Leeb Folien GmbH & Co. KG benefits from Esko solutions and a JDF-based SAP interface from Dr. Lauterbach & Partner

Esko, the world's leading supplier of solutions for the digital imaging of flexo plates and for pre-production workflows in the packaging industry, announces the successful implementation of a JDF-based communication solution at Leeb Folien GmbH & Co KG. Working in collaboration with Dr. Lauterbach & Partner, Esko established an online connection between Esko BackStage and the SAP ERP system. Leeb Folien has also installed Esko WebCenter, a JDF-based online approval tool. A specialist in custom film packaging based in Memmingen, Germany, Leeb Folien has been using the new communications interface since February 2007. The installation has maximized the level of automation and significantly reduced error rates in the company's prepress workflow.

"We needed an online connection between the systems we use in sales and those in prepress. Thanks to the JDF interface between our SAP system and the prepress workflow, implemented as a pilot project by Dr. Lauterbach & Partner, we no longer need to enter orders twice. That minimizes potential sources of errors and improves our ability to track an order," explains Roland Wallner, head of the prepress department at Leeb Folien. It is now possible to send order data entered by an employee during job preparation directly to the production software. With supply chain management, the goal is to shorten throughput times and optimize information flows.

Esko WebCenter, a Web-based tool for project management as well as print approval and release processes, is used for Leeb Folien's internal and external communication. "We used to send PDF files to customers via e-mail, which was very time-consuming and costly. Now, all print files are stored on our Web server. An automated e-mail notifies the customer and he can inspect and comment on the results. Automation has cost effectively streamlined our entire work process. Thanks to WebCenter, customers can track the status of a project in every detail, which ultimately leads to enhanced transparency and greater customer satisfaction," concludes Roland Wallner.

Esko WebCenter

WebCenter is a communications hub for the prepress workflow. Operated via an internet browser, the tool provides a central platform for online approval and collaboration between partners in the packaging supply chain. WebCenter supports real-time interaction between partners, no matter where they are. Functions include display, zoom and tracking of different document versions at very high speeds. Version and progress reports are generated automatically for every document. File uploading and downloading is administered on the basis of user access authorization. Approvals can be provided from structural and graphic files to other files like Word, Excel, JPEG images, or even palletization files. An expanded search engine helps to locate files.

About Leeb Folien GmbH & Co. KG

Established in Memmingen in 1928, Leeb Folien today is an internationally active manufacturer of flexible packaging with 180 employees. The company’s own specialty departments manage all steps involved in packaging production, from design and prepress, to printing, laminating and fabrication. The manufactured products are used in food packaging and technical applications. Well-known customers include brand- name manufacturers such as Birkel, Dehner, Emmi, Golden Toast, Katjes, Kamps (Lieken Urkorn), Meggle and Freudenberg (Vileda), as well as numerous manufacturers of private label products. Leeb Folien is one of Germany’s foremost providers of high- quality flexographic printing services.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.leeb.de.

About Dr. Lauterbach & Partner GmbH (LP.)

LP. is a medium-sized software and consulting company that successfully has been implementing leading ERP systems in the printing and packaging industry since 1992. Its customer list includes medium-sized businesses as well as global players. LP. developed a pre-configured solution for the printing and packaging industry based on SAP’s world-leading ERP system. The extensive industry expertise of LP.’s consultants, combined with the pre-configured SAP ERP system, guarantees customers efficient and therefore cost-effective implementation. As a SAP Business Partner, LP. works closely with SAP AG to improve and maintain its industry solution. LP. is the first software company in the world to offer its customers SAP JDF workflow integration.