Estimating and scheduling

For more accurate, more efficient work

Remove complexity, guesswork and the risk of errors from your estimating and scheduling

We know that estimating and scheduling can be challenging because each print job is unique. Variations in size, complexity, and material requirements make it difficult for businesses to set accurate prices and timelines consistently. The result? Inefficiencies that cost time and money, compromising customer satisfaction.

Enter the digital revolution: a modern MIS streamlines and optimises these crucial processes.

With the right MIS, organisations can replace guesswork with precision, offering quick, accurate estimates and robust scheduling that adapt dynamically to the demands of each project. The integration of data and digital tools makes job costing more detailed and adaptable, ensuring greater efficiency to help print businesses remain competitive and profitable.

Transitioning to this digital, information-based process is not merely an upgrade; it’s a critical shift towards operational excellence in a rapidly evolving industry.

Estimating

The power of integrated digital data in print operations

Integrated digital data is helping print operations by providing a bird's-eye view of activities and processes across entire organisations. This comprehensive oversight allows for refined estimating and scheduling, eliminating the pitfalls of manual, disconnected workflows. With a modern MIS, print businesses can harness real-time data to streamline production processes from start to finish.

By implementing print MIS, companies can swiftly spot bottlenecks and inefficiencies to make better-informed decisions, enhancing productivity and scheduling accuracy. The results are tangible: reduced turnaround times, minimised waste, and optimised resource use. Ultimately, this leads to a more agile business, capable of adjusting to market demands and customer needs quickly and efficiently.

Choosing a Configurable
Digital Solution

Effective estimating software should include capabilities for precise calculations across various printing types and detailed job requirements, from prepress to finishing. Moreover, it needs to accommodate customer-specific pricing, reflecting your customer portfolio's diverse needs and preferences.

Choosing a configurable software solution is essential. The right MIS should align with your business goals, integrate seamlessly with existing systems, and evolve as your business grows.

The Estimating Module includes:

Prepress and finishing estimation capabilities
Quotes for all types of printing including small format (offset, digital), direct mail, grand/large format, and fulfilment
Support for customer-specific pricing
Contract and price list pricing
Fast access to standard products and product kits

Scheduling

Enhanced productivity through informed decision-making

Getting more jobs out on time is what it’s all about. You don’t have time to manually schedule and plan smaller orders and run the risk of it taking longer to schedule orders than to run them!

You need orders, once on-boarded, to arrive automatically in a department’s queue or run list for a particular piece of equipment. However, not all jobs are created equal. Automating the run list of the “micro” jobs is one thing. For that, all you really need is an easy-to-use tool that can help manage the order in which jobs will run (i.e. quickly change the sequence of jobs to get several jobs out that are “stuck” behind a large, less urgent job, or to batch similar jobs to limit substrate changes).

More complex jobs need a more sophisticated tool – one able to manage finite capacity, automate the batching of jobs, and allow production planners to play with “what if” scenarios. This provides you with the flexibility to adjust your schedule before locking and publishing it for everyone to see.

When you automate this aspect of your workflow, you will be able to override schedules and change job priorities to meet shifting deadlines. The result is limiting “lateness” and maximising the number of jobs that get out on time. Effectively optimising your scheduling process.

Speak to one of our specialists today >

This chapter has outlined a clear path towards achieving these goals, ensuring that businesses are well-prepared to meet the challenges of a competitive industry.

Keep an eye out for the next instalment in our MIS series: Production Visibility.