Kwik Kopy Partners with EFI

Originally written by Patrick Howard and published by Print21

EFI claims big win with Kwik Kopy upgrade

More than 100 Kwik Kopy Print and Design Centres cross Australia will be upgrading their existing EFI PrintSmith Vision MIS workflow to include Digital StoreFront, EFI’s advanced web-to-print/ecommerce platform.

Four sites in Sydney and Melbourne have already made the switch and according to Andy Yarrow, EFI Director Asia Pacific, the substantial agreement is further evidence of EFI’s renewed focus on Australia and its determination to remain the leading software provider in the region.

The deal is a development of Kwik Kopy’s successful automated workflow partnership with EFI. Stephen Penfold, chairman and founder of Kwik Kopy Australia, went to the Silicon Valley headquarters of EFI to sign a new partnership agreement

“EFI has been a valued partner for us, developing MIS and printer server solutions that help our franchisees generate a competitive edge in digital print. With this new agreement, we will also be establishing a stronger, highly automated web-to-print offering that further improves our total print workflows while making it easier for Kwik Kopy customers to do business with us,” he said.

Kwik Kopy Australia is already using EFI PrintSmith Vision MIS workflow software across its franchises. Over the next several months those franchises will begin upgrading to EFI’s advanced web-to-print/ecommerce platform that seamlessly integrates with PrintSmith Vision.

“EFI has proven to be a reliable and trusted strategic partner with PrintSmith Vision, which has allowed our centres to perform production tasks, scheduling and estimating and more in a complete yet straightforward package,” said Penfold. “In the past two years of testing, we have seen how the company’s Digital StoreFront product offers the right cloud-based design, ordering, and ecommerce and storefront tools for our franchisees to build customer loyalty and expand their print and marketing offerings.”

Kwik Kopy Australia Print & Design Centres will be able to improve client retention and satisfaction using the software’s award-winning online ordering capabilities, including an easy-to-use, single-page visual product builder for Kwik Kopy customers to upload files, select print options, preview their selections and receive a quote. One early adopter Kwik Kopy Centre already has an extremely successful implementation of the software, creating a custom storefront to handle print collateral for one of Australia’s largest restaurant chains.

According to Yarrow, it’s about improving cost efficiency and helping Kwik Kopy franchises grow their businesses. “It’s all about taking costs out of doing business. Kwik Kopy franchises will now be able to access the web 24/7 with automated ordering, maximizing their profits. They’ll be able to trade around the clock. It’s a testament to the effort we are putting in to changing the industry from analogue to digital.”

A significant number of Kwik Kopy Australia Print & Design Centres also use EFI Fiery DFEs for their digital printing equipment. Those DFEs can integrate with both Digital StoreFront and PrintSmith Vision, enabling near lights-out automation. As a result, many print jobs will be able to be routed from the web-to-print interface directly to a digital production device’s print queue, with billing/payment, delivery and other information communicated directly into PrintSmith Vision for streamlined accounting and job tracking management.

“EFI invests more in time, resources and funding that any other developer to create efficient, robust integrated print workflow portfolios,” said Gabriel Matsliach, senior vice president and general manager, EFI Productivity Software. “We are proud to be able to deliver that technology to Kwik Kopy Australia – one of the nation’s largest networks of independent, family owned print businesses – to help those businesses grow and prosper.”

The Kwik Kopy agreement follows on from EFI’s success with Snap, the other major printing franchise chain in the region. It puts the technology giant into an almost unassailable lead in small to medium printing installations.