up to Today this profitable application generates recover from the downtime,” Simpson said. 40 percent of the firm’s business, and Near-offset quality on a digital printer Simpson expects it to keep growing. “We In contrast, when DiggyPod acquired an As DiggyPod moved deeper into the book are up 35 percent just this year in our Océ VarioPrint6160 instant duplex system space, Simpson wanted an offset look to be book business compared to last year,” in 2007, the printer was installed, up and its standard, and this was a key criterion Simpson said. running by the end of the day. for a replacement printer. “The Océ output rivals offset,” said Simpson, “and that’s Automation drives most prepress and Océ PRISMAweb™ software and especially important when doing publishing production workflow, and the Océ automating our order entry process, so we for other manufacturers who subcontract to VarioPrint 6160 system contributes to a don’t have to spend any more time on DiggyPod. You want the output to match the streamlined, productive environment. it than necessary,” said Simpson. originals if you are doing a short run “Right now, we are doing a 13-hour job of a previous offset run.” and a 28-hour job. The operating screen at “An important capability of the Océ the Océ VarioPrint 6160 system tells us how equipment is that we can upgrade speed with The short-run soft cover books are perfect- long a job will take. This is a huge benefit just a code change,” he added. “We like that bound. Trim size and page counts vary. in workload planning and scheduling,” because with other companies, if you want a Full-color covers are produced on another he said. faster box, you have to buy the box.” digital system or on an offset device. The fast track to publishing As DiggyPod continues to refine its Keeping it simple wins business The firm’s growing book printing client workflow and explore new markets and Simpson believes people want to work with base includes one major book manufacturer services, Simpson now has a vendor partner DiggyPod because, “we make it easy. We along with several publishing companies, qualified to work with him today and well take the ‘printer speak’ out of book printing. universities and individuals. into the next phase of his business, whatever I’m a printer, and I don’t understand half A big part of the business is printing books direction that might take. the stuff out there. This is Printing 101 – on demand for self-publishers who need easy stuff. Many printers feel they have to small quantities ranging from 25 to 1,500. have a lot of complexity. There are no crazy Usually, aspiring authors find DiggyPod quote forms. Our specs are what you get.” through online search. “We’re looking at

Océ North America

Production Printing Systems Document Printing Systems 5600 Broken Sound Boulevard 100 Oakview Drive Boca Raton, FL 33487 Trumbull, CT 06611

For information and services, call us at: 1.800.523.5444 or visit: www.oceusa.com

Printing for All rights, including rights created by patent grant or registration of a utility model or design are reserved. Delivery subject to availability, subject to change for technical reasons. All hardware and software names are trade names or trademarks of their respective manufacturers. Specifi cations subject to change Professionals without notice. © Copyright 2009, Océ North America, Inc. 2494-03/09