Comments on: Data Processing Skills for VDP

By: Bryan Yeager

Bryan Yeager — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:57:58 +0000

Interesting discussion. One point I’d like to stress is that all VDP is not created equal. There are many different applications where VDP can be used that have nothing to do with creating one-to-one marketing pieces or other, more complex applications. Through some of InfoTrends’ research (specifically our e-Enablement study from 2008), we’ve found that one of the most popular solutions for creating variable data print pieces is EFI FreeForm, which can be found on Fiery DFEs. FreeForm uses the concept of merging a master (static) file with an overlay (variable) file to create pieces such as addressed documents, serialized documents, personalized letters, business cards, and many other types of jobs that require VDP for efficient production.

For many small printers, this solution and ones like it provide enough power to meet their needs. There are many other solutions on the market that meet the varying needs of service providers, from static master/variable overlay types of solutions to full object-oriented design and composition solutions. I would be remiss not to mention that we’ve published an Ultimate Guide that covers many of these VDP solutions on the market.

The more complex the projects get, the more capable a solution needs to be, and more advanced skills will be needed to execute these projects. I don’t necessarily disagree with what’s been said thus far, but it’s important to put it in perspective. Can VDP be a one-person job? Yes, depending on the application.

By: David Avery

David Avery — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:22:13 +0000

VDP – like all printing is not a one person job. It takes a team.
VDP requires
- a good marketing person to shape the message in its various forms.
- a good data / IT person to make sure the required data is available and in a form that can be used by the VDP engine
- a good designer that can create – aquire the proper graphic resources and base design to deliver the message
- a good VDP technition that can create the coding for the VDP engine based on all of the above (proofreading 1000 variations anyone?)
- a good accountant to ensure that the response is monitored and reported (You want to do another VDP project – why?)
- a good production system that ensures all records are produced and delivered with confidence (What do you mean some were destroyed in finishing?)
One person will not have the skills or time to do it all with any degree of quality. It take a team to create good VDP projects.

By: Nikaj Wiggers

Nikaj Wiggers — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 15:01:33 +0000

I think people are confusing IT and the need voor VDP. If VDP has an added value and the end user has needs for it, It will come from a demand. Forget all the tech talk and analytical stuff. If the content need is there IT people will come with the sollution. We have a sollution already selling it for over 6 years. People with only content knowledge work with it.
In a conventional way we would print 1000 different copies for each end user. Now we select data on the same criteria, but automate the production process.
The whole data analise part is already done only on a different base.
Maybe designers have trouble to really think object oriented with content blocks. But do the need to? I don’t think so. Let’s make things easier and don’t try to let people do thinks the are not good at.

So does VDP need technical skills or do we let people use VDP from there knowledge base and make the tools as easy so the don’t have to be technical at all.

By: Kevin Trye

Kevin Trye — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:23:46 +0000

I’m a bit of an IT geek and have a good analytical mind. VDP and even prepress is easy for me. But most design people I’ve known are wired differently (bless them), and using databases, troubleshooting workflows, files or formats doesn’t come easily. Like most things in life, different people for different tasks. Prepress technicians can sometimes master VDP, but only those who have a real interest in computers and technology – And usually it will be those who are comfortable using both Macs and Windows PCs.

By: Danny

Danny — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:30:53 +0000

I’ve been setting up VD jobs for about five years now. I know nothing about IT or programming, and we’ve been very successful. What’s all the fuss about?

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:47:20 +0000

I would have to disagree with Jeff. While you might know a few prepress people that are fluent in IT, that is not what defines a “good” prepress technician.

Our company does a sizable volume of VDP and I can tell you that I would not ever let my design people get involved in the data import, cleansing, management, etc. They are brilliant at tooling up a VDP template and sometimes can manage to write some logic into the document but that is it. My opinion is that you need an expert programmer and an expert VDP designer if you want to get anywhere with VDP. You can get by with “Swiss army knife” employees but you will not excel.

By: Jeff Lazerus

Jeff Lazerus — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:55:58 +0000

A good prepress technician is already halfway between a graphic artist and IT expert. Graphic design, business rules, and database activities do not need to be mutually exclusive. I would also contend that rather than hire an outside IT person to do database management and VDP programming, you retrain your existing staff of prepress people rather than looking at them as a cost that will never be recovered.