GRAPH EXPO - Chicago – EFI, a world leader in customer-focused digital printing innovation, today debuted the new Monarch Portal Internet-based sales tool in its booth at GRAPH EXPO (#2000 through Sept. 14, McCormick Place). Monarch Portal is designed to extend the power of the EFI Monarch Print MIS/ERP to remote sales personnel with powerful specification tools customized to meet the unique needs of the individual organization.

The Monarch Portal specification tool collects, organizes and validates the information required for accurate quotes and successful production. Fields in the specification are mapped to the Monarch estimating and planning system, providing an accurate, fast quote and rapid order entry for even complex jobs. Sales and other remote team members can specify, quote, order, track, and view invoices and order history anywhere, any time.

"Monarch Portal isn't an online form that's delivered to the printer for analysis and re-keying into their MIS. It's a virtual link to the business, providing a level of speed, accuracy and visibility not available from other providers," said Jeff White, general manager of EFI Monarch. "While the salesperson of the competitor is hand carrying an RFQ back to the office, the Monarch Portal user has already submitted, validated, and delivered a quote with a level of accuracy that ensures a profitable job for the printer and hassle-free production for the print buyer."

Maximizing the impact of a mobile sales force is critical to every printing business, and especially high-end commercial printers running EFI Monarch. For the salespeople managing a large number of accounts, Monarch Portal means they can respond quickly and with a high degree of knowledge and accuracy. Likewise, it provides upper level managers and C-level personnel with 24/7 remote access and visibility. Monarch Portal eliminates many of the delays and costs related to more traditional job acquisition and management processes, improving win/loss ratios and profits.

"Modern Litho is anxiously awaiting Monarch Portal so we can take advantage of its powerful tools for quoting and production planning, and have quick access to important data for our sales team," said Jim Tomblinson, plant superintendent at Modern Litho-Print Co. "We expect it will be a huge time-saver for our very busy sales department, and another important way to reduce costs while better managing our operation."

Monarch Portal integrates with the popular CRM tool SalesForce.com and Microsoft Exchange to enhance overall sales automation. Monarch Portal also provides advance search and filter capabilities to assist the salesperson in the effective management of their pipeline.

Available in November, Monarch Portal will be an additional module for purchase. Existing Monarch customers running EFI PrinterSite Internal will receive a free upgrade. For more information, visit EFI at GRAPH EXPO, go to www.efi.com or contact 800-875-7117.