Introduction

Print on Demand (POD) is a printing technology within the standard publishing supply chain. IP1 has supported this level of use for many years by generating purchase orders to printing suppliers who utilize POD methods. The 2 methods that have been supported are:

• Order to Order: Each individual customer sales order generates its own purchase order to the printing supplier and the products are delivered directly to the customer by the printer.
• Purchase Planning: This method consolidates all the demand from the various customers for the different products and a purchase order is raised to the printer. The products are delivered to the publisher’s warehouse and sent to the customer by the publisher.

In both methods shipment invoice from the printer will be used to receive the stocks into the physical or drop ship warehouse, release the backorders, generate the customer sales invoice, and create a supplier invoice in the Accounts Payable system.
IP1 has now developed physical and digital supply chain within the IP1 system to enable publishers to combine their various supply chain models within the one operational enterprise process. The system has been enhanced to include additional methods of customer delivery for POD. One of these is distribution using in-house controlled POD and delivery:

• POD-PO products will be supplied utilising the existing order to order or the purchase planning process by raising a PO to the supplier.
• POD –direct products; with this method the products will be supplied and delivered directly by the POD printer without the need to raise a purchase order and receipting and dispatching in IP1. POD printer will be a component of the delivery chain. A set of rules decide which POD printer will deliver the POD-direct products. The rules can be defined via a combination of customer and product attributes.

Process flow

POD-PO products

POD –direct products

Business rules

The following business rules have to be set up for POD -PO and POD direct products.  These business rules must be setup with support from Iptor IP1 consultants. It is critical to understand the setting of control files and how it works. Control files must be setup correctly for the system to operate as intended. Any changes to the control files setup should be addressed cautiously and in consultation with Iptor IP1 consultants.

The following control files are additional control files for POD direct products only.

The following control files must be setup with Vendor rules for the POD printer.

Other setup

Procedure

Print on Demand – Purchase Order (POD-PO)

POD-PO products are supplied using the order to order or the purchase planning process by raising a purchase order to the supplier (POD printer).

Print on Demand – Direct

POD-Direct sales orders generate printing instructions to POD printer on order release and the products are delivered directly to the customer by the POD printer. There is no raising of purchase orders and receipting and dispatching of stock in IP1. POD printer will be a component of the delivery chain.