Product Reviews

What does the machine do?
The setup has two special made machines. One is the folder and another is gluer for pasting covers. The Z-card is the patented product and we are the sole distributors and manufacturers for ME region.

Why did you choose this particular machine?
The folding machine can do ten folds. This is a patented machine to produce Z-cards manufactured in UK. We were looking for some innovative products and Z-cards were looking for the manufacturing facility. We signed an agreement as partners in this project.

Did you look at other similar machines? And which ones?
There are no alternatives available for this particular concept. We are working with Z-card for last three years and we installed the machines since last one year. We used to out source the Z-cards from their setup in Turkey and South Africa. The minimum quantity requirement is 1,000 cards to be cost effective.

Which features do you particularly like?
Speed of the machine is very good so we get good turn around rate. Manufacturing cost of Z-Card with this machine is very economical, as it is fully automatic machine. The first finished piece is like last piece, so we get good consistency.

Is there anything you dislike or wish it had?
It is a very targeted and specialised machine developed for Z-card manufacturing. Is a perfect machine with optimum performance for us.

How fast is it?
The folding capacity is of 10,000 units and binding capacity of 8,000 units per hour.

How reliable is it?
The Z-Card machine is very reliable and sturdy, built for long operational hours. As yet we have not had any issue with the maintenance or operations.

What is the quality like and what kind of response have you had from your clients?
The quality of the finished Z-Card is excellent and client response is very positive and encouraging. We are working with clients across the sectors like - pharmaceutical companies, construction, government departments etc.

Would you say that it offers value for money?
Yes it is. We have invested above one million Dirhams in the Z-Card project and expect to have return of investment period of three years.

How was the installation?
The machine installation and commissioning was done by Specialists team from South Africa. On the job training was provided to our staff for theory, operations and maintenance by these experts.

How easy is it to use?
The basic operation is fairly easy to use but it requires specialised training. We also had our staff trained in South Africa.

How much time or money has it saved?
The installation has saved us a significant time as we used to out source the jobs to Turkey and South Africa.

Has it won you any new work?
The orders have dramatically increased after installing the machine, as we could quickly turn around the orders. As of now we are closely working with major clients for new orders. Many clients adapt the design as per their requirements.

Under what circumstances would you buy another?
We will upgrade the facilities as per the market growth.

What about the pre- and after-sale service?
It is a consumer product so it does not need any after sales service but all the clients who had ordered from us has given us the repeat orders.

Who do you think it is suitable for?
The Z-Card is a very innovative marketing tool that is very concise in size, has high retention value and good quality. There are various applications includes - tourist/ city guide, exhibition guide, event guide, new product launch, product information, services guide etc.

Conclusion

User's verdict
Speed 4/5
Quality 5/5
Reliability 5/5
Value for money 3/5
Ease of use 5/5

Supplier's Response
Spotting a gap in the marketing and communications market, the Z-CARD was developed and patented in the UK and Europe in 1992. The brand reaped immediate success due to its compact size, perceived value, quality and high ratio of information to size. The sales offices are present in 68 countries and 14 of these are production hubs. In total 1.5 billion cards have been produced.

Contact
Isra ME +971 6 539 7833, www.zcarduae.com