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Print software is a pile of features that solve business process challenges. You have to learn how to prioritize what’s the next most important feature in the software by comparing its impact against all the other features.
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About Jennifer Matt
Jennifer Matt is the managing editor of WhatTheyThink’s Print Software section as well as President of Web2Print Experts, Inc. a technology-independent print software consulting firm helping printers with web-to-print and print MIS solutions.
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Discussion
By Robert Lindgren on Aug 28, 2019
Good comments. I suspect that software focused on order processing offers the best return. I would be tempted to defer shop floor data collection as the information is seldom actionable. I also believe that fancy estimating systems are a waste because prices come from the market, not from the plant.
By Jennifer Matt on Aug 28, 2019
Robert,
Estimating systems are about getting accurate costs.
Many people think estimating is a waste of time b/c as you say prices are determined by the market.
If you want to know those little important things like accurate profits, profitability by job, by customer etc. then accurate estimating is key.
By Luther Erlund on Aug 30, 2019
I would also argue that SFDC is equally as important for the profitability review. SFDC also provides customer service with a view of where the job is in the plant and can offer billing opportunities for services performed but not in the original quote or documented on a change order to the customer. The data collection also helps confirm that estimates are in line with what the plant can accomplish. If the delta is too far apart then larger issues are brewing.