Bought New Equipment. Built the System to Run It.
Digital On Demand built their business printing on cylindrical objects like tumblers and wine glasses, one item at a time. When they added Flatbed UV inkjet equipment to move into flat goods and multi-position decoration, the production model changed entirely, and the platform running their operation had no way to handle it. PlushWire adapted it so the new equipment could run at full potential from day one.
linesFlat goods, new to the catalog
The Client
Digital On Demand is a US-based print-on-demand company specializing in custom decoration on drinkware and hard goods. Their clients are businesses that sell custom products to their own customers. Digital On Demand handles production and ships directly to end customers across more than 110 countries.
For the first four years of operation, all production ran on HELIX inkjet equipment: one item printed at a time, one artwork file per order. The decision to add Flatbed UV inkjet equipment was a step toward a broader product catalog, including ornaments, key chains, and acrylic statues, and toward a fundamentally different production model.
The Problem
New equipment on the floor. The platform had no idea what to do with it.
- xHELIX production is single-item: one order, one artwork file, one print. Flatbed works differently: multiple items print together in a single pass, and grouping them incorrectly wastes capacity and time
- xWithout automated batch scheduling, production staff would need to manually decide which orders to group for each Flatbed run, a slow and error-prone process at the volumes Digital On Demand handles
- xArtwork management was built for one file per product. The Flatbed, and the new multi-decoration capability it enabled, required multiple artwork files per item: different images for different positions on the same product
- xThe entire artwork pipeline assumed a single file: API order intake, file storage, file naming, routing to production equipment, and QA control all needed to be reworked
- xUntil the platform caught up, the new equipment would be underutilized, its potential locked behind manual workarounds
What We Built
A production platform that learned to think in batches and decoration positions.
The Flatbed introduced two capabilities the existing platform had no architecture for: batch production scheduling and multi-position artwork management. Both required changes across the full production chain, from how orders arrived through the API, to how files were stored and named, to how they reached the equipment and were verified in QA.
Flatbed production runs assembled by the system, not by the production team.
Batch assembly is the core of Flatbed operations. When a print run needs to be assembled, the system applies a set of rules to group orders automatically, matching what should print together based on product type, client requirements, size, and production constraints. Operators receive ready-made batches with the production documents already generated, instead of making those grouping decisions themselves.
- Automated batching that combines orders into optimized Flatbed print runs
- Production documents generated for each batch automatically, including barcodes and pick tickets
- Production queue adapted to handle Flatbed's batch model alongside HELIX's per-item workflow
- QA screen updated to support the Flatbed production flow and batch verification
Multiple artwork positions per product, tracked, routed, and verified through one order.
Before multi-decoration, every product had one artwork file. The Flatbed changed that: one product could carry different images on different surfaces, or combine a printed image with a laser-engraved element. Each position required its own file, correctly named and correctly routed to the right equipment in the right sequence.
- Support for multiple decoration positions per product
- The client API extended to receive multi-file orders from integrated clients
- File management reworked: each artwork file stored, named, and routed per decoration position
- File handoff to production equipment adapted for multi-file workflows per order
- QA control updated to verify each decoration position independently before shipment
Two production methods on one platform. No split operations.
HELIX and Flatbed coexist on the same platform. Orders route to the correct equipment based on product type. Each method has its own production queue, its own QA flow, and its own file handling. But inventory, shipping, billing, and client integrations are shared, so the production floor runs from one system, not two.
- One platform managing two distinct production workflows without splitting the operation
- Automatic routing: each order directed to the correct equipment based on product type
- Shared inventory, shipping, and billing regardless of which equipment fulfills the order
The Outcome
New equipment, fully operational. New product lines, fully supported by the platform.
linesFlat goods, new to the catalog
Within months of going live, the Flatbed was processing flat goods orders, and by peak season it was running at full capacity. Batch assembly happens automatically, and multi-decoration orders arrive through the standard API, move through the updated file pipeline, and reach the floor with every file in the right place.
Production staff now receive ready-made batches instead of grouping orders by hand. What used to require manual coordination at every step runs through the same platform that manages the rest of Digital On Demand's operation, so the team no longer has to think about which system handles what.
From the people who worked with us
PlushWire was a genuine technical partner during our time working together. From building out the inventory management system and adapting the Order Management System for new flatbed UV inkjet equipment, to preparing for peak season and launching our new location in Netherlands, they consistently delivered solutions that fit how our production actually works. They took the time to understand complex operational workflows and always proposed the most practical solution, not the most expensive one.
Adding new equipment or capabilities to your production operation?
New equipment changes your production model. The software that runs your operation needs to keep up. Book a free gap analysis. We will look at how your current platform handles the change and what needs to adapt before you go live.
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