Mis becomes a Profit Centre

Added by Sharon Mordey on April, 26, 2013

There’s a saying that “real change is when you see the same thing differently”. But it’s also true that people gravitate to what they know – it’s human nature.

With that thinking in mind, Nicola Bisset, group managing director of Optimus, says: “MIS software is  normally seen as an expense, not something that will make you money. There’s a perception that, ‘A piece of kit is always going to be a far more attractive investment than software ever will, because software is just not tangible enough and kit makes you the money’.”

Does that sound familiar? If so, we challenge you to visit us on stand 3742 at PacPrint where you can draw your own conclusions about the next generation of Optimus MIS products and services, and what they can do for your business.

It is clear that customers won’t pay extra for unwanted steps in your business processes. At PacPrint, you can take our ‘click challenge’ and see how much money can be made by getting rid of these unwanted steps.

Bisset says that evidence of the potential benefits of this automation is so overwhelming that the data can almost seem fictional. But there really are print companies around the world that are much more profitable because of the high levels of software automation they

employ, especially by automatically creating the estimate, quote confirmation, job bag and invoice.

The bottom line is that more can be done with fewer people in these highly automated environments. Often headcount stays the same and people are redeployed on more profitable activities.

Return on investment

We see these trends among our most progressive customers. Our conservative estimate suggests it is not unreasonable to expect a new Optimus MIS to pay for itself in 12-18 months. When the training and company procedures are properly aligned with the software, we have seen customers that were completely new to MIS achieve a full return on investment in just seven months!

Bisset says: “Smartphones and tablet devices have also sparked a new wave of interest and curiosity. Companies now believe that by harnessing this type of technology platform and interface, they can become more efficient and profitable. Maybe it is because iPads are now more mainstream or because they are perceived as easier to use.

“We have a range of back office and online products and services as well as tablet device applications that integrate beautifully and work in real time to deliver significant profits and savings,” she adds.

With Cloud Mobile,Optimus customers can create and send the quote and job confirmation in seconds and produce a production-ready job bag, all while sitting in front of their customers. They can order their materials and automatically create the invoice with just a few taps on their iPad. It is just as easy to do this on a laptop or Mac, because the mechanics and – critically –the benefits are the same. Only the interface is different.

Power of data

Since Drupa 2012, the strong message from Optimus has been that Optimus MIS technology  is not just a production tool. It is a very powerful repository that can be used to help make informed decisions about investment, profitability and performance.

Bisset says: “PacPrint gives us a fantastic opportunity to showcase Optimus differently. We are passionate about encouraging our users to analyse trends and behaviour of their customers and not just see the system as a glorified calculator and producer of job bags. It is

so much more.”

There are several new modules, including Sales Generator and Campaign Manager, which provide the opportunity to define, shape and change what types of business you want more of. These modules provide solid analysis and the means to create sales campaigns. They also serve to identify less profitable customers and sectors that you may wish to move away from.

Bisset says: “We are all really excited by these changes in perception and usage of what our MIS can do. When we are able to work closely with our customers on these goals, the immediacy of impact is really rewarding. It doesn’t matter whether you are a traditional litho printer, a digital house or specialist print provider, the benefits can be measured and gained in a sustainable way.”

We are all excited by these changes in perception of what our MIS can do

Nicola Bisset, Optimus

“However, the biggest challenge is still explaining to quality industry providers and manufacturers that they really can make more money and increase profits by investing in an Optimus MIS,” she adds.

Remember the saying, “Real change is when you see the same things differently”? Maybe it is time to give MIS another look.  Buying more equipment is not the only answer!

Please do come and visit us on stand 3742 and challenge us to prove where we can deliver your return.