I'm just curious what people are doing with this information, if anything? It is a valuable tool to track productiivity on the press and I would like to see how specifically you may be using it..

Thanks for your input!

Dale Zahnke

Hello Dale, I'm new to all this so bear with me.

Regarding your point about the accounting log it is a very good question. Our site has extracted the "accounting log" file from the press itself. We then export the file into an excel format and then into a working database. From here we can extract any production numbers or fields that we feel are relevant. For example, it gives u precise print time numbers so you can get an exact number on the amount of billable print hours your shop is working at. The amount of downtime between batches. We can target how much volume and time is spent on various customers. Is the customer mix profitable based on the cost of press time? How much billable press time is spent proofing if you are using your iGen as your direct proofing device? How much time is spent between each proof?

These are just a few key questions that we've analyzed through the accounting log. As you can see it is a powerful tool with endless possibilities that people should be taking advantage of.

Just a side note, the accounting log is a cumulative file so if u want to let the records build weekly or even monthly that is a possibility. During our time study we were exporting the file on a daily basis to avoid losing any data because the system/iGen will purge the accounting log after a period of time, based on your machines setting.

Hope this helps

Paul

I am doing the same thing, but is so time consuming and would like to write a script or something that have extract out and organize the data for me automatically.. I would think that XEROX should have something that does this because is is great information to have when managing things..

Thanks Paul and Welcome..

Dale

Time consuming? Hmmm...that's never good

What we've setup is an Access Database which we import the log files into on a regular basis. The great thing about Access is that we've formed a number of reports so once the file is in the program Access does all the work for you. Organizing numbers, combiling totals, ya know... real time consuming tasks are done in a matter of seconds. This only takes about 5 minutes a day, from exporting the log file from the iGen and dumping it into Access. The rest of the nitty gritty work is done for u.

We assigned one of our IT guys this project and he build the database and a series of detailed reports that we requested in a matter of 2 to 3 days. The hard part is setting the database up. A couple of advantages to this....1. It costs next to nothing 2. It's all designed inhouse to meet our specs and 3. Xerox isn't involved. Which always helps my checkbook

Perhaps this will help you move in a direction to eliminate all the time consuming work.

Paul S.

The XSIS team I talked to a couple weeks ago told me some new products they were working on. They are the ones that got our company as "tester" for ACC In-Line Calibration.

One of things they are going to launch is something called XEAR (XEROX ENHANCED ACCOUNTING REPORTER). It will collect and prepare all the data the DocuSP stores. With the client software, you will be able to pull the data to your PC and apply field filters. You can add it to Access database and/or generate a text file ouput.

that sounds like something long over due. i hope you are not supposed to be under any sort of non-disclosure

cheers,
john

Well, the cat's out the bag if I was.