Would appreciate advice regarding InDesign for this publishing task.

[qu1ncy]

Hello,

I’m a fellow TekTips member and pleased to find an Adobe InDesign user forum in the same environment. I’ve been asked to evaluate this software to see if it might assist our client department for their particular task. I hope you might advise based on your experience.

Our client dept produces a 2000–2500 page report quarterly which is a compilation of photocopied articles from medical journals, abstracts, various studies, emails and letters. They currently compile this info in a specific order in their physical “master copy” of the report.
Using a high-speed duplicator they then make 15 copies of their master copy, inserting the material in the same order as their master, into 3 (3-ring) binders for each copy. Yes… 45 binders! Every report will also be tabbed, pertinent text will be highlighted. This last task takes better than a week.

The 15 copies (3X 3-ring binders each copy) of the report are distributed to respective area directors 1 week before the end-of-quarter meeting. The directors review the report and are all required to bring their report to the meeting. The report contains proprietary summary information, which is discussed & decided upon. At the conclusion of the meeting, all binders are shredded!

We have been asked to change the report generation portion of the above scenario.

Our clients prefer having hard copies of the report for the directors to view. We are aware there are more efficient ways (digital) to present this material and save quite a few trees. But our primary goal here is to shorten the report “production” time. At present, we have proposed high-speed scanning the master copy, creating an electronic version of the 2000–2500 page report. We could then print the file 15 times on a high-speed printer on pre-hole- punched paper. They would only have to load the binders, tab & highlight each report.

My Questions:
Is there software available that can manage the above task and allow the end-user to sort documents (digital images) as desired, highlight text, import email, print.
Would InDesign work for this?

Very grateful for your input & advice. My thanks in advance,

Q

 

[scr1bbler]

From my experience, I don't think InDesign is the best choice for this sort of task.

I've had some experience with the Xerox Docutech system, and their Digipath software, and from what you've written here, I think that may be your better bet.

Do you have a Docutech/Digipath system on-site?

 

[Eggles]

I don't think ID is the right program for this either. I'm not quite sure what role you expect ID to take, since the pages are generated from photocopies, scans and emails.

 

[qu1ncy]

Thank you both for your responses.

ID was suggested to us by a contact we have at the local newspaper. Quite frankly, we have no idea how they use ID other than reading generic usage descriptions we can find when Googling ID. We're relying on third party expertise to advise us. We simply described the current process and asked if, based on their experience, they could suggest a solution.

We've also had Adobe Acrobat Pro and Xerox's Digipath thrown out as suggested solutions from other sources.

Many thanks again for your input. You have assisted us in trimming the list of software to evaluate and saved us some time.

Q

 

[qu1ncy]

Thank you Scr1bbler.

The Xerox Docutech system is the high-speed printer available to us. Elixir is the software.

Our client want this solution to be their exclusive domain. In other words - their staff, their hardware within their department only. Having the print job be directed to the corporate high-speed printer is still not in the bag yet.

Thanks,
Q

 

[Eggles]

Just to clarify why ID is not the right program: ID is for page layout i.e. assembling text and graphics on a page such as you would see in a magazine or an advertisement.