Belt and Braces Secures Printing at Moorcroft

Integrated Document Solutions (IDS) has streamlined the printing operations of Manchester based debt collection company Moorcroft

By removing an Océ Prismaflow spooling system and replacing it with a dual SpoolQ configuration, Moorcroft's print operation has become more efficient and versatile, and now includes built in disaster recovery.

Moorcroft can ill afford to have its print operation fail. The company sends around 20,000 debt reminder letters each day before 11am, and any delay in sending out the mail has a direct impact on its revenues.

The previous system, sold to Moorcroft in 1998 by ICL, consisted of an ICL Trimetra VME mainframe in one building and a suite of Océ production printers located over a mile away in another. Jobs were sent overnight across a Kilostream link to an MS-DOS SpoolQ system that provided the connectivity. From here they were passed to another machine containing Prismaflow, and before being output, routed to a further machine operating FormScape document composition software.

"The installation was carried out without having any impact on Moorcroft’s daily production"

"The original print solution had too many moving parts," says financial director Andrew McRoberts. Operators would have to manage the print jobs across two different machines, which was complex and time consuming. Not only that, any new Prismaflow print queues that were required would need to be configured within UNIX.

In order to streamline the system, IDS worked closely with Moorcroft to create a more efficient and robust configuration, requiring less operator intervention and ensuring that printing continues even if the Kilostream link is out of action. Furthermore, the installation was carried out without having any impact on Moorcroft’s daily production.

IDS removed the two machines operating Prismaflow and SpoolQ DOS, and replaced them with a FunAsset TN Interface containing SpoolQ. This also had the benefit of allowing the FormScape software to neatly reside on the same machine – in total, cutting an original three machines down to just one.

"It’s now a lot more straight forward," says Moorcroft’s IT manager Susan Tarr. "There is now less for the operators to do. It also makes the jobs faster because we are going through the same machine."

In addition, an identical SpoolQ system was installed alongside the Trimetra mainframe, enabling operators to output to a choice of two systems. Not only does this provide an important back-up facility, it also allows VME reports to be printed at headquarters, where they are needed.

Rob Webb, the IDS consultant who carried out most of the work, says "The operators now have greater control over how the print jobs are run, and since SpoolQ keeps an archive of every job, it also means that selective reprinting can be done – even reprinting a single page if necessary."

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