Leeds, UK - Technique Group, a leading worldwide provider of Print MIS solutions to the graphic communications industry, announces a range of new products for IPEX 2010 (Hall 9, Stand D349).

Technique's extensive range of modules currently includes solutions for web-based, sales enquiries, data collection, costing, estimating, order management and production scheduling.  The modular approach allows users to select only the appropriate components for their type of business, and integrate them with existing parallel business systems to deliver a complete, focused and cohesive MIS solution.

New for IPEX 2010, Technique is launching nine new modules designed to further streamline, track and automate production for print and new media production companies. In these times of fast decisions, instant response and quick turnarounds, printers need the right tools to support their sales and production teams. Technique's new modules integrate and support the latest fast-moving online communication developments and platforms, from social media, to the Apple iPad, to instant online estimating, dynamic outsourcing, and realtime production status dashboards.

New module overview:

CRM Community Feeds
Staying in touch with customers has become of critical importance to a print company's sales and management team. The CRM Community Feeds Module delivers realtime information from a variety of web sources, including RSS feeds as well as from social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn. This allows personnel to effortlessly and instantly keep abreast with the latest customer developments or trends, and the opportunity to react ahead of the competition.

Mobile CRM
Now also including support for Apple's iPad, which will be demonstrated live at IPEX, Mobile CRM is a version of Technique's Customer Relationship Management module specifically optimized for a variety of mobile devices including Netbooks and smart phones such as Blackberry, Palm, iPhone, Windows Mobile and Google Android.  Built-in security features ensure that no company-sensitive information is compromised in the event of the mobile device being lost or stolen. 

Commercial Quick Pricing
"Quick Pricer" provides instant web-based, on-line pricing and online order entry. Designed primarily for the sales team, the new module allows printers to fully exploit sales potential, maximize sales return and reduce the burden on the estimating and order processing departments. In addition to calculating real-time prices, full costs are also produced.

Book Estimating
Developed from Technique's highly successful estimating module, this newly-designed module allows the entire book production process to be structured, viewed and manipulated graphically. A graphical representation is critical when dealing with complex manufacturing processes such as book printing, and is one of the cornerstones in Technique's growth in the book market. The ability to template a complex manufacturing process allows quotes that previously took hours to produce can now be completed in minutes.

Complaints Management
The logging and tracking of customer complaints – nature of the complaint, why it occurred, its root cause, remedy and cost - is now available in a single, all-encompassing module.  Thanks to its built-in comprehensive reporting system, management can quickly and efficiently deal with customer complaints and take appropriate action.

Outsource Procurement
Dealing quickly and concisely with your outwork supply chain is a key element to success in today's market.  Technique's new "Request For Quote" functionality provides the ability to electronically raise new print and finishing requests directly with your approved supply chain. Suppliers return their quotations online, thus significantly reducing turnaround times and paperwork, while allowing an easy and instantaneous comparison of all returned bids.

Commercial Sheetfed Module
With shrinking profit margins and increased competition, today's sheetfed printer needs up-to-the-minute data on production and material usage to remain competitive. Technique's new Commercial Sheetfed Module automatically calculates the most appropriate sheet size, number up, open size and whether pre-cutting is required, maximizing press performance and uptime.  This, coupled with the ability to gang multiple products and control the number of passes, keeps Technique at the leading edge of print software technology.

Configurable RFE Form
Being first back to your customer with the quote increases your chance of an order. The Request for Estimate (RFE) module enables sales personnel to enter a job's information online, which is then sent directly to the estimating department, allowing quotes to be generated in minutes.  The RFE Module is can also be pre-configured by product type, ensuring that sales personnel collect all pertinent information required to produce a complete and accurate estimate and quotation.

Data Collection Factory/Office dashboards
Computer displays or TV screens can be deployed throughout the company to display key production status metrics across all production resources, giving a realtime "Dashboard" view to all project participants. The Dashboard view has been designed to provide easy-to-understand instant 'glance' awareness of production status, while automatically displaying a greater level of detail in the event of a production problem arising.

CEO Update
"Thanks to the close working relationship we enjoy with our customers, we have seen at firsthand how today's print services provider are under considerable pressure to offer a wider range of services, tailored and delivered to the specific needs of their customers, whilst keeping a focus on overall profitability." says Technique Group CEO, Paul Cooper.  "The innovative MIS modules launched at Ipex provide important real time metrics and mobile communication capabilities that empower printers to make smart decisions quickly and accurately, freeing them up to focus on important business goals."