Automated Desktop-Publishing

Variable Data Publishing

		With this type of automation, software does desktop-publishing tasks instead of people. Files are built according to rules that you, the client, specify. Some buzzwords associated with this technology are: “variable data publishing,” “database publishing”, “dynamic pdf,” and “data-driven composition.” Here are some benefits:
production process is more efficient automates customer communications across all media files produced are accurate with no human error reduces proofing since proofed content is stored in database supports search capability with content stored in a central repository enables access to content: people without desktop-publishing software can view, edit, and copy content via browser-based web forms provides more formatting options than database report writers consistently applies corporate brand identity properly enables single source - multi use across different customer communication channels Variable data publishing software builds documents dynamically—both content and format/layout—based on the data received from a database. The composition of each version is driven by the data values [data-driven composition]; the composition is dynamic, it varies with the data. This type of processing produces computer files of various types that can be: sent to a professional printing press sent to a digital printer on a network burned to CD written to a website directory for online viewing written to a website directory to refresh html content
Examples    Media Type brochures, price lists, catalogs, proposals, newsletters and financial fact sheets    print web pages (html)    web tutorials, documentation, and interactive presentations    CD-ROM XML files content mgmt system [CMS], print and web document library    print and web

Variable data publishing makes it possible to update these files regularly, say one or more times a day, with no human labor. Businesses now have the opportunity to affordably accomplish data-driven production of designer-formatted marketing communication from original raw-data sources.

We produce power for your productivity. Power to produce profits.

“Through their technical expertise, we have been able to integrate the latest software tools available with our Activant Data Base, allowing us the flexibility to publish industry-specific product catalogs targeted toward our various customer market segments. We simply identify the product categories we want to include in our catalog, identify the images associated with the products, and run the software tools that extract the necessary data from our Activant data base, creating pdf files to send to our printer.

“Because we use the same common data base for our e-commerce initiatives, the customer sees the same information on our e-commerce site as they see in the printed catalog. As we look to the future, we foresee the ability to easily publish flyers containing monthly specials, new products, etc., using the same software tools used to publish our catalogs. It’s that simple.”

Tony Miller
President
Hanneke Hardware