How PLOS Optimized Image Management to Streamline Workflow and Accelerate Speed to Market
The Public Library of Science (PLOS) stands as a giant, managing a vast array of content across multiple disciplines. As one of the largest and most respected publishers in the field, the efficiency of PLOS’ production processes is critical to its success. However, maintaining high editorial standards while processing a high volume of articles presented a significant challenge. This case study explores how PLOS, in collaboration with Apex Content & Media Solutions, overcame a major bottleneck in its workflow-image correction-resulting in enhanced speed, and reduced costs.
The Challenge: Navigating the Image Correction Bottleneck
A Critical Pain Point: PLOS publishes over 2,500 articles each month, spanning seven different journals. The content is rich with illustrations, graphs, charts, and other visual elements that are vital for conveying complex scientific information. However, this is where PLOS encountered a significant challenge:
- Inconsistent Image Submissions: Authors frequently submitted images that did not meet PLOS’ stringent publication standards. This discrepancy often required the images to be sent back to authors for corrections or to be manually adjusted by the PLOS production team.
- Workflow Interruptions: These image-related issues caused substantial delays, halting the production process and slowing the time to market.
- Increased Costs and Decreased Morale: The need for repeated corrections not only drove up production costs but also frustrated both the production staff and the authors, impacting overall morale and efficiency.
Operational Challenges: The challenge of image correction became a major bottleneck, affecting PLOS’ ability to maintain its competitive edge in the fast-paced world of scientific publishing. The need for a streamlined, efficient solution was urgent.
The Solution: Apex’s Innovative PACE Technology
The answer came in the form of PACE (Picture Analysis and Conversion Engine), Apex’s unique, cloud-based tool designed to address the specific needs of image correction in scientific publishing.
Revolutionizing the Workflow with PACE
Apex introduced PACE, a powerful tool that transformed the way PLOS handled image submissions:
- Pre-Submission Image Correction: PACE was integrated into PLOS’ workflow, allowing authors to correct their images before submission. This ensured that the images met all necessary specifications without requiring intervention from the production team.
- User-Friendly Interface: Designed with simplicity in mind, PACE was accessible to all authors, regardless of their technical expertise. This user-friendly approach made it easy for authors to adjust their images to meet PLOS’ rigorous standards.
- Seamless Integration: PACE’s cloud-based platform was easily adapted into PLOS’ existing systems, requiring minimal disruption during implementation.
Wide-Ranging Benefits
The implementation of PACE brought about immediate and significant improvements:
- Enhanced Editorial Quality: By ensuring that all images met PLOS’ strict guidelines before they entered the production pipeline, PACE helped maintain the high editorial standards for which PLOS is known.
- Accelerated Speed to Market: With image correction issues resolved at the submission stage, the overall production time was drastically reduced, enabling faster publication of articles.
- Cost Reductions: The elimination of manual image corrections reduced the workload on PLOS’ production team, leading to lower operational costs.
Key Results: Transformative Impact on Production Efficiency
The deployment of PACE yielded impressive results that revolutionized PLOS’ production process:
- Significant Reduction in Image Issues: Within a month of implementation, PLOS experienced a 75% reduction in image-related issues. Many ongoing problems stemmed from authors who had not yet adopted PACE.
- Drastic Reduction in Production Time: The production process, which previously took two to three weeks, was shortened to just five days or less, thanks to the efficiency introduced by PACE and other workflow adjustments.
- Widespread Adoption: Over 50,000 authors have embraced PACE, with new users adopting the tool daily, reflecting its effectiveness and ease of use.
- High Author Satisfaction: The feedback from authors has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the tool for its simplicity and the smooth publishing experience it enables.
The reduction in image-related issues, faster time to market, and cost savings have solidified PLOS’ position as a leader in the open access publishing industry.
