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There are many views of the future of work and most involve integrated and automated software solutions. One problem with this vision is that integrating disparate software solutions is challenging and ever-changing as new products come to market. Zaikio has a potential solution for this—at least for production printing. The company has defined a common language for suppliers, print service providers (PSPs), and software systems to communicate, as well as developed a cloud-based platform where these conversations can take place.
Keypoint Intelligence’s research has shown that most PSPs have invested in production software, but integration between systems is still rare. Zaikio could be the missing link that brings them together for truly automated workflows. This is a key reason why I believe Zaikio has a disruptive offering because a language and a forum where it is spoken are necessary for this concept to be adopted.
| Jobs Partially or Fully Automated by PSP Type |
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Zaikio has just recently embarked upon this journey, but it has already made significant progress. With its Zaikio Procurement App, the company seeks to streamline the printing supplies procurement process. The traditional method involves labor- and time-intensive phone calls and e-mails to confirm pricing and availability. The Zaikio approach allows PSPs to digitally connect with their suppliers and find up-to-the-minute answers with a simple click of a button via a Zaikio app or with the existing print MIS solution. This works due to the common language and cloud-based platform. Once a supplier integrates with Zaikio, they can connect with every PSP and print MIS solution that uses the solution. Likewise, as soon as a PSP links to the Zaikio platform, it can reach every supplier in the network. Zaikio Procurement is free to PSPs with minimal transactional charges to printing supplies vendors.
Zaikio is extending this “integrate once and connect to everyone” model to create a more comprehensive print shop management platform. Karl Ciz, Zaikio’s Head of Partnerships, describes it as follows: “The print shop management platform is an opportunity for us to address communication or connections between every stakeholder in the industry with apps that sit on the platform and provide the end-point service for each part of the process. We started with procurement but, over the course of this year, we will be developing almost a solutions matrix between every single process point of the average printshop.”
In this model, once a production workflow solution provider connects with the Zaikio print management platform, that solution is instantly available for PSPs to have their implementation communicate with any other software they own that’s connected to Zaikio. This model makes connecting to supplier systems simple, but it extends far beyond that. Every connected print MIS, e-commerce, web-to-print, or any other type of production workflow solution compatible with Zaikio can communicate with each other. Sure, PSPs still need to set up their storefronts and define their MIS workflows, but jobs, pricing, and additional information can flow between solutions without further integration.
This concept sounds game-changing to me. Software vendors only need to integrate their solutions once to Zaikio instead of to every other software vendor’s system on the market. PSPs don’t have to invest excessive time, resources, and money to integrate solutions. And this is paid for by the micro-transactions received from supplies vendors for every order in the case of Zaikio Procurement and pay-as-you-go subscriptions in other apps. It’s a win-win-win solution to the integration barrier that has held the printing industry back for decades.
Zaikio currently has supplies vendors on board in Germany, France, Spain, and the UK. The company is working to bring US printing supplies vendors into the fold. The company is also working with various production software vendors to bring their print management platform to life and expects significant announcements throughout the year regarding new partners and a capability they’re calling Mission Control. PSPs and suppliers interested in joining the Zaikio network can visit www.zaikio.com and sign up.
Listen to the following podcasts to hear my conversations about Zaikio’s platform and direction:
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