Times are changing

Though the recent election’s results may have left many people feeling that dramatic political change in the UK will be on the backbench for the next five years, in terms of industry-changing technology, moving forward is always inevitable. In all areas of the sign-making industry, from developments in digital printing to the higher expectations of customers, the entire process is becoming ever faster and more streamlined.

Now, a handful of smaller companies might believe that the old ways are the best, tout that ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it’, and that any big changes to business structure could rock the boat for the worse. However, for those with an eye on the future and an interest in making the most out of the latest technology to secure and expand business, a good management information system (MIS) is an indispensable tool.

Covering all bases

One company leading the way in pushing forward the possibilities of MIS is EFI a worldwide supplier of products, technology, and services for print service providers. Though its range of productivity software caters for all kinds of business solutions, it is its MIS that is developing at a rate of knots to keep up with pressures of the sign and wide-format print industry today.

Marc Verbiest, EFI’s international PR manager, is well aware of these pressures, noting how MIS can make an active and visible difference to businesses in the industry.



Verbiest says: “Sign-makers and display producers, in common with every other business that uses print-related products and systems, are finding increasingly that accountability plays a vital role in making sure they are improving profitability and not compromising their operating and administrative structures.

“In a world of tight margins and the need for shorter runs and fast turnarounds, keeping control of all processes on an end-to-end basis includes a host of non-printing elements. To counter many of the challenges faced by management procedures, streamlined automation saves time and removes the margin for error, as well as reducing waste and manual intervention on repetitive tasks.”

Verbiest goes on to note that sign-making in particular is a fast-moving industry, and that denying change is tantamount to shooting yourself in the foot.

He comments: “Sign-making has become increasingly sophisticated during the past two decades and now includes elements that are far removed from the production of a base application which comprises a set of specific skills and techniques.”

A MIS, continues Verbiest, is in essence an end-to-end solution, covering every computerised aspect of the business, which comes with significant advantages to sign-makers of all sizes.

He says: “Accounting for every element of job processing starts with the incoming order, continues through workflow, and encompasses the dynamic needs that allow businesses to grow while maintaining the important factors that come outside the production process itself.

“For small- and medium-sized sign and display specialists, streamlining operations end-to-end needs the right set of tools that incorporate functions such as estimating, production, and account management, receivables and sales analysis so that the resulting efficiencies free up labour-intensive procedures.

“Other areas which are important to encapsulate in an effective MIS system are scheduling, production floor data and job costing.”

In terms of EFI’s systems, Verbiest is keen to stress that, contrary to some beliefs, EFI does not just cater to large companies with high employee numbers, but has options available for smaller businesses, which have different needs from their MIS.

Verbiest explains: “For example, PrintSmith Vision is specifically designed for smaller businesses who want to benefit from the power and capabilities of an efficient browser-based system that handles the repetitive tasks which fall outside of the immediate production area. This soft-ware communicates directly with EFI Fiery and integrates with eCommerce options so that touch points are reduced and information can be sourced securely, quickly, and easily at all times from any location.

“The result is a product that leads to a host of advantages including reduced costs, lower waste, better stock control, and the ability to increase job flow.”

On the other hand, EFI does offer a different package suited to larger companies, namely EFI Pace: “For larger sign-makers, EFI Pace also offers the benefits of complete accountability with full end-to-end workflow integration in a modular architecture which is fully flexible and can be scaled according to business needs. This MIS option allows for business growth without disruption, and systems can be configured specifically to fit a company’s specific needs.”

As a provider of both print equipment and software, EFI is in a good position to anticipate how the signage and large-format print world will change in years to come. Verbiest is certain that customers, both individual and corporate, will become more demanding, meaning constant access to the company’s data will become increasingly imperative.



Verbiest says: “As more accountability is demanded across all sizes of sign-making and display production companies, so the need for efficient MIS will become an essential part of the day-to-day routines of businesses that need to make sure they are running efficiently.

“EFI’s Productivity Suite enables users to focus clearly on their paths to profitability by integrating modules to bring out the best in end-to-end workflows with certified integration alongside synchronised development that accommodates a modular approach and simplifies future growth.”

Verbiest also highlights the increasing importance of environmental issues in the sign-making industry: “Leaner manufacturing and more environmental awareness are also important considerations for the future, if not being implemented already, and adding a secure and robust level of automated administration is a vital part of accommodating growth and sustainability. Additionally, cloud- and eCommerce-based business models are becoming ever more important, both for marketing and web-to-print, and these services will continue to impact positively on orders and sales.

“In order for sign-makers to maintain their business efficiencies into the future without compromising on their productivity, MIS plays a vital role across all accountable elements of a business. No company is too small to benefit from the advantages a good suite of software products has to offer and, as a specialist in digital print from start to finish, EFI’s Productivity Suite offers exactly the right capabilities and levels of functionality for its users.”

The best tools for the job

Another major player in the MIS market is dedicated provider Shuttleworth Business Systems. Dawn Safford, marketing executive, believes that an advancing market requires equally advanced tools.



