Your Print MIS is running smoothly. Or so you think anyway...
5 April 2024
In the pursuit of reliability and efficiency in the print business, the Print Management Information System (Print MIS) takes centre stage. But as with any aspect of business, there are challenges and pitfalls that stand in the way of full utilisation of this business software. How can you best maintain your Print MIS and ensure its optimal use?
Is your Print MIS being used to its full potential?
Many sign and print businesses do not embrace their Print MIS, despite the fact that this system collects and manages all data. This is important, as this is the only way to maintain a good overview of all business processes. But print businesses often start their Print MIS with only a limited set of functions. This results in many features remaining unused.
This often happens because employees are not familiar enough with all functionalities. Or worse: they take detours. In some companies, it even happens that a second business software runs alongside their print MIS. This leads to two sources, when in reality only one should exist. This upsets the overview in business operations. And what's more, it requires extra effort to merge and process all the data.
So what is the biggest problem? Business leaders and managers delude themselves and pretend that their data is accurate. They convince themselves that good enough is truly good. Deep down, they know they are fooling themselves, but they persist in the folly. Often this behaviour is inspired by the fear of the cost and effort of change.
So how do you get the most out of your current MIS software?
Instead of looking for new software solutions to compensate for imperfections in the use of print MIS, sign and print businesses would be better off making the most of their current business software.Ignorance is the most important factor here. So make sure you keep abreast of additional features and developments, and which of them you can apply to your business. Timely expansion and leveraging multiple features is thus the message. This also means training employees so that they are aware of how the functionalities work. Then they will be able to use the MIS efficiently and will not fall back into old habits.
In addition, it is recommended to look at the ecosystem of your print MIS. And also the integration possibilities between other software solutions. You obviously want the MIS system to contribute to the automation of your business processes. Therefore, it is important to keep new machines, partners, suppliers, products and materials up-to-date in your print MIS so that the evolution your business makes is accurately tracked.
Depending on the size of your print business, you have a different need.
- Small and medium-sized companies like LuxVisual and Puntgaaf are more likely to benefit from further process automation, easing their existing workload.
- While larger companies like Daddy Kate and 3 Motion would benefit from an MIS to further support the expansion of their offerings and rapid business growth.
But pursuing the status quo with your existing MIS is not the right strategy. It is important to recognise that change may be needed to pursue further growth and higher efficiency. This is essential to keep getting the most out of your Print MIS.
Make decisions based on the data in your Print MIS!
The key to success lies in making decisions based on accurate data from the MIS. Striving for continuous improvements and making the most of the Print MIS are the basis for a competitive position in the market.
This ensures that you can enjoy many advantages:
- You produce quotations faster and more accurately, even for complex orders.
- Your financial communication and invoicing are more efficient.
- You can follow up projects better, keeping you up-to-date on your print business.
- You do not lose time searching for and checking print files from the customer.
- Your workflow is more efficient, as your other systems are linked to your MIS.
- You get control over all important business data.
In short, keeping your Print MIS up-to-date provides more overview and structure, allowing you to work more efficiently with your print business. Wondering how your current processes can be better managed to detect and implement further improvements? Then get in touch now!