1. Overview
Customer communications management provider
Stralfors is a business with a long tradition in
the print industry. Since it was established as a
printing works in the Swedish town of Ljungby
in 1919, the company has grown and evolved,
and today operates in seven countries – Demark,
Finland, France, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the
UK.
In a fast-moving communications landscape, the
company prides itself on developing and selling
innovative communication solutions that give
companies new opportunities to create stronger,
more personalised customer relations. One
important pillar of this offering is the company’s
‘white paper’ solution, which enables customers
to print targeted, customised communications
more cost-effectively and dynamically by
printing the information that is needed for each
communication in one pass.
With demand for high quality customised
communications growing, Stralfors recognised a
need to adopt inkjet printing technology, investing
in an Océ ColorStream® 3500. Since the device
went live at the company’s facility in Redruth in
Cornwall, it has not only enabled the company to
attract new business, but also to expand its service
offering to existing clients.
Identifying the need for inkjet
Tony Plummer, UK Managing Director of Stralfors,
explains that the company has evolved from
having a small printed mail business served by
lithographic printing to offering a full customer
communications management service. “In
addition to our print offering, we have the in-
house capability to offer full data handling services
via GMC’s Inspire platform to customers, as well as
the ability to offer customers the choice to deliver
communications via print, email and SMS.”
“Our white paper, or one-path production,
approach gives customers more flexibility,
enabling them to use dynamic content in
their customer communications. The old
approach of using pre-printed forms can be
very limiting, which is why our customers are
moving in this direction. One-path production
gives us the flexibility to vary the content of
the communications we produce and send
for our customers. It enables them to use our
composition tools to vary the content page-
by-page for each individual communications
package.”
However, while the toner-based technology that
Stralfors was using did work, Plummer explains
that the company identified a need to move to
inkjet technology to cost-effectively deliver the
level of quality that customers demand. “We
recognised we needed an inkjet solution. The
toner-based device we had was okay, but it was
no longer the device of choice for continuous feed
colour printing.”
A full-colour solution
Stralfors has a longstanding relationship with
Canon, having used Océ VarioStream continuous
feed toner-based devices for its monochrome
variable printing for many years. “We have always
had good support from an engineering point of
view when we do maintenance or need fixes,
so we knew that the Canon team were reliable
guys who provide a good service. We were also
already very familiar with PRISMA as an operating
platform.”
Moreover, six Océ ColorStream devices had
already been installed at Stralfors facilities in
Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Poland,
so the technology was already proven across the
business. Plummer adds that this also helped to
ensure the seamless transition that was vital to the
business: “We needed to get the new technology
up and running with no disruption to clients.
There was already a detailed implementation
plan from previous installations at our facilities in
Stralfors colours
the customer
communications
of the future with
Canon
Stralfors
Commercial Printing
Company Stralfors Plc
Founded 1919
Location Dartford and Redruth, UK
Website
Services
http://www.stralfors.co.uk
Customer communications services
including digital colour printing and
enclosing, personalised cards and logistics
together with conventional lithographic
printing.
Case Study
“Most of our customers are now
utilising one-path production. The
capabilities of the ColorStream mean
that they’re now able to do more,
such as bringing in digital images
to support their dynamic messages.
It’s all about improving and making
more relevant the information they
give to customers.”
Products Océ ColorStream 3500

2. other countries, which was followed to the letter,
ensuring that things went smoothly.”
As a result, it took only three weeks from the time
that the investment was agreed until the new
machine was up and running. Plummer says:
“Because it was so quick to implement and test,
we were actually live before we thought we would
be, which enabled some of our customers to
move to that platform earlier.”
Soon after the installation, Canon delivered a
bespoke two-day training programme in colour
management, which has been delivered in
every country in which Stralfors has adopted
ColorStream technology. Plummer explains: “It
was designed for our sales team, enabling them
to understand how colour management works
so that they can be better informed when they
talk to customers and new business prospects.
