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JDF in the Broader Workflow Context
Thad McIlroyArcadia House
San Francisco & Toronto
Presentation to JDF@XPLOR
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My Background
32 years on the dusty road of publishing 5 years directing Seybold Seminars 7 years studying the impact of the
Internet on graphic communications 3 years studying XML, CMS, workflow
and production automation
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The “Workflow” Challenge
Authoring and design take place remotely from prepress and printing
Data flows downstream with insufficient data to inform the process
“Our clients want us to do the heavy lifting.”
Islands of automation are not unified into a single process
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Islands of Automation
Limited manufacturing (workflow) efficiencies
Doesn’t support cross-media publishing
authoring &authoring &editingediting
illustration &illustration &photographyphotography
rightsrights
production &production &preflightpreflight
distributiondistribution
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The Problem
Authoring, editing, design, photography and illustration are not properly (fully) addressed
These functions are as important to a successful workflow as any production or output steps
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The Solution
Find effective methods to encompass the entire workflow within service offerings
Find ways to profitably assist customers in improving their workflows
Push vendors to support the ENTIRE workflow (including JDF)
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The Workflow Ghetto
“Workflow” is a term used all too frequently in the graphic arts, used casually, loosely and inaccurately
Everybody’s got a “workflow” product What exactly is the commonality of these
products? Nearly all address only the problem of
moving PDF files to plate (and press)
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Better Names for Workflow than Workflow
Workflow is a noun, it describes a state,not an activity
Process improvement Publishing automation
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Why Full Automation Now?
The Web challenges print with an automated cost-effective publishing method
The graphic arts have been creeping slowly from a craft to an automated industry (with much resistance)
The printing press is now in the loop XML provides offers an automation
opportunity for document originators too
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XML is the Answer
A New-Breed of Data Standard, a Single Standard Able to Represent:
1.All manner of content2.The structure of content3.The “meaning” of content (through smart
tag names and metadata)4.Production/workflow requirements5.Rights data6.Repurposing requirements (cross-media)
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“Workflow” Issues
The 80/20 canon has become too-well enshrined in our corporate culture
If 99% of the steps of a workflow are optimized, and 1% not, the overall efficiency of the workflow is more likely to resemble the 1% than it is the 99%
At the same time, there will always be steps in a creative process that defy automation
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How Do We Link the Islands?
XML standards throughout for composition for semantic tagging for job tickets and production control
We NEED a continuous 2-way data flow based on XML encodings
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Authoring
Microsoft Word controls the text authoring market – tools to improve productivity are available
Adobe controls the creative market, and embraces workflow improvement(Adobe has joined the WfMC – The Workflow Management Coalition)
Quark addresses workflow with job ticket (JDF) support in QuarkXPress 7.0
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XML TaggingSemantic tagging requires human judgment
<!--the resource links in the ProcessGroup define the input resources that must be available for the ProcessGroup to be submitted and the output resources that are produced by the ProcessGroup -->
<ResourceLinkPool><!-- print input media --><MediaLink Usage="Input" rRef="L2"/><ResourceLinkPool><GatheringParamsLink Usage="Input" rRef="L4"/><!-- gathered output components --><ComponentLink Usage="Output" rRef="L7"/></ResourceLinkPool><ID="J2" Status="Waiting" Type="DigitalPrinting"><ResourceLinkPool><GatheringParamsLink Usage="Input" rRef="L4"/>
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Templated DesignsHow much of XML-tagged content can be
composed automatically?
Typéfi sample approach
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The Human FactorNew Internal Roles, Skills & Positions
The production skill set changes substantially
Much of the existing knowledge base changes or obsoletes
The move from design & composition & production management to content & product architecting and engineering
There is an enormous training challenge aheadAnd a need for certification