Southern Lithoplate Technical Solutions program serves up better outcomes

Gary Blakeley

Even the best technology can't guarantee future success without attention to service. These days, customers have increasingly sophisticated service needs. The need to keep systems up and running still exists; however, equipment reliability isn't customers' main service need anymore.

The traditional service model has evolved beyond identifying mechanical problems, adjusting hardware and replacing parts. What that means is modern service organizations like Southern Lithoplate support customers as high-level, trusted partners.

Customers will always seek the places in the market where they will derive the greatest value. Southern Lithoplate's Technical Solutions initiative is different in almost every way that counts. Southern Lithoplate works with customers to solve their highest-value mechanical and lithographic problems, enabling dramatically better results from prepress through postpress.

A trusted partner for digital plate systems, Southern Lithoplate takes pride in a nationwide, expert service and support organization focused on consumables, hardware, software and more. Southern Lithoplate's talent and dedication are unmatched by any plate company in North America.

Southern Lithoplate Technical Solutions expand an already far-reaching network of service providers to deliver the tools, people and whatever other resources are required given a customer's specific situation. This advanced service model integrates state-of-the-art technologies, broad support staff expertise and an extraordinary level of collaboration with the customer. The connection to customers is closer than ever.

The benefits of coordinated technical and machine-based services make it possible for newspaper publishers, coldset web printers and high-quality commercial sheetfed shops to operate efficiently at all times. The job is never done because we constantly strive for improvements in what we offer.

How does Southern Lithoplate actually deliver on the promise?

For starters, being competitive on cost and quality is an absolute prerequisite. Our customers have choices.

There are many things we can do to help customers fine-tune their processes for optimum performance. To ensure maximum productivity, top quality and efficient production, the scope of Southern Lithoplate's service has continued to keep pace with customer needs. Integrated support extends from pre-site and installation to preventive maintenance and ongoing service and repair.

We provide software service, lithographic breakdown service, mechanical breakdown service and internal relocations. Along with the Strategic Alliance Partners, Southern Lithoplate offers ink saving programs, color management solutions and pressroom fingerprinting.

Round-the-clock availability remains the cornerstone of Southern Lithoplate Technical Solutions. Whether customers are looking for mailroom or pressroom support, Southern Lithoplate's one-phone-call approach assures customers of instant access to a Certified Technician. Teams of Certified Technicians also are located around the country, ready to help strengthen and expand customers' performance and competitiveness.

"Southern Lithoplate is able to put itself in the customer's shoes," observes Kevin Berrier, prepress manager of the Carroll County Times in Westminster, Md., part of the Landmark Community Newspapers chain. "We take very good care of our prepress equipment, but it is showing its age and things are starting to wear out. Four days before the Southern Litho technician was scheduled to service our plate processors and ovens as part of the preventive maintenance program, the motor on our oven broke down. We had the insides of the machine disassembled and the necessary parts ready to install. With his technical expertise and knowledge, the technician expedited the repair. It only took 15 minutes to get the oven back up and running once he jumped in.

"He also offered insightful and economical ideas on how to correct some issues we had been experiencing with our aging processors. He is great at sharing information with the prepress techs who maintain the machines. The procedures he recommended already have yielded production dividends."

Southern Lithoplate's ties to our customers are solid because we enjoy helping people.

"We learn something new about the best ways to maintain our ECRM MAKO NEWSmatic CtP device and Glunz & Jensen Raptor 68 plate processor every time our Southern Lithoplate service technician visits," says Catherine Moore, publisher of the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, a property in the Ogden Newspapers group that serves the Saranac Lake region of New York. "He is knowledgeable and personable. You can tell that he cares about his job. He is good at identifying and solving problems rather than placing blame. He explains what he did and what to look for after he finishes with the preventive maintenance to help make our lives easier."

Our attitude is that Southern Lithoplate exists solely to facilitate customer success with proven revenue generation and cost reduction solutions. As the complexity of printing operations increases, Southern Lithoplate evolves with our customers. We always will be a trustworthy and capable partner dedicated to helping customers solve difficult production challenges.

Gary Blakeley is director of Global Service and Technical Support at Southern Lithoplate. He can be reached at 800-638-7990 extension 2261 or GBlakeley@slp.com.

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