One of the biggest challenges I hear about is printers struggling to figure out how to get web-to-print and MIS systems to effectively ‘talk’. With reference to web-to-print and print MIS communication, there are different components that become the make or break of a useful integration. In other words, just because systems can be integrated, doesn't mean the integration gives you much benefit.

Printers mention wanting their web-to-print and print MIS systems to ‘talk’, ‘communicate’, ‘integrate’, ‘automate’, and this means different things to different people. First of all, the systems have to be capable of being integrated. This means that they can technically be configured to pass information back and forth. Whether you are in the process of purchasing a web-to-print or Print MIS system, it is very, very important that you understand both your vendor's ability to integrate and their policy on integration. Some vendors have very open policies, others are more restrictive about it. You need to have a clear picture of how that works. You do not want to find out your print MIS system won’t easily connect to a third party web-to-print system after you purchase a third party web-to-print system. Assuming you can technically 'connect' your two systems, that is one very big important step. However, a lot of people think that is the only step for streamlined communication between systems. This false assumption causes people a lot of grief.

What would define a high value web-to-print and print MIS integration? A high-value integration is one that facilitates bidirectional communication between systems whereby a printer only needs to reference the print MIS system for job specifications to accurately produce the job. For the customers, high value would mean that in addition to ordering at any time, they could reference accurate order status, shipping information and get invoice and financial data ‘on-demand’. The two systems communicate as if they are one.