Print Pilots makes it simple, quick, and easy to order complex printed matters, even for users without knowledge of the printing discipline.

 

What problem are we solving?

Traditional magazine publishing is challenged by a declining market, and print media publishers and heat-set web printers continuously seek smarter and more cost-effective operating models.

Magazine print ordering is manual, time-consuming and inefficient, and many processes are managed in legacy systems or by Excel and e-mail ping pong. No digital business model has been applied to how print magazine customers order the printing and fullfillment of magazines.

The self-service print management platform from Story House Egmont connects print magazine publishers and printers, and the highly automated workflow enables a new and more efficient way of operating.

The concept
The foundation of the print management platform is a scalable and automated back end with built-in print industry rules for the many ways a magazine can be configured. The front end is an easy-to-use UI designed for the average print customer who is not a printing expert.

The magazine’s complete configuration, pricing, and ordering are done in the front end. The users are guided by rules and can easily manage page numbers, cover and inside papers, binding types, print runs, magazine/language variants, foils, packaging, and transportation.

A unique rule-based Product Configurator also guides the user to where and how printed inserts can be placed in a magazine. Print, paper, binding, and transport prices are updated on the fly, and a scheduling tool helps ensure that all tasks are done according to the production plan. 

The technical stuff
The platform runs in a modern MS Azure environment, and we have a domain-driven approach.
Our tech stack comprises Angular 17, .Net 8, GraphQL, CosmosDB, Azure B2C, Terraform, and xUnit.

Self-service, what to expect?

 

When entering Print Pilots, publishers can view all issues, job specifications, prices, and deadlines.

Publishers are responsible for updating job specifications, but only changes within the supplier's production and paper capacity are possible.

Intelligent configuration and instant pricing

The system has built-in rules for how a magazine can be configured.

Hence, the system will guide you to what page number you can order or where a creative gimmick can be inserted into the magazine.

Users can only make the right decisions, and prices are instantly updated.

Deadlines

Print pilots will inform you about the deadlines you have to keep in order to make the print order ready in time.

The deadlines are based on production plans for each individual title.