Stafford explains: “Traditionally sign and digital printers focus on marketing their production ability, but in today’s challenging market, customers want a great service at a competitive price. Sign-makers need a tool which enables them to effectively communicate with their customers, produce quick accurate estimates, and keep track of their production processes, which is where a good MIS can help.

“In today’s climate customers are demanding more. It is important that sign and digital printers have the information available to analyse key activities. This information should then be constantly measured and monitored; enabling you to set Key Performance Indicators which are constantly challenged in order to achieve customer service excellence.”

Safford goes on to explain that Shuttleworth’s systems are at the head of the race when it comes to integrated tools.

She says: “Many sign and digital printers use their MIS as an estimating, costing, and production tool but an MIS is more than that. Most MIS systems now include an integrated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) module and it is an important part of the system that is often under utilised.”


A CRM is an example of how MIS can reach into all parts of a business, such as its customer relationships. By collecting data about past orders and behaviour, CRM can be used to synchronise sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support, all streamlining jobs from order to completion, and beyond.

Shuttleworth’s MIS is in constant development, continues Safford, not only to increase the areas of production that can be automated, monitored, and inspected, but also in its user-interface.



Stafford explains: “We are continuously developing our software package to make it more user friendly. Our new ‘kitting’ functionality makes it easy for sign companies to ‘bundle’ all the elements relating to a particular project and treat them as a single entity. This enables sign-makers to easily manage the production of items within a project making it easy for people to process and track projects whilst reducing admin, which ultimately increases profitability.”

O Factoid: The early concept of MIS, common in the 1960s and early 70s, was that systems analysts would determine the information requirements of individual managers in an organisation, and would design systems to supply that information routinely and on demand. O

Safford also says that the new ‘kitting’ function, which was displayed at the recent Sign and Digital UK exhibition, is particularly ideal for sign-makers that offer services in the increasingly lucrative area of vehicle wrapping. For example, when a customer takes on a car wrapping job, the ‘kitting’ function is designed to calculate the cost of the job, dependent on the dimensions of the car and therefore the area of vinyl needed, the man hours required, and the type of vinyl required. This kind of feature could potentially save sign-makers a fortune, especially for those just moving into this market.

Total control

On the subject of dedicated tools for sign-makers, digital press supplier Agfa Graphics claims to provide the single most comprehensive solution for workflow optimisation, with the 2014-launched Asanti software. Based on the popular Apogee software—designed for commercial print production—Asanti monitors and controls a sign-maker’s entire ‘eco-system’ from start to finish, to integrate, streamline and optimise.

Steve Collins, Agfa’s wide format inkjet product and channel manager, comments that sign-making firms are some of the most pressured in terms of keeping up with customer demand.



Collins says: “The main pressures today on sign-makers and digital printers are maintaining their margins and having the capability to meet the production demands, in terms of volume and delivery time.


“In this way, there are several benefits of MIS to sign and digital printers. The first benefit is obviously job tracking throughout to the whole production cycle. Currently, we've noticed that tracking of jobs in signage firms is non-existant or very poor.

“Secondly, MIS takes care of stock management. For sign-makers with diverse portfolios, it is a challenge to keep track of all their different substrates and constantly monitor how much is left. Above all, it culminates in a reduction of operator mistakes as no re-keying of info is required.”

It is true however that, aside from data collection and tracking, MIS is a tool to cut down on mistakes in the production process. While Agfa’s Asanti may be better defined as a workflow system, but nonetheless, the latest upgraded system, Asanti version 2, is a powerful tool for tracking and controlling workflow.

Collins explains: “Asanti version 2 delivers a unique eco-system based on an extreme tight integration between workflow and engine. It can manage last minute printbed manipulation without re-rendering saving time and money. Implementing new tools, from interactive workflows to automation, Asanti’s workflow-driven switching of engine parameters on a job-by-job base also helps to avoid operator mistakes.”




Controlled from Printer GUI (graphical user interface), the software ensures that jobs are tracked, updated, and deleted, that remakes are reliable, and that relevant production data is collected and delivered for accounting purposes. The system collates data in order to see where bottlenecks form, and where inefficiencies may be slowing down workflow.

Automation is one of the key buzzwords when it comes to stream-lining and speeding up productivity, and Asanti implements full automation in an accurate manner.

Collins says: “Its template-based, automated production means Asanti can define several frames with dedicated settings to reduce operator time for repetitive jobs. The Hot Ticket Mode uses automatic cutting generation and merges parameters to speed up production, whereas the production cost dashboard automatically calculates and monitors ink and media usage and cost.”

Finally, Asanti has also enabled the software to drive and monitor all kinds of wide-format printers and cutting machines from a range of different manufacturers. The argument is that optimising printer usage allows operators to implement the same job data for multiple engines, saving time and eliminating inconsistencies that come from manual intervention.

In the future, as all production moves towards remote usability, both EFI's Verbiest and Agfa’s Collins predict that MIS will become more integrated with cloud-based software, and that systems' interfaces will only become more user-friendly, requiring even less input time and faster turnarounds. As technology moves on, then, it seems the only way to compete is to join, as those without the extra tools at their fingertips may find the sign-making world changing beyond recognition.


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