App integration introduced for Keyline MIS

Keyline, the MIS developed by German-based Crispy Mountain, can now be integrated with other systems via apps available from Crispy Mountain’s dedicated Keyline AppStore.

With immediate effect the AppStore now includes apps to integrate Keyline with programs including Pipedrive, a customer relationship management (CRM) tool; Shipcloud, a unified interface for shipping service providers; Slack, which is used for internal and external communication; and Dropbox, for managing files.

Keyline is a software-as-a-service product, intended to cover the full print process from order taking and estimating through production and finishing to stock keeping, logistics and accounting.

The system’s open interfaces allow for communication with any kind of software, as well as printing, finishing and logistical machinery.

The system permanently sends ‘events’ such as when objects are created, changed or deleted. An app can pick up on these events to trigger processes and workflows. Event-driven process chains can be designed in this way and processes can be automated, the developer said.

Crispy Mountain managing director Christian Weyer said: “Keyline is a powerful yet lean management system that can communicate with other applications and machines through open interfaces.

“Up until now, such integrations had to be developed individually for each customer. This is now changing with the introduction of the Keyline AppStore.”

Additional apps for Keyline are currently in development, including apps to connect to various popular web-to-print platforms, while more will soon be made available to integrate the system with pre-press and finishing machinery.

Apps can be developed by both Crispy Mountain and third-party developers. Some apps will be free while others will require a monthly fee.

“Customers appreciate Keyline’s openness and flexibility,” said Crispy Mountain communications manager Stefan Horst.

“Traditional systems that have existed for a long time have code that has also existed for a long time, so their flexibility might be a bit limited.”

More than 100 printers across Europe are currently using Keyline, which is distributed in the UK and Irish markets by Resolve Business Management, on behalf of Cloud to Print, which finalised a deal to market the system in the UK earlier this year.