Episode 303 - Beyond the RIP: Anna Tobler on Software, Productivity and the New Era of AI Support

In this episode of the FuturePrint Podcast, Ed sits down with Anna Tobler, CEO of Ergosoft, ahead of her participation at the FuturePrint AI for Industrial Print Conference in Munich this January. Anna shares her journey from a career in IT and financial services to leading one of the print industry’s most respected software companies, known globally for its RIP technology across textile, décor, large format and industrial printing.

Anna outlines the shifting dynamics shaping today’s print environment – from shorter runs and rising quality expectations to increasing workflow complexity and the pressure on operators to “know everything.” With hardware becoming faster, more stable and more capable, she argues that workflow, automation and software intelligence are now the real differentiators. The conversation highlights how smart job preparation, bottleneck elimination and AI-enhanced decision-making can significantly boost productivity and reduce errors.

A major focus of the episode is Ergosoft’s development of Casey, the company’s AI agent designed to deliver instant, 24/7 multilingual support. Anna explains how Casey was trained on Ergosoft’s expert knowledge base and continuously evolves with every update, giving customers immediate access to guidance, troubleshooting and best practices. She also shares some of the surprising and amusing lessons learned while fine-tuning Casey’s behaviour – including the need to stop it from offering cooking recipes or praising competitors a little too enthusiastically.

Looking ahead, Anna discusses the accelerating pace of technological change, the growing importance of intuitive front-end experiences powered by complex back-end logic, and the challenge of using AI to empower rather than overwhelm users. It’s an insightful conversation full of practical perspective on the future of workflow, software and AI in print.

FuturePrint Events:

FuturePrint TECH: Industrial Print: 21-22 January '26, Munich, Germany