Are you getting the full return on one of the most important investments in your printing business?
So, I’ll just say it. There probably isn’t a “perfect” Management Information System (MIS) designed for printing organizations. And there never will be.
Why? Because your business is different.
Your customers are different. Your equipment, workflows, employees, product mix and expectations are different. Even two printing companies with similar capabilities can operate in remarkably different ways.
And that’s exactly why expecting an MIS application to be perfect right out of the box is unrealistic.
But expecting it to become a competitive advantage for your business? That’s an entirely different conversation.
You’ve Made the Investment. Now What?
When I talk about the effectiveness of an MIS, I’m not just talking about the software itself. I’m talking about how it was selected, deployed, configured, integrated and maintained. I’m talking about the training employees received, how consistently they use the system and whether the organization continues to challenge it to deliver more value.
Think about the investment.
Beyond the initial software purchase, there are endless implementation costs. Training expenses, ongoing maintenance fees and internal support resources often go unbudgeted. Then you have the countless hours spent adjusting processes to accommodate the system. Ugh. That’s a significant investment and commitment.
Based on that, shouldn’t CEOs, owners and senior leadership teams expect more than simply processing estimates, job tickets, invoices and production transactions?
Let’s Be Clear: This Isn’t a Software Company Problem
I want to make an important distinction: this isn’t about blaming MIS software providers for what their applications can or cannot do. After all, no one forced you to purchase that application, did they?
Maximizing the return on your MIS investment is ultimately your responsibility.
The software provider doesn’t run your business. They don’t establish your operating priorities, manage your employees, define your workflows or determine how effectively information is used to make decisions.
That’s your job.
Too often, printing companies expect their MIS provider to deliver improvements that really require internal leadership, process discipline, employee engagement and a willingness to challenge the way things have always been done.
Purchasing the software is only the beginning. Creating value from it is an ongoing management responsibility.
And if your organization isn’t continually looking for ways to extract more value from its MIS, who exactly do you expect to do that for you?
Stop Looking for Perfection. Start Building an Accelerator.
I’m not looking for perfection. That’s unrealistic.
What I look for is an MIS that was selected as the best fit for the organization and then given the care, attention and leadership support appropriate for a core business operating system.
More importantly, I look for what I call MIS accelerators.
These are the enhancements, integrations, automations, reporting capabilities and process improvements layered around the core application to make it work more effectively for your specific business.
Consider a few examples:
- Automated workflows that eliminate or minimize duplicate data entry and reduces administrative costs.
- Real-time dashboards that help isolate production bottlenecks before they become major problems.
- Customer portals that simplify ordering and create sticky relationships.
- Better estimating and job-costing information that loops back to create smarter pricing and profitability decisions.
- Integrations between the MIS, production equipment and other applications that improve line of sight and reduce heroic intervention.
These require understanding where the business needs to improve and identifying how technology can become a business accelerator. That’s where real competitive advantage begins.
So, I’ll leave you with one question:
Are you using your MIS as a competitive advantage—or simply as a system to manage transactions?
If you’re not sure, perhaps that’s the most important topic for your next senior leadership meeting.
Because maximizing your MIS investment isn’t your software provider’s responsibility. It’s yours. And the opportunity to turn that investment into a business accelerator is yours as well.
Mike Philie helps owners and CEOs in the Graphic communications industry validate what’s working, identify what needs to change, and create a practical path forward.
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