Toppan Forms opens new data printing factory

Toppan Forms (Colombo) Ltd recently opened its new state-of-the-art Rs.200 million factory in Alubomulla, Panadura. Toppan Forms has been carrying out data printing services for most of the major firms in Sri Lanka since 2001 and are the printers of most of the bank statements, telephone and TV bills that the public receives. The local branch is a subsidiary of E-WIS Sri Lanka and is an extension of Toppan Forms Japan.

“Our clients outsource their data printing management to us,” explained Dananjayan Wellasiri, IS Manager of Toppan. The forms are printed in the standard format required by the firms and then the individual data of the recipients of the documents are printed into them. “We get the data from the companies through a secure line,” he said, adding that stringent security measures are taken to protect the confidentiality of the information. The individual bills are separated and then sorted according to the area they are to be delivered to - i.e. Colombo 1, Colombo 2, etc.

“We used to add any promotional material they sent us but now we can print the brochures that they want added as well,” he said. The bills are sealed and enveloped as part of the process. The complicated equipment needed for the operation is imported from Japan and Singapore with the technological knowhow of the Japanese and Singaporean counterparts.

As an added service, Toppan is also offering door-to-door delivery service of the bills and statement through their local courier division. Wellasiri said that Toppan is planning on attaching Tracking ID’s that track the course of the delivery to the documents, to ensure these get to their destination.

Toppan also carries out security printing in the forms of customized and personalized cheques for local banks as well as a number of local branches of international banks.

Data printing is one of the best-kept secrets of the corporate sector, and according to the Toppan officials when they first came into the business, firms were impressed enough to involve them. “Cost-wise it’s a benefit for them. They save on labour and printing as well as time,” explained Wellasiri.

The company has been enjoying a steady 40 percent growth over the past few years and the move to Panadura from their earlier operation in Rajagiriya has allowed them much-needed expansion capacity, according to R.M.Christostom, Group Finance Director. The move is in line with the “Gamata Karmantha” venture by the Ministry of Industrial Development. The venture is trying to increase the location of factories outward from the Colombo and Gampaha districts. Asked about their competition, Christostom said that they had an almost 100 percent market share in data printing but about 40-60 percent in security printing.

Minister of Industrial Development Kumara Welgama who was present at the launch emphasized on the importance of maintaining relations with foreign counterparts. “We say these (foreign) investors are coming in but that is not the case, so we have to value the investors who are already here,” he said.