An MIS will not necessarily reduce your print bill. Most printers are already expected to operate on extremely low margins and will use MIS to help them survive and prosper. However, by eliminating all unnecessary administration and streamlining internal processes, the printer may find opportunities to reduce selling prices without jeopardising quality or responsiveness.

If a printer is thinking about buying an MIS, what are the top ten questions he should be asking? Scott Marienthal puts forward his suggestions

1 Why does it matter whether or not my printer has MIS?

A well designed management system will offer many benefits to the printer in terms of administrative, productive and financial controls. By improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness in these areas, the printer can offer an enhanced added value service - improving turnaround and accuracy of quotations, reducing administrative errors and ensuring every promise made is kept, right up to final delivery and invoice.

2 What questions should I ask my printer about MIS?

One of the strongest features of a high quality MIS is the accessibility of information. If your printer possesses such a system and uses it to its full potential, any amount of data can be quickly sorted, analysed and presented. Ask your printer how quickly it can present data on its performance on your jobs. How many jobs were late/early in a period? Where have extra charges been incurred? How might charges be avoided in the future? What has been the total spend this year compared with last year, etc? The key is the ease with which your printer can provide answers to these and other performance related questions.

3 Will I be able to track my job by accessing my printer's MIS?

The Internet is fast becoming the standard means of communicating and doing business. Printers and customers are using the web to share data and streamline business processes right across the board, including job tracking, sales order processing, stock control, product customisation, product history and a host of other areas. The extent to which job tracking information is made available depends entirely upon the nature of the customer/printer relationship and the degree of trust that exists.

4 Is there the capacity to link my MIS with my chosen supplier's system?

Yes! With recent advances in technology, it is possible in almost every example to link two systems together. At Shuttleworth, we can build links from the printer to its suppliers, and from customers' ordering and invoicing systems.

5 Does this mean my quotes will be entirely accurate?

By using intelligent estimating features, a printer can provide a consistently precise and fast service to its customers. This function can now be carried out by less experienced staff with no loss in accuracy. This also has a fringe benefit - skilled estimators will now have the time to concentrate on the specifics that are required to calculate an accurate price.

6 Will my printer be any more efficient or responsive?

Yes on both counts. As described above, a printer that is in control of all internal processes will be more efficient and responsive. Furthermore, by controlling costs and producing quality work on time and on budget, the printer is ensuring the future of his business and its employees.

7 Could MIS reduce my print bill?

An MIS will not necessarily reduce your print bill. Most printers are already expected to operate on extremely low margins and will use MIS to help them survive and prosper. However, by eliminating all unnecessary administration and streamlining internal processes, the printer may find opportunities to reduce selling prices without jeopardising quality or responsiveness. A well implemented MIS will allow the printer to maximise the use of existing personnel and ensure its human resources are deployed in the most effective and profitable way.

8 Can I place an order via the Internet?

The Internet is already a powerful medium for conducting business and it will become more important as new, web-based developments continue to appear. As we speak, customers can place orders, view stock items, access historical data, track jobs, personalise or customise products, view, amend, approve or reject PDF proofs and run an unlimited number of bespoke reports. Other functions like Request For Quote and Order Confirmation systems also offer a means of doing business via the Internet.

9 JDF: what is it and what does it mean to me?

JDF is fast becoming the industry standard means of sharing data among the systems and resources within a printer. The MIS, as the starting point of most production routes, is often expected to maintain and control the data required by all machines at each stage. In its simplest form, a job will be raised and specified within the MIS, immediately notifying each production phase of the job including machine settings and timescales.

Prepress operators will be automatically presented with job details and visuals and have the ability to report back to the MIS all relevant production data. Ctp systems will produce plates and presses will access pre-defined settings to reduce makeready times.

At every stage, production data is fed back to the MIS so that processes can be measured for efficiency. The net effect of this is a reduction in administration, acceleration of the workflow process and an improvement in the quality of data that comes from the shopfloor.

10 Does MIS replace personal customer care with an automated service?

Absolutely not. The purpose of a good MIS is to provide management and others with the information they need to run their businesses as effectively as they can. At Shuttleworth, we feel our system should provide all the strategic information necessary to making informed business decisions but ultimately, it is management themselves who will decide on the best course of action. It is not, nor has it ever been, a means of replacing human contact or the personal customer care that is the bedrock of any solid business relationship.

Copyright: CMP Information Ltd.