Part three of three
A variety of print management information systems (MIS) are on the market today. Many offer cloud-based and on-premise solutions to meet growing needs of modern print shops.
Here we provide some highlights. Check our Target Chart section for a comprehensive list of available options.
Aleyant
Aleyant PrintJobManager uses a new, mobile, cloud-based approach to MIS that includes a fast means of generating market-driven pricing, job management, inventory tracking, real-time job tracking, and estimating.
The simple setup and use of the cloud-based PrintJobManager enables users to manage shops with any device, including the one you carry in your pocket or purse. PrintJobManager is a standalone application for estimating, inventory management, shop floor data collection, and more.
It will also work seamlessly with the company’s Pressero web to print ecommerce and variable data system. While Pressero is not required to use PrintJobManager, product pricing created in PrintJobManager can be seamlessly used within Pressero storefronts, eliminating the need to create and maintain separate pricing systems for online stores versus estimating and job management systems.
PrintJobManager includes unlimited seats, so all of your sales, customer service representatives, warehouse staff, and estimators can use it without additional fees.
Avanti
Avanti Slingshot Print MIS brings together product, people, and processes for optimum operation through the integration of disparate systems, expansion of product and service offerings, multiple lines of business and revenue streams, and driving impactful, profitable communications with end-to-end integration.
Matt Prusa, director of sales, software and strategic solutions, Avanti and Print MIS, Ricoh U.S.A., Inc. says enabling data-driven decision making, managing bottlenecks, and providing personalization and innovation will cement your ability to stay competitive and grow.
“Being a cloud-based system allows for companies to leverage tools such as Inventory Sync and Job Status APIs to allow communication between systems using standard web service calls, instead of proprietary code,” shares Prusa.
Computer Productivity Services Inc.
Computer Productivity Services Inc. licenses solutions by user and the end users are free to host their systems in house or access it from a third-party provider.
Its partner Microsoft has made a big push into the cloud and has a lot of success with Office 365. However, Gerald Clement, partner, Computer Productivity Services Inc., suggests that uptake for MIS has been slow.
“Most of our users are mid- to large-converters with a centralized server with multiple plants and have their own in-house MIS departments,” he shares. Adding that users have moved to accessing their system over web browsers rather than installing the MIS software on every computer.
HiFlow
HiFlow is a comprehensive MIS for packaging and print industries, including folding carton, flexible packaging, label, corrugated, and commercial print. In the print area, most companies contact the company when they chose to add other capabilities to their shop, including folding box, label, and flexible packaging.
PrintReach
Print Reach offers cloud-based print MIS offerings with Midnight and Printer’s Plan. Adam Witek, VP of operations, Print Reach, says these systems offer everything you need to operate and manage every size of print operations that are accessible 24 hours a day/7 days a week from anywhere and are backed by great customer service and support teams.
Print Reach also has teams of developers and product managers that are working daily to improve systems with cutting-edge technology for customers. Print Reach’s risk management team constantly monitors and analyzes cloud risks and acts on vulnerabilities, while complying with all regulations.
Its online payment solution, Print Reach Pay, not only offers PCI Compliance and Tokenization, but also offers consumer-managed credit card and ACH payments, which eliminates direct risk to its customers.
PrintPLANR
PrintPLANR covers all major requirements of a print shop under one single solution. Backed by a skilled workforce from support to software development, all employed in house to maintain zero downtime.
PressWise
Designed by a printer as an alternative to purchasing independent modules or custom development of print estimating, workflow automation, print MIS, shipping and mail preparation software, PressWise provides a single, SaaS-based print workflow system, with all the comprehensive tools needed to streamline any print workflow.
Tharstern
Recently acquired by eProductivity, Tharstern Cloud is an MIS that offers unrivaled connectivity thanks to the API First approach used from day one of development. “This means that our customers can read and write to every single piece of data in the MIS using their own technical resources or third-party developer and connect to automation middleware software such as Zapier,” shares Keith McMurtrie, CEO, Tharstern.
The company has worked hard to give it a fresh, modern interface that’s extremely intuitive and easy to learn. “So easy in fact that we’ve removed the onboarding fee and offer free trials with self-help available in our online learning academy. At the moment, the software supports the label and flexible packaging markets, but we will be adding support for the other print sectors in the coming months.”
MIS Highlights
The above is just a short list of the many print MIS solutions available today. For more on this topic check out our March/April issue and watch our webinar.
Check out parts one and two of this series.
Apr2023, DPS Magazine
