Laborious document printing
Until recently, Dexia BIL was printing a variety of documents on different sizes and types of paper. Account statements were produced in DL format, meaning that after printing on A4 paper, pages then had to be cut into three. Portfolio statements were output onto preprinted landscape paper. And all other documents like letters and mailings were produced on pre-printed A4 sheets. The range and complexity of these printing processes not only consumed huge stocks of paper; they also wasted large amounts of time.

 

Wasted hardware capacity
Dexia’s printers at the time produced 5,000 pages per hour. But the bank had just invested in new enveloping machines, which could output up to 12,500 units an hour. Using single-sided paper with the existing printers, the enveloping machines were producing 3,500 envelopes an hour at most. Added to this, one saw new business opportunities with the use of Océ CustomTone® spot colour. As a result, the organisation was not getting full value from its document hardware.

New developments force changes in documents
Then a number of developments at the bank forced it to rethink the way documents were being produced. Romain Reinhard, Assistant Vice President of IT explains: “We decided to print everything onto standard A4 format. This meant we didn’t have to get through the cutting process anymore.” The second big development was a change of logo when Banque Internationale à Luxembourg merged with the Dexia Group. “A new logo meant a new corporate colour and exploiting this to improve brand recognition and trust.”

Working with the document professionals
To develop a new document system that could cope with these changes, Dexia BIL turned to Océ. The bank already had a long-term relationship with the company and was very satisfied. Dexia’s original plan was to upgrade to faster printers, but Océ suggested installing brand new Océ VarioStream® systems even though these had not yet been officially released. “We were aware that we would have some teething troubles”, admits Reinhard, “but we were pretty sure that Océ would address these in a very professional manner. And that is exactly what happened.”

 

Versatile system saves time and money
The bank now has a system consisting of two chains, each with twin Océ VarioStream 7300 printers connected to an enveloping machine. The first printer in a chain prints the document’s core information in black. The second printer uses Océ CustomTone to add targeted marketing information and the Dexia logo in the bank’s exact corporate colour. This system allows the organisation to print on a single paper format without having to chop and change between different pre-printed papers. And because either chain can be connected to any of the enveloping machines, production continues even if there is a breakdown.

 

Océ CustomTone: the vehicle to the corporate image
For years, Dexia BIL has been aware that documents are a key front-line communicator. The bank now uses Océ CustomTone for the visibility, recognition and consistency of the blue corporate logo—and at the same time strengthens the readability of written material. With added colour Dexia BIL can, for example, generate really attractive communication targeted at the younger generation that will be the loyal customers of tomorrow.

 

The main advantage of the new system is that Dexia BIL utilises its printing hardware to full capacity. “The benefit we have achieved with our new printers is productivity”, says Reinhard. “We’ve cut production time in half, meaning we have gone from 5,000 pages an hour to 12,500 an hour.” The new document system is so productive that the bank is looking at centralising even more of its print output. By working with Océ, Dexia BIL makes document production even faster and more cost effective.