58 email: editor@printmonthly.co.uk Issue 363 - November | December 2026 WORKFLOW SOFTWARE | DAVID OSGAR AI and coding tools can make it easier to develop solutions quickly, but printers need to be careful not to create increased technical legacy that nobody fully understands or can support Research from the Deloitte 2026 Global Technology Leadership Study found that more than 80% of senior IT executives are confident in their organisations ability to deploy and govern AI at scale, yet 75% believe their operating models and process must change in the next 12 to 18 months to drive and sustain business value Factoid press controllers can guide operators through calibration and paper checks, using simple choices about the output to help the device configure itself. That means businesses are less reliant on an individual operator’s accumulated experience to achieve the required colour and print quality.” Wheeler says that the core challenges in production print have not changed, however the need to automate around a growing skills deficit is changing the needs of businesses. “AI and coding tools can make it easier to develop solutions quickly, but printers need to be careful not to create increased technical legacy that nobody fully understands or can support. “There is a build-versus-buy decision. If something is highly specific to a business, building may make sense; but for established areas such as press orchestration, batching, document composition, and workflow feedback, there is a lot of accumulated expertise available in proven products. Printers should also consider support, security, governance, integration capability, and the cost of maintaining a bespoke solution. Finally, they need to be realistic about legacy systems and consider a phased approach – solving a defined problem first and evolving over time, rather than assuming everything can be replaced at once. “ Analysing the Data Finally, we speak to another provider of business solutions, hardware, and software – Xerox, which recently discussed a series of new solutions at The Print Show UK and PRINTING United in the US. Speaking about its workflow offering, Mike Holyoake, who heads up production systems marketing at Xerox UK and Ireland, explains: “Xerox production workflow solutions are built around tools such as FreeFlow Core, Vision Connect, and XMPie and can help you automate the repetitive prepress, makeready, and job-routing tasks that slow your print production down, increase your cost base, and eat into your margins. “With intelligent, rules-based automation, you can inspect and correct jobs in seconds, optimise PDFs for faster RIP and press performance, and automate imposition so you manage waste media and finish more work per shift. The modular design means you start with only the components you need and add more as your requirements and confidence to automate grow, so the system scales with your business rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all investment.” When it comes to the problems Xerox is trying to solve, Hollyoake says that physical and digital information often sit disconnected and invisible to the systems that need it. Xerox Workflow was made to add structure and connect information to better serve a business. Holyoake says: “An example would be within an organisation’s IT team who cite cost controls, hybrid workplace security, and the overheads related to maintaining on-premises print servers as some of their biggest challenges. Xerox addresses these issues with encrypted cloud hosting, flexible authentication, quota and rules based billing, and centralised fleet control. With Xerox Vision Connect it uses the cloud and AI-driven predictive analytics to give you real-time visibility into fleet performance from anywhere allowing operators more time on alternative tasks. FreeFlow Core takes manual prepress, makeready, and job routing tasks and turns them into touchless workflows using intelligent, rules-based automation.” As we move into 2027, it’s hard not to think of where we will be in regard to software and workflow management. “Probably one of the biggest workflow challenges a printer needs to overcome is in creating closed loop visibility where finishing systems feed performance data back into your workflow,” notes Holyoake. “Very few currently have that ability, meaning they can’t see what’s happening past the production process. “Data suggests as little as 14% of PSPs have closed loop visibility. This makes it important when adopting a workflow solution that it can scale beyond prepress and print and follow the entire journey of the job. Interestingly, 2026 research has shown that 80% of business leaders are confident they can deploy AI at scale, however 75% believe their operating models and business processes require major changes before AI delivers value to the business. Therefore, investing in workflow tools isn’t the issue, the manner in which the work gets completed is the challenge. Those who have adopted intelligent operational workflows will see a competitive advantage in 2027 vs those later in the investment cycle or indeed those who continue with their current business practices.” On the note of AI adoption, it feels fitting to end on a point from Whiteley of Flex4: “Automation doesn't necessarily mean removing people from the process. It's about making better use of their time and ensuring skilled staff aren't spending hours on repetitive administration that could be completed automatically. The key is to look beyond the technology itself and focus on the business outcome such as fewer manual touchpoints, more efficient order processing, and more time to concentrate on production, customer service, and growth.” ▼Xerox workflow solutions include FreeFlow Core which automates production workflow
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