POLESTAR CHOOSES OFFSHORE REPRO PARTNER

Complementing its pre-press system development and strategy, the Polestar Group has chosen Express KCS as its offshore reprographics partner, utilising the company's India-based studios for reprographic services, including editing, highlighting and retouching images and pages, for its magazine, catalogue and commercial customers. Process control and speed of turnaround is enhanced by the use of the Group's new Internet-based digital workflow system, ISIS.

Polestar Applied Solutions is the innovation and technology business of the Polestar Group, which brings together software, print management and mailing solutions. It has been working alongside Express KCS to further enhance its ePublishing proposition. Category Director of Polestar Applied Solutions Tim Smith says: "Whilst we have our repro arrangements in place in the UK, the additional offshore support provided by Express KCS, coupled with our own customer-driven technology initiatives, will enable us to provide a second-to-none service in terms of quality, turnaround and efficiency, as well as value for money."

Before proceeding with the formal agreement, Polestar's Technical Director Jack Bisset carried out extensive trials to ensure all aspects of communication between the companies would be seamless and that the required levels of quality and service were met. The results were more than satisfactory, as he explains: "Express KCS not only has technical expertise in all graphic arts disciplines but it has a sound understanding of the demands of the UK market. Through a means of carefully designed test pages, we have established that the company can produce work of a quality that is appropriate when partnering Polestar and we look forward to working with them." .

With high-tech facilities in India and on-the-ground account managers, Express KCS supplies skilled premedia services to some of the world's most well-known brands and agencies. Established over 35 years ago, it has a history of using the latest technology within a quality-managed workflow and services clients such as Coca Cola, Benetton, and J Walter Thompson.

ENDS