DVLA

**Graphic Communications**
Government

Case Study | DVLA

The DVLA manages one of the largest corporate production print functions in the UK. When its existing solution reached end of life, following a public sector tender DVLA awarded a contract to Ricoh UK Limited to support processing and production in excess of 100 million documents a year.

Executive Summary

Name	DVLA
Location	Swansea, Wales
Size	6,000 staff
Activity	Central Government

Challenges

Support production of 100 million
print items a year
Maintain a fast, efficient service to customers
Replace old, end of life print equipment

Solution

Ricoh Graphic Communications

Benefits

Processing millions of documents including driving licences within 24 hours from receipt of print ready files
Better able to handle complex, multi-source data input
Streamlined processes leverage bulk
postal discounts
Improves the quality of print output
Helps to meet government-set SLAs
Supports strategy to outsource services
to other government departments

Case Study | DVLA

Challenges

When your new DVLA driving licence or Vehicle Registration document
arrives in the post, it has been processed and produced by one of
the UK’s largest data, print and mailing operations, producing over
100 million customer-facing documents a year.

The corporate production print operation is part of the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency), a Department of Transport agency that ensures the right drivers and vehicles are taxed and on the road simply, safely and efficiently. The DVLA maintains driver and vehicle registration and licensing and collects and enforces Vehicle Excise Duty (VED). It holds more than 50 million driver records, more than 40 million vehicle records and collects over
£7 billion a year in VED.

Although the DVLA is a digital-first organisation, with many services available online, there is still a need for hardcopy documents for permanent record and legal reasons. As result, the DVLA produces 100 million driving-related documents a year or 500,000 a day. The operation is managed by the DVLA’s Output Services Group (OSG) with 120 staff at two sites in and around Swansea. The items produced include paper and photocard driving licences, V5C vehicle registration certificates, tachograph cards and several associated documents like reminder letters.

Case Study | DVLA

The OSG, which produces 50,000 driving licences every day, also handles print work for other government agencies. This includes printing Residence Permit cards for the Home Office and certificates of professional competency for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency. During and since the Covid-19 pandemic, OSG printed vaccine letters for the NHS via Government Digital Services (GDS) print option.

The service that OSG runs is the only in-house, mass print and bulk mailing operation in the UK Government. But the production equipment that it used had reached end of life, was proving difficult to support and needed to be replaced. After putting out a public sector tender, the contract was awarded to Ricoh based on the quality of its production print equipment, software applications and value for money. The Ricoh presses were particularly good at handling the specialist stationery OSG uses which includes boxed, continuous-feed paper stock.

Case Study | DVLA

Ricoh is a strategic supplier for the DVLA because the production print solution it provides is vital to OSG operations by supporting delivery of millions of documents to customers. The Ricoh solution is essential to what we do and without it we could not satisfy the volume of work we have
or meet the SLAs set by the government departments we serve.

Jonathan Gordon,
OSG IT Development Manager, DVLA

Case Study | DVLA

Solution

The DVLA has deployed a Ricoh Graphic Communications solution
comprising four, continuous-feed, high-speed printers and two
digital inkjet colour presses.

The flagship of the solution is the Ricoh Pro VC60000 press which can produce over 120,000 A4 images per hour. It speeds up turnaround, maximises operational efficiency and improves cost control. It includes Ricoh Pro Scanner (RipSo) software, which checks every page automatically for colour consistency at high speed, across a million-plus page runs. RipSo also optimises routine tasks over time to ensure ongoing consistency.

The solution is controlled and managed by three key software applications. The Ricoh ProcessDirector workflow software is used for

high-volume shops and complex applications. It onboards new work easily, automates reprints, tracks every document with 100 percent integrity and creates reports for billing or compliance. Although the driving licence plastic cards are printed on specialist devices, the data engraved on the card is process via Ricoh ProcessDirector. The Ricoh Supervisor Print Shop Management Software, which includes a flexible and customisable dashboard, gathers and displays operational data from multiple sources to analyse and evaluate throughput and printer performance.

The quality of the print
and colour reproduction
is better and the devices themselves are cleaner
which means they require
less maintenance.

