A typical approach to competitive comparisons
is to present a chart showing various capabilities of a product
and columns for competing products, with checkmarks to indicate
which products do and do not have each particular feature.
This can be useful, but often just showcases the vendor's
own solution and doesn't really help the person evaluating
know much about the other solutions on the market and to arrive
at valuable conclusions.
In contrast, we simply propose a number of questions
you should ask the vendor of products you are evaluating.
The implied answer to each question below is that Metrix is
capable or enabled to perform what the question asks. Some
questions have comments appended to provide more detail. Reading
the Metrix FAQ's will provide much more detail to many of
these topics.
General
Is the solution a simple, single interface,
or is it broken up into different programs that I must go
back and forth between?
How much of the solution can I realistically
figure out by myself?
- Metrix is extremely 'discoverable'; it's very easy
to understand what you're doing and at what stage in the
process you are. Most users need very little assistance
to become quickly proficient. Even casual users of Metrix
find it very easy to jump back in and be productive.
Can the solution report the efficiency of
the current layout I'm working with, based on percentage
of sheet usage?
Does the solution offer server-based licensing
or is it tied to a single dongle per licensed copy?
Can the solution provide feedback when press
or finishing equipment capabilities are being violated,
or when job production requirements are not met?
Does the solution offer the ability to 'undo'
steps I've performed?
- Metrix offers 20 levels of undo.
Is the solution localized for different languages?
- Metrix is available in English and German, with Spanish
and French soon to be released. Metrix has been designed
from the ground up to accommodate the latest technologies,
be scaleable, and localizable.
Flat Work
How many unique products can be combined
onto a single press sheet?
- Metrix can accommodate at a minimum up to 16, at a
maximum up to 160, depending on the edition.
Can the solution create layouts automatically,
based on the unique attributes of each item being planned?
Are there any pre-defined cutting styles
that limit my ability to place products on a sheet?
- Metrix is not limited to a finite number of ways to
position items on a layout.
Does the solution consider the quantities
of the various items being printed?
Can the solution consider the grain direction
of the printed product and press sheets?
Are bleeds considered and will the solution
allow them to be set on each side of the product independently?
Can the solution allow items to be nested,
or overlapped?
Will the system offer multiple layout scenarios
for automatic layout creation?
Assuming the system can automatically generate
gang layouts, is it able to group products together based
on user-defined priorities?
- Metrix offers up to 10 different user-defined grouping
categories per sheet, for example, to keep products that
will be laminated grouped together on the sheet.
Bound Work
Will the solution allow me to create my own
customized folding patterns, and number them for me automatically?
If I change a minor value like a face trim
will the solution automatically recalculate a new layout
or do I need to modify an existing layout, or make a new
one?
Can the solution consider the grain direction
of the printed product and press sheets?
Does the solution offer automatic layout
calculation or a system of stored, standardized layouts?
- Metrix has the best of both worlds.
Does the solution accommodate web printed
work?
- Metrix today does not have web specific abilities like
multiple ribbons/webs. Whereas Metrix might satisfy some
web printers we hesitate to promote Metrix today as a web
printer's solution.
Can the solution automatically shingle pages
to compensate for page creep based upon the thickness of
the different stocks in a job?
Input, Output, and Integration
Will the solution import JDF from my MIS
system?
- Metrix can accept JDF from many of the popular MIS
systems.
Can I automate the solution with hot-folder
based input?
Can the solution allow me to use a Microsoft
SQL Server database for storing projects and settings?
How much customization can I apply to the
printed diagram output?
- Metrix allows a significant level of customization
to the common fields people ask for, not just the thickness
of the lines or whether arrowheads are drawn on the lines.
Can I customize which sheet dimensions are
displayed and printed, and can I determine the position
of the dimensions?
Does the solution send JDF data directly
to the Prepress workflow or am I required to go through
an intermediary tool like a desktop imposition product?
- Metrix can export populated or unpopulated JDF which
can go straight into the workflow. Metrix makes desktop
imposition software an un-necessary and obsolete step in
the workflow.
Can the solution create fully imposed PDF
high-resolution output for previewing or for use in production?
Does the exported folding data contain the
dimensions of each fold, allowing for lip or lap variation?
Our shop uses an estimating system we built
ourselves. Can we easily connect this to the solution?
- It's theoretically possible for developers of a home-grown
solution to write a JDF export mechanism which could connect
to Metrix. The JDF specification however is not trivial
and some consider it impractical for the average printer
to use for home-grown integration. LithoTechnics has created
a much simpler XML-based specification for this very reason,
called Metrix XML, or MXML. The MXML spec is only 24 pages,
and is precisely targeted to what Metrix needs to know about
products or projects. This is entirely realistic to implement.
Cost
What does the solution cost? Does the cost
per license decrease as the number of licenses increases?
- Metrix is priced with an aggressive, very competitive
pricing model.
How much training is required and how much
does it cost?
- Most people find that a morning or afternoon of remote
training is sufficient if it is necessary at all. This is
available from LithoTechnics at a very reasonable cost.
Are there any additional startup fees or
training and if so how much does it cost?
- Typically, once initial training is completed there
are no additional startup efforts or costs.
What is the typical ramp up time? How long
until my operators are using the solution at capacity?
- Most users should find themselves using Metrix at capacity
easily within 2 weeks.
Does it cost extra to enable JDF imposition
export?
- Metrix Commercial, Ganging and Max editions all export
JDF imposition data at no additional cost.
Does it cost extra to enable CIP3 export
to my finishing equipment?
- Metrix Commercial, Ganging and Max editions all export
CIP3 finishing data at no additional cost.
Miscellaneous
Is the solution created and supported by
people passionate about creating a revolution in job planning
and pre-press?
- Give us a call or come meet us at a trade show and
you'll find out just how much ;-)
Real-World
Create a project with a unique trim size,
printed on a particular press, sheetwise, on a certain sheet
size.
Once the job is complete, alter the job to accommodate
a different sheet size. How long does that take?
Then alter the layout to accommodate a different press.
How long does that take?
Then ask to change the job from sheetwise to work &
turn. How long does that take?
- With Metrix, the initial job creation would be incredibly
fast, but perhaps more significantly these changes could
take as little as 2 or 3 seconds each, and when you're
done you've got the ability to undo your actions as far
back as 20 steps
