Sanoma Media Finland is one of the largest media companies in Finland, specializing in newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and events. The company operates at the intersection of tradition and innovation with a headquarter located in Helsinki, and it employs over 2,100 full-time staff.
Sanoma's Design Center composes and lays out 15 local publications, 2 regional publications, 3 national publications, and 4 magazines. In addition to these newspapers, Sanoma Media Finland has several additional magazines.
In the early 2020s, Sanoma set an ambitious goal to automate layout workflows in print, driven by the need to optimize operations and free up resources for digital storytelling. However, finding a solution that met their strict requirements for quality proved challenging.
The Challenge
Managing layouts for 20 newspapers and 4 magazines required precision and seamless interdepartmental collaboration. Designers at the design center produced approximately 2,300 pages weekly, leaving too little time for innovation and strategic projects like special editions or special cover designs. At the same time, rising printing and distribution costs were a concern in the organization.
“Automation is about precision, and every part of the process needed to align perfectly. It taught us to rethink our workflows from the ground up to create even more value from the new setup,”
Ari Kinnari
Head of Design Centre, Sanoma
When Sanoma searched for automation solutions, the products available on the market did not meet their expectations. Key challenges included the lack of flexibility to adapt to unique layout styles and templates, when needed as well as a high reliance on AI, which proved no guarantee on quality output.
The Solution
Realising that no current off-the-shelf solution could meet their needs, Sanoma entered a development partnership with Stibo DX in 2023, to help develop a Stibo DX CUE Print Automation solution that would address all Sanoma’s challenges and deliver automation to their standards. CUE Print Automation is the automation features in the CUE media enterprise platform for print publishing. The CUE platform covers online CMS, DAM, and Print with collaboration and AI features to cater for the diverse needs of a modern news organisation.
Before entering the partnership, Sanoma had already begun a process of standardising workflows, tags and baseline grids to ensure consistency across its publications, making a great difference in the company’s readiness for automation. Through collaboration with Stibo DX’s second development partner, Hearst Newspapers, Sanoma worked closely with Stibo DX to test, refine and customise the CUE Print Automation system over several months. This included adapting the solution, such as creating custom rules and new layer functionality, and rescoping some of their own design across newspapers for greater layout flexibility.
“Automation is about precision, and every part of the process needed to align perfectly. It taught us to rethink our workflows from the ground up to create even more value from the new setup,” said Ari Kinnari, Head of Design Centre at Sanoma Media Finland.
The first rollout of CUE Print Automation began with a pilot phase in June 2024, involving select local newspapers. After achieving successful results, the solution was fully implemented across all 15 local newspapers by the end of the year. Reflecting on the experience, Pasi Juhola, Automation Expert at the Sanoma Design Centre, noted that while employees were initially sceptical, they quickly came to appreciate how automation handled tedious tasks while still allowing designers control over the final product.
The Results
The implementation of CUE Print Automation has transformed Sanoma’s print layout processes drastically. Key outcomes include:
- The original automation goal of 40–60% has been successfully met — and in some cases, even exceeded 80%. This has led to substantial efficiency gains.
- Freed from repetitive layout tasks, designers can now focus on high-value creative work, such as designing front pages and special editions.
- Seamless management of multiple newspapers with reduced complexity, creating a strong print layout operation, ready to scale with the demand of newspapers in the future.
- Automating layout tasks allowing for more efficient use of resources, such as repurposing staff to focus on other areas of the business, including digital products.
- With automated layouts, consistency and accuracy are improved in standard layout practices.
The staff at the design centre has welcomed the automation possibilities, now that they are using it:
“The moment we implemented it, it was smooth,” said Pasi Juhola, Automation Expert at the Sanoma Design Centre. "Initially it was a mental hurdle for colleagues who have designed every single page of our printed products for more than 20 years, to suddenly engage with automation. However, users soon realized the benefits of the automation.”
Future steps
Sanoma’s automation ambitions don’t stop here. By the end of 2025, an additional two regional papers and three national papers will have been onboarded to CUE Print Automation. Additionally, testing is planned to adapt the solution for magazines.
“We’re only at the beginning of this automation process, but the pace will quicken as more products and users are brought into the scope,” said Ari Kinnari during CUE Days 2024. He emphasized that Sanoma is excited to be involved in the development and will continue contributing feedback to further improve the solution.
Sanoma Media Finland’s partnership with Stibo DX demonstrates how automation, when tailored and aligned with organisational needs, redefines efficiency in print production. CUE Print Automation has not only streamlined processes but also positioned Sanoma to focus on creative print and digital initiatives, setting the stage for a sustained competitive advantage.
Do you want to learn how CUE Print Automation can fuel your organisation’s print transformation? Book a demo with our team today and discover what’s possible with CUE Print Automation.
Executive summary
Sanoma Media Finland, the largest commercial media company in Finland, faced the challenge of automating complex print production workflows to improve efficiency and support digital growth. In collaboration with Stibo DX during the development process, Sanoma successfully implemented CUE Print Automation.
Sanoma Media Finland specializes in newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and events. Operating out of the iconic Sanomatalo building in Helsinki, Sanoma's Design Center, with the help of automation, produces three national newspapers, two regional papers, fifteen local papers, and four magazines. By the end of 2025, the Design Center will have onboarded 20 brands to print automation achieving great efficiency. The partnership represents a significant step towards Sanoma's long-term goals in print and digital media.
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