It delivered results right away. Our sales team
can now talk in a more informed way about ink
coverage and the difference that can make to
costs, and they are also getting the pre-press
operational staff involved much earlier in the
process so that we can add value with the design
for the customer. Even better, the programme has
helped us bring in new work from an important
existing customer by telling them that they will get
a better response from materials printed as part of
the primary document.”
Delivering end-to-end customer
communications
Plummer adds that two major customer wins
have already resulted from implementing the
technology. “For both, the quality that they
were getting from their white paper solutions
providers wasn’t of a high enough standard. So
the combination of the technology being higher
quality works together with the lithographic and
pre-press skills and knowledge that our people
bring to using it, enhancing the quality of the
documents that we’re printing.”
Less than 12 months on from the installation of
the Océ ColorStream 3500, the device is running
at almost full capacity. Although the company still
uses its toner-based device for a few smaller jobs,
Plummer explains that it is now very much only a
back-up device. In fact, demand for work produced
using the ColorStream is so high that Stralfors has
opted for a speed upgrade that will increase its
capacity by taking the machine from 75 metres
per minutes up to a top speed of 127 metres per
minute.
According to Plummer the work the company runs
on the ColorStream is very mixed: “Most of our
customers are now utilising one-path production
instead of pre-printing forms on lithographic
presses and personalising with monochrome
digital print. The capabilities of the ColorStream
mean that they’re now able to do more, such
as bringing in digital images to support their
dynamic messages. It’s all about improving and
making more relevant the information they give
to customers, not just selling things, but actually
bringing in regulatory or account maintenance
information and making it more prominent.”
“Some customers are replacing the inserts that
they used to add to mailings with information that
has been printed in-line. So the insert has become
part of the print file and our customers are sending
more targeted, relevant information, which in turn
saves them money on both print and postage. In
the case of one utility company, being able to be
more dynamic with their content has actually also
helped reduce calls to their call centre, because
the bill design has been able to be changed to
reflect customer feedback.”
In addition to the speed upgrade on the
ColorStream, Stralfors has also invested in a
new Hunkeler DP6 dynamic perforator, which
will run in-line with the ColorStream. Plummer
explains that the reason for this investment is that
customers are now looking to Stralfors to print
coupons and vouchers in addition to payment
giros. “It’s also enabling us to design new formats
such as cross-fold applications where we can fold
an A3 sheet to A4 in-line with the ColorStream,”
he adds.
Overall, Stralfors’ investment in colour inkjet
continuous feed technology has not only enabled
the company to improve delivery of its white paper
solution, but it is also enabling the company to
win new business and expand its service offering.
“Our heritage was in lithographic printing and that
did serve a small printed mail business, but now,
by combining new technology with our existing
skillsets, we’re transitioning to a true customer
communications management service. Rather
than being a forms printer with a personalisation
unit, we’re now providing an end-to-end customer
communications management solution to our
customers. And that is where our future lies,”
concludes Plummer.
“By combining new technology with our existing skillsets, we’re transitioning to a
true customer communications management service. Rather than being a forms
printer with a personalisation unit, we’re now providing an end-to-end customer
communications management solution to our customers. And that is where our
future lies.”
Tony Plummer, UK Managing Director, Stralfors
Canon (UK) Ltd
Woodhatch
Reigate
Surrey
United Kingdom
RH2 8BF
Tel: +44 1737 220 000
Fax: +44 1737 220 022
www.canon.co.uk
Canon Europe Ltd
3The Square
Stockley Park
Uxbridge
Middlesex
United Kingdom
UB11 1ET
Tel: +44 208 588 8000
Fax: +44 208 588 8001
www.canon-europe.com
Canon Ireland
3006 Lake Drive
Citywest
Saggart
Co Dublin
Ireland
Tel: +353 1205 2400
Fax: +353 1205 2525
www.canon.ie