Stephen has offered a detailed list of what a decent integrated MIS/W2P system should look like, and in his latest post he's pretty much nailed it.
You asked about price points. Frankly, I don't have a clue. Those figures are hard to come by and rarely published by W2P vendors. In light of the obvious complexity of the system Stephen describes, I'm willing to go out on a limb and say that a low volume digital shop can't afford it. That still leaves the cost of a decent MIS, which, if you're still making do without (and it sounds like you are) should be your starting point in any event. Here the cost is minimal: $345.00 U.S., perpetual use license, no maintenance fees.
Hal Heindel
In Australia, we have 2 license system customers running a small digital shops that may have around 5 employees. We also have customers running a 50+ license systems, that have over a hundred employees. The Accura MIS is designed for small to medium enterprise, as such it is scaleable and modular. We have customers in digital only. We have customers with offset and digital. We have WF/Signage, commercial print, trade printers, print management/brokers, narrow web label flexo and digital, screen printers etc.
When one is shown all of the benefits of a decent cost plus MIS solution, the question is not - “can I afford such a system”, the question then becomes “can I afford not to have such a system”.
It is not easy to simply quote a price without having a detailed discussion with a prospect, it is a two way conversation. It is not about what the vendor wishes to sell, it is about the prospects needs - both today and into the future. Sometimes a prospect does not realise that something is possible, until they are having the discussion with the MIS vendor on what features are available.
As mentioned previously, it is not just about the cost of the MIS, that is only half of the picture. An ROI needs to have both cost and savings. It can be hard to quantify all of the savings and advantages that a decent MIS will bring to a print company, as many are intangible (what price do you put on being able to raise a “standard” quote and email it to a customer in around a minute, while they are still on the phone?).
As the Accura MIS is a scaleable and modular system, it will depend on the number of users, the user license versionn and the optional modules on the total system cost. The prospect will often know what they wish to do, however they need to discuss variables and options with the MIS vendor. Combine this with an assessment of the prospects business and what the work and volumes that they are producing today and potentially into the future. One can start small, then add on seats and modules later when needed, or one can start large.
As previously mentioned, costs can be less than one may think. The Accura MIS is not in the same price range as Morning Flight. The Accura MIS is a very different product in features and approach, not in the same league, it is not an apples to apples comparison (Hal, I have installed and looked the the free version of Morning Flight).
The Accura MIS is a perpetual license. The Accura MIS offers free* updates to all releases, whether a “.dot” maintenance release or a full blown new version release (*while a customer remains on support contract).
For the MIS only, a starting price for a single seat unlimited user perpetual license is around $100 per week, over 36 months. What does one get for around $100 per week?
Accura Print Estimating - Core Module Features
Accura MIS - An Introduction - YouTube (15 min)
Estimating In Accura MIS - YouTube (6 min)
One really needs to have a live demo of all the benefits and features, the videos barely scratch the surface (the videos are old, Accura works on both 32 and 64 bit versions of Windows, including Windows 8).
Adding in the fully integrated bi-directional AccuraOnline eCommerce with B2B W2P modules would of course change the price from $100 p/week. I am not in sales, I provide technical support and onsite training, so I don’t usually concern myself with pricing.
As previously mentioned, the MIS side of things is generally a no brainer. Adding on an eCommerce or W2P option requires a bit more thought. If you have regular B2B customers, then it should be easy enough to make a profit on the system. If you are chasing B2C work, how many of your current daily sales are to new clients and how much profit are you making on these jobs? You have to pay your existing overheads, as well as the W2P system that you are hoping will bring in more work. When you decide that you do wish to have an eCommerce or W2P option, you then have to decide how important it is to have integration with your MIS. I believe that MIS+W2P integration is critical. If you have neither MIS or W2P, it is a good idea to look at an MIS system that offers both, so that you know what the “ideal” package offers. If you go with a MIS and a simple storefront or W2P system from different vendors, there may be little or no integration and the cost may be prohibitive.
Stephen Marsh