Pace User Feedback

[pcmodem]

We are looking at Pace and a few other MIS systems. I would like to get good and bad feedback from Pace users only. If you don't feel comfortable posting publicly, you can send me a private message.

Thanks,
Brian

[The Apprintice]

I would recommend you investigate other options for an MIS system. Pace is an excellent example of what early print MISs looked like. It's database infrastructure is clunky and finicky simultaneously. It is touted as being browser-based, which it is, so prepare for page expiration, page refreshing, and waiting for searches to be returned (partially due to the fact that the server that comes with Pace installed is ancient). The system can, and will, be customized. Unless you are a sheet fed lithographic printer who produces numerous large jobs and also keeps very little data about your customers, there will be a lot of customization involved. Pace offers customization programming for the reasonable price of $200 an hour.

Pace's estimating module will undoubtedly require a good deal of customization. We have a variable cutoff digital press that required 10+ hours of custom programming simply to be able to estimate, never mind getting it to work in production tracking. Additionally, prepare for long delays in service and implementation. In an attempt to keep the organization lean, every Pace employee is constantly overbooked and difficult to get a hold of. The organization is comprised of individual employees working from home, and no one communicates with anyone else, so get used to explaining the same thing to numerous people. Since you have to pay for the system up front, and service payments begin immediately, there is no motivation on Pace's part to help you implement the system.

If it sounds like I'm displeased with Pace, I am. I spent a year and half with three FTEs trying to implement this shoddy, dated system and came out with nothing. Much of the functionality I was promised during the sales process was revealed to be impossible six months into the implementation (ability to store links to art files, communication between the Pace system and our inkjet system, ability to use price list and estimating simultaneously, divisional breakdowns, etc.). Many of the employees are friendly and helpful, but do not communicate with each other and rely on dated manuals. When it became apparent that the system was not going to deliver the promised benefits, we cancelled our contract and have moved to a mix of different MIS systems for each division. I will point out that we specialize in two very specific, very different types of printing, envelope and label printing. It is conceivable that other types of printers might need much less customization. If you would like more information feel free to contact me, I'll be happy to provide it.

Thanks,
Andrew M. Boyd

[ColorKeyOp]

Bump.

We are also investigating the Pace System. We are a commercial printer, utilizing in-house digital presses (running Fiery controllers), in-house offset litho, wide format, high volume B&W, etc. We would be utilizing several modules of the system for a company-wide, multiple location MIS.

Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks

[chevalier]

If you are purely digital or mainly digital be sure to take a look at Presswise.

I looked extensively at just about every offering out there about two years back. Most of the sales reps are ready and willing to over promise and sell you the moon. There is a big difference between what a system can do 'out of the box' and what a system can do when you build it and customize it. There are limits to the levels of flexibility with these off the shelf solutions and you have to be willing to conform to them.

It gets maddening hearing people claim that the product is crap because it doesn't work in some particular super-customized fashion that they choose to run their shop. If you want to the efficiencies of a computerized system you must conform to the computer. If you aren't willing to conform to a truly systematic approach to then you should stick to paper and pen or turn the keys over to a sales-broker and get out while you (still?) can.

If you are going to go tango with EFI I advise one thing: make sure you have a contract explaining how long they plan to continue development and support of the platform. I heard horror stories when EFI bought Pace and dumped/halted development and dramatically cut support of other platforms suddenly.

[PrintMaster]

If you are willing to spend the price on Pace there are alot more solutions out there , shop around! Avanti / EFI / all have their own solutions.