Small Quick Print Business Looking for MIS/MGMT Software

[Rsias]

Hi There! My very small printing company is looking for an affordable MIS software recommendation. We specialize in quick digital printing, and are only 3 people and one Canon 8000 and guillotine cutter.

We're looking for something that we can create customized estimates and invoices, basic CRM and preferably with the ability to add in an online store in the future. Most of our work will likely be same day or next day $25-$100 jobs, but quite a few of them. I'm a bit overwhelmed by all of the choices, and our budget is on the low end.

If anyone has any suggestions, or something that has worked for them that would be fantastic!

Thanks!

 

[SoggyWinter]

Square or Xero combined with Zapier workflows might work. You might also look into using Google Sheets (free).

 

[chriscozi]

Depending on your specific circumstances this may be appropriate:

FM Starting Point - Free FileMaker CRM by RCC

FM Starting Point is the Free and Unlocked CRM for the FileMaker Platform. Transform your business with fmstratingpoint.com's Free FileMaker CRM. Streamline your processes, improve customer relations, and boost your bottom line. Download our free CRM today and experience the power of our...

fmstartingpoint.com

Highly customizable - internally or by contracted developer - and inexpensive to start.
I have been using Filemaker Pro for decades to do many disparate tasks - no affiliation.

 

[Craig]

Morning Flight: Printshop Estimating Software for Digital/Wide Format/Offset You cant go wrong with the price and ease of use. Great for small shops, we used it for many years but just outgrew it.

 

[gazfocus]

Morning Flight: Printshop Estimating Software for Digital/Wide Format/Offset You cant go wrong with the price and ease of use. Great for small shops, we used it for many years but just outgrew it.

It absolutely amazes me that people still recommend Morning Flight. It has the most outdated, ridiculous user interface I've ever seen.

 

[Magnus59]

We have just been through the process of choosing a replacement for our MIS, we finally narrowed it down to PrintIQ which is very scalable

 

[gazfocus]

We have just been through the process of choosing a replacement for our MIS, we finally narrowed it down to PrintIQ which is very scalable

Out of interest, what sort of price have you been quoted for Print IQ?

 

[Magnus59]

Out of interest, what sort of price have you been quoted for Print IQ?

I'm not dealing with the $ in this case, I'm just a user and provide the technical IT knowledge.
I did see the numbers but I don't remember them, I do know we decided on the subscription model rather than outright purchase.
The pricing depends on which modules you license. We have included the base plus XMPie integration and a couple of other modules, the bean counters decided that the Prinergy integration was too expensive.

 

[Craig]

It absolutely amazes me that people still recommend Morning Flight. It has the most outdated, ridiculous user interface I've ever seen.

But the price is right for small shops.

 

[gazfocus]

But the price is right for small shops.

True. I actually prefer the look of PressGenie for small shops.

If only the user interface of Morning Flight could be brought into a modern iteration, it could be a really compelling choice for print shops.

I personally feel that the industry is crying out for a high quality non-subscription based piece of software to help with quoting and managing orders.

 

[Morning Flight]

It absolutely amazes me that people still recommend Morning Flight. It has the most outdated, ridiculous user interface I've ever seen.

Ouch, Gazfocus! As the Architect and Chief Designer of Morning Flight, that should have hurt. I can’t argue about your “outdated” claim because that’s partially true and is being given a makeover to match the look and feel of our current wide format interface. As for being “ridiculous”, you really do think PressGenie is the reigning beauty queen?

For what it's worth, wide format is now included with all paid Morning Flight editions. We would have been able to complete the renovations for offset and digital as well, had it not been for Covic-19.

The attachment previews the interface that’s in store for MorningFlight. FYI, Stratoprint will not replace Morning Flight. As I point out in the FlyBy below, Stratoprint will be a print market price guide with a built-in MIS pricing engine for offset, digital, and wide format. In a nutshell, where Morning Flight tells you what you need to charge based on what it costs you to make, Stratoprint tells you what you can charge based on what other print shops in the U.S. are getting for the same kind of work.

Before anyone asks, I’m not ready to publish release dates for any new version until we’re out of the woods with the pandemic.

Morning FlyBy's

Morning FlyBy's

 

[Morning Flight]

True. I actually prefer the look of PressGenie for small shops.

If only the user interface of Morning Flight could be brought into a modern iteration, it could be a really compelling choice for print shops.

I personally feel that the industry is crying out for a high quality non-subscription based piece of software to help with quoting and managing orders.

I couldn't agree more, gazfocus!

Morning Flight: Frequent Questions

Printfire Morning Flight - Printshop Management System. Estimating, Job Tickets, and Invoicing for under $500. Free support, no annual fees. Used by 6,000+ Printshops worldwide.

www.printfire.com

 

[gazfocus]

Ouch, Gazfocus! As the Architect and Chief Designer of Morning Flight, that should have hurt. I can’t argue about your “outdated” claim because that’s partially true and is being given a makeover to match the look and feel of our current wide format interface. As for being “ridiculous”, you really do think PressGenie is the reigning beauty queen?

For what it's worth, wide format is now included with all paid Morning Flight editions. We would have been able to complete the renovations for offset and digital as well, had it not been for Covic-19.

The attachment previews the interface that’s in store for MorningFlight. FYI, Stratoprint will not replace Morning Flight. As I point out in the FlyBy below, Stratoprint will be a print market price guide with a built-in MIS pricing engine for offset, digital, and wide format. In a nutshell, where Morning Flight tells you what you need to charge based on what it costs you to make, Stratoprint tells you what you can charge based on what other print shops in the U.S. are getting for the same kind of work.

Before anyone asks, I’m not ready to publish release dates for any new version until we’re out of the woods with the pandemic.

Morning FlyBy's

Morning FlyBy's

Firstly, I apologies, I didn’t mean to cause any offence. I’m sure the functionality of Morning Flight is great (it must be as you have many users).

I wasn’t saying that PressGenie was the reigning beauty queen (I actually don’t use pressgenie either) but the biggest thing I struggled with when trying out morning flight was the use of icons that weren’t obvious of what they do. It would be much more straightforward to just use text buttons. It would also be better to have a nice clean layout but I completely get it that you’re going after something different.

 

[Morning Flight]

Firstly, I apologies, I didn’t mean to cause any offence. I’m sure the functionality of Morning Flight is great (it must be as you have many users).

I wasn’t saying that PressGenie was the reigning beauty queen (I actually don’t use pressgenie either) but the biggest thing I struggled with when trying out morning flight was the use of icons that weren’t obvious of what they do. It would be much more straightforward to just use text buttons. It would also be better to have a nice clean layout but I completely get it that you’re going after something different.

No apologies necessary, gazfocus. I welcome all evaluations of Morning Flight, critical or complimentary, I honestly do. No program is perfect and is often a compromise. There is always room to make them work easier and better - provided somebody tells the developer.

The use of icons instead of text is a good example. If our users were all located in English-speaking countries, using text would be a given, and would be so much easier. With text there is no ambiguity, at least there shouldn't be. The ideal, of course, would be a combination of the two, but that's limited by screen real estate. What we ended up with are icons with hover text for buttons.

My choice may have been influenced by having had to learn how to drive in Germany where I was born. As you know, traffic signs throughout Europe are icons-only. My second consideration was that print MIS systems are productivity tools, used pretty much daily, not now and then. As such, people tend to get the hang of them. But, yeah, there is that learning curve.

Thank you for your post
Hal