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Island in a stream

English translation: FYI

10:19 Mar 18, 2004
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Printing & Publishing
English term or phrase: Island in a stream
Can someone pls explain the meaning of this phrase, in its more generic use?

I find in this context (article on printing technology):
----
JDF bridges the gap between Management Information Systems (MIS) and printroom process automation systems. MIS, _the outstanding ‘island-in-a-stream’ from the workflow standpoint_, is in charge of planning, scheduling and managing the print job. Now JDF provides an XML-based link from MIS to printroom production systems.
----
From the context and my understanding of the topic, I think this should mean "_the remaining obstacle from the workflow point of view_" but it doesn't quite read like that (at least to my ears).
Can someone pls confirm? (English text _may_ be a translation, from Japanese)
Many thanks,
Roberta
Roberta Anderson
Italy
Local time: 08:11
Selected answer:FYI
Explanation:
If you go to the following address, you will find, among other things, the following definition

http://www.cip4.org/overview/overview.html


No technological advance before the development of JDF had yet provided the print industry with the ability to counteract the "islands-in-a-stream" problem. In other words, although production facilities can attend to each individual element of a print job and can even link some of those processes, they are incapable of automating a system to run a job from the moment a customer places the order to the moment the final product emerges.

It clearly means that each problem is a separate "island" but in the same waterway, and that they were not yet linked to provide a complete end-to-end service
HTH


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-03-18 11:47:45 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

and I forgot to add that there was one last outstanding \"island\" - one problem still to be covered by the system
Selected response from:

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 08:11
Grading comment
Many thanks, CMJ. And thanks to Sanjay too. You've both been helpful.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +1FYI
CMJ_Trans (X)
4see comment
Craft.Content


  

Answers


22 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
FYI


Explanation:
If you go to the following address, you will find, among other things, the following definition

http://www.cip4.org/overview/overview.html


No technological advance before the development of JDF had yet provided the print industry with the ability to counteract the "islands-in-a-stream" problem. In other words, although production facilities can attend to each individual element of a print job and can even link some of those processes, they are incapable of automating a system to run a job from the moment a customer places the order to the moment the final product emerges.

It clearly means that each problem is a separate "island" but in the same waterway, and that they were not yet linked to provide a complete end-to-end service
HTH


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2004-03-18 11:47:45 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

and I forgot to add that there was one last outstanding \"island\" - one problem still to be covered by the system

CMJ_Trans (X)
Local time: 08:11
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Many thanks, CMJ. And thanks to Sanjay too. You've both been helpful.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Vicky Papaprodromou
1 hr
Login to enter a peer comment (or grade)

48 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
island in a stream
see comment


Explanation:
In general - and from the text, too, it is obvious - that MIS is the 'source' or the 'controller'/'regulator' of print jobs. Therefore, an MIS function cannot be an "obstacle".

In workflow diagrams, there are nodes that originate, or through which documents "pass" through. If the 'flow' in the workflow is visualised as liquid, then such nodes are visualised as solid objects, something akin to "(solid) Islands in a river".

The adjective "outstanding" is not clear though. Perhaps, the writer wanted to refer the MIS node as 'standing out' ?

Hth,
Sanjay.


Craft.Content
Local time: 11:41
Native speaker of: Native in HindiHindi
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