Jonathan Gordon,
OSG IT Development Manager, DVLA

Case Study | DVLA

Jonathan Gordon, OSG IT Development Manager at the DVLA, said, “Ricoh ProcessDirector is really the brains behind our operation and is ideal for the type and volume of work we do at the DVLA. Its flexibility means we can create different applications, manage the large volume and complexity of data we receive and process transactions quickly. It tracks print jobs through the different print and processing devices, so we know where every mail item is at any point in the system.”

Gordon added, “With Ricoh ProcessDirector we can create our own workflows and job paths depending on type of data and document. That is very helpful because we can make changes ourselves, when file type changes for instance, without having to rely on specialists.”

Case Study | DVLA

In addition to the main production print solution, Ricoh also developed a stock control application for the DVLA to manage in bound items such as 90,000 driving licence cards coming in each day. As well as recording stock, the application helps the DVLA schedule card stock depending on the next job or print run.

As well as the main work of the DVLA, the Ricoh solution includes additional Ricoh digital printers that support the organisation’s graphical print department and document design team. It produces a range of additional items such as information leaflets included in new licence mailouts, magazine-style documents and posters.

Ricoh installed the production print solution at the DVLA and provides ongoing support and maintenance. “Ricoh is proactive, responsive and willing to help especially when there are problems,” said Gareth Graham, OSG Manager for Change, Compliance, Card & Contracts at the DVLA.

With Ricoh ProcessDirector we can create our own workflows and job paths depending on type of data and document. That is very helpful because we can make changes ourselves, when file type changes for instance, without having to rely on specialists.

Jonathan Gordon,
OSG IT Development Manager, DVLA

Case Study | DVLA

“The quality of the print and colour reproduction is improved and the devices themselves are cleaner which means they require less maintenance,” said Graham.

Because of technology such as Ricoh ProcessDirector, the DVLA is better able to streamline workflow processes and take advantage of Royal Mail bulk mailing discounts. The print process gathers data from various sources and databases within the DVLA and amalgamates it into a printable format. A new

licence, for example, needs different data types, such as updates to name and address or changes to vehicles the individual is permitted to drive, which is combined and printed onto a single licence document.

Ricoh ProcessDirector is able to handle high volumes of data and different types of transactions. It streamlines and automates data management processes and helps OSG identify where multiple documents to a recipient can be combined in a single envelope which helps reduce postage costs.

Case Study | DVLA

Another benefit of Ricoh ProcessDirector is having an auditable track record of what has been process, printed and mailed. “It is important for us to have full reconciliation of work. It means that we can say with a high degree of confidence that a transaction, licence document and card was processed, enveloped and sent to the customer successfully,” said Graham.

Management information and the ability to track and monitor transactions is important because it measures and supports performance and auditing. In the event of problems, it provides a detailed record to spot faults and make improvements. Management information from the Ricoh solution also supports compliance and certification to international standards such as ISO 27001 and ISO 9001.

The Ricoh solution is helping the DVLA with its long-term strategy to become a production print resource for other government departments and organisations. For one department, volume of print items has gone from 139,000 a year to 13 million and that is anticipated to increase 30% each year.

Ricoh Solution/Products

Ricoh Pro VC60000 production presses

Production Printers

Ricoh digital colour printers

Ricoh ProcessDirector workflow software

Ricoh Supervisor

Ricoh ProcessDirector is really the brains behind our operation and is ideal for the type and volume of work we do at the DVLA. Its flexibility means we can create different applications, manage the large volume and complexity of data we receive and process transactions quickly. It tracks print jobs through the different print and processing devices, so we know where every mail item is at any point in the system.

Jonathan Gordon,
OSG IT Development Manager, DVLA

Case Study | DVLA

Benefits

As well as improving the quality of output and being cleaner and requiring less maintenance, the Ricoh production presses can handle complex and variable data input faster and more efficiently.

The solution helps the DVLA process work faster and contributes to meet SLA targets set by the Secretary of State. For example, the OSG has a 24-hour window from receipt of data to mail out to the customer. But typically, the DVLA is producing and mailing documents within 12 hours.

“Ricoh is a strategic supplier for the DVLA because the production print solution it provides is vital to OSG operations by supporting delivery of millions of documents to customers. The Ricoh solution is essential to what we do and without it we could not satisfy the volume of work we have or meet the SLAs set by the government departments we serve,” said Graham.

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