process & workflow: Make It Work
In recent years, software designed specifically for the wide- and grand-format industry has emerged, giving PSPs the tools they need to manage waste and resources, track jobs and projects, accurately quote new jobs, and manage all of their business...
Bruce Moore, PowerQuote Software: They spend less time managing and producing jobs. They can provide faster, more professional quote presentations which will help to win more work. Also, accurate price calculations and detailed job tickets ensure estimates that protect profits. These improvements make a positive impact on customer service which in turn improves sales.
Pavan V. Muzumdar, CFA, MV Software: Our software drastically simplifies the management of the operational complexities experienced in wide-format printing operations. Companies are being subjected to technology and commoditization pressures resulting in the need to keep internal operations repeatable, scalable, and above all efficient.
Our software provides the framework and platform on which to accomplish this by providing easy to use solutions for day to day problems related to pricing of services and supplies, invoicing, workflow management, inventory tracking, equipment maintenance and servicing, FM management, and overall financial performance with detail wherever needed.
Udi Nachmany, Worldwide Aftermarket Business Manager, HP Scitex: HP SmartPlanner tool enables our customers to find out what their real costs are—variable and fixed, direct and indirect—without adding operational complexity, allows them to manage the complexities of a hybrid analog-digital production environment and offers the ability to optimize profits by making informed costing and pricing decisions.
Larry Presnell, president, Rocketprint Software: The Wide Format portion of Rocketprint software was designed and built from input by experienced wide-format printers from around the country. The result is a flexible e-commerce store front that can be designed to offer a wide array of products for online quoting and ordering. Once the store front is populated, it can also be used as a means to pull internal quotes. Private Customer Portals are a unique feature allowing a Printer to create an unlimited number of secure branded portals that gives the customer an “all mine” look and feel.
Mike Rottenborn, president & CEO, Hybrid Integration Inc.: Quoting wide-format print jobs is very challenging for many printers. With the tremendous number of substrates, finishing options, and the wide variety of wide-format products that can be produced, traditional print estimating systems are not up to the task of estimating for wide-format. GoSign provides a very configurable system that allows wide-format print providers to define their own products including all production variables, so estimates always reflect the reality of production.
Kristen Simmons, marketing associate, Cyrious Software: Cyrious Control covers practically the entire business cycle in a company, starting with sales/marketing and estimating through to collecting for that job and the related customer service along the way. For estimating, Cyrious Control offers dozens of product specific pricing screens designed to handle every detail of sign pricing and estimating. Whether you work with roll or flat stock, or are a large or a wide format printer, Cyrious Control has forms specially designed to price and cost the products. This makes it easy to make sure the quote will be profitable, to deliver the quote within minutes to the customer thereby increasing the odds that you'll win the quote, and to make it easier to enable others to quote knowing that the quotes will be consistent and profitable.
What is the best argument for adding business management and estimating software to a printing company?
Bradley: The argument for a print provider using software like ours hinges on whether the provider is, or plans on becoming, an FM/on-site/MPS provider. If so, software like Argos is critical for the provider to be able to accurately account for and invoice the services they offer.
Daisy: Cost and labor control. It is as simple as that. Business management software allows a business to grow without adding front office staff. And it provides real-time information on performance or non-performance. While there are all the benefits of reporting and conformity to accounting systems, most of this is not nearly as useful if a business is unable to analyze the data and learn how to operate more effectively. Our experience shows that every new customer is able to enjoy greater cost and process control without a loss in quality.
