ApplicApplication: Warehouse Distribution Pick and Pack Label (Retail, VI Level:L3)

Workflow Documentation

Data Environment
(Describe the typical sources of data and format in this type of application.)
The data for this type of a statement would typically be generated from an application program in a line data format.

Supplemental Data
(File names and format and include any supplemental data that was used to produce the application.)
Lytrod took the liberty to create a typical transactional data file using the data sample provided as real customer line data file formats. The "Retail_Customer", "Retail_Transaction", and "Retail_Merchandise" databases were used to create a line data file with account activity added.

Web Integration
(If applicable, describe the process for enabling web-based data input into the application.)
Data can come from any source, including the web. Typically application software would process the data in print ready format in a billing statement such as this. It would be unlikely that this type of job be enabled from web-based data input.

Data Conditioning
(What, if anything, had to be done to make the data usable in your application?)
The sample data provided is in multiple databases. Lytrod took the liberty to create a typical transactional data file from the sample databases. This new data file is called customer_package_slip_data.txt.

Quark File Conditioning
(What if anything had to be done to the Quark file provided to make it usable in this application.)
When applicable, Quark static portions of the design were saved as an EPS and used as a background image. Some images were cropped external to Proform Designer.

Asset Library
(Describe the architecture and formats that the static and variable assets were stored in.)
VIPP Project folder or VIPP Project Container

Coding
(Describe the business logic and coding methods for enabling the composition and assembly of variable pages.)
The document design was created using Proform Designer's extensive drawing tools.

The data was extracted and integrated into the design from a line data file. Price extension, shipping, tax, total and other values were created using Proform Designer's formula builder. A number formation function allows the printing of raw numbers as monetary values.

Lytrod's Proform Designer creates VIPP code and resources and the document is ultimately composed and assembled at the VIPP enabled engine from the raw data.

RIP and Print Process
(Describe the production print stream and the composition, imposition, RIP and print process? Document all file names needed to load and run your application.)
The VIPP enabled engine does the composition, imposition, RIP and print process.

Provided is a VIPP Project Container, JOB14.VPC, the VPC file contains all of the files including a job submission file. The VPC can be launched using the VIPP Project Manager or on supported DFEs.

Since not all DFEs support Project Containers, a VIPP Project Folder, JOB14, is also provided. The project folder contains all files, including the data file, needed to run the application. Simply copy the JOB14 folder and its contents to the XGFC/Projects folder on the VIPP enabled engine.

The production print stream is the data file, in this case customer_package_slip_data.txt, which contains the VIPP job ticket and the line data as described above. In a production print environment, the data file would be sent to the VIPP enabled printer via LPR (this can be done via Lytrod's Proform Designer or via any standard LPR demon). For demonstration, you may simply open the project folder and "print" the data file: customer_package_slip_data.txt.

It is important to note that Lytrod supports VIPP image caching which dramatically improves job processing, as the variable images are ripped only once for the entire job.

Scalability
(How large a record set can your solution support? What are the productivity implications and/or caveats associated with scaling the run to larger thresholds?)
Unlimited. This is the advantage of the dynamic document construction method used by VIPP. The document is composed at the RIP in realtime, as the data is sent to the printer.

Turnaround Time
(Document the time for an end-to-end process from trigger event to delivery.)
3 hours depending on how the data file is presented. We created many formulas and transforms as you did not find any calculations in the raw data provided.

Overall Caveats and Considerations
(Anything that we need to know about this application such as workarounds, or special conditions e.g. limited number of data formats supported, etc.)
Since a VIPP workflow is being used, one must have a print ready file prepared. In most actual customer accounts, an application program would generate this print ready file from data sources.