Choosing the Right Print MIS System for Your Business

Selecting the right Print MIS Systems is crucial for optimizing your print business operations. Not all print management information systems are created equally. Some systems specialize in commercial print, wide format, label printing, or flexible packaging, while others may lack essential features, requiring additional purchases to manage your entire workflow.

To make an informed decision, you need to evaluate why you need a new Print MIS system, what functions you require, and how they align with your business objectives. Consider the specific challenges your print business faces:

• Are you struggling with order processing, job scheduling, inventory management, or client communication?
• Do you need automation, cloud-based accessibility, or advanced reporting capabilities?

A well-chosen Print MIS System will scale with your business, support new product lines, and integrate seamlessly with your existing software.

What is a Print MIS?

A Print MIS (Management Information System) is specialized software designed to manage and optimize the workflow of a print business. It serves as the central hub for handling job estimation, scheduling, inventory management, invoicing, and customer relationship management. By automating and streamlining these essential functions, a Print MIS system improves efficiency, reduces errors, and enhances profitability.

Different Print MIS systems cater to various sectors, including commercial print, wide format, label printing, and flexible packaging. Choosing the right one depends on your business size, industry requirements, and workflow complexity.

Read my article on the differences between a Print MIS and an ERP.

Best Print MIS Systems in the Market

At Sabre, we sell PrintVis with Business Central to all of our customers in print manufacturing. There is some bias when I say that PrintVis is one of the best Print MIS systems but in reality, it is. It’s fully integrated with Business Central to make it one of the most comprehensive Print ERPs on the market.

With that being said, here are some of the leading Print MIS systems available today:

1. PrintVis

• Best for: Small to mid-sized print manufacturers (commercial, wide format, label, and packaging)
• Key Features: Cloud-based, integrated with Microsoft Business Central, flexible customization
• Strengths: Strong ERP integration, scalable, and ideal for manufacturing-oriented print businesses

Take a look at my PrintVis Pricing Guide to get a better understanding as to how much the licenses and implementation would cost.

2. ePS Pace

• Best for: Mid-market commercial printers
• Key Features: Cloud-hosted, automation-driven workflow, advanced reporting
• Strengths: Enterprise-level functionality, seamless automation, extensive integrations

3. PrintSmith

• Best for: Quick print shops, in-plant printers, and franchise print shops
• Key Features: Estimating, order management, production scheduling, inventory control
• Strengths: Affordable and easy to use, ideal for small to mid-sized print operations, web-to-print integration

4. Avanti

• Best for: Commercial and in-plant printers
• Key Features: Business intelligence, real-time job tracking, CRM integration
• Strengths: Data-driven decision-making, scalable for different print sectors

5. PrintIQ

• Best for: Wide format and digital print businesses
• Key Features: Cloud-based, automated job tracking, integrated e-commerce solutions
• Strengths: Modern, user-friendly interface, suitable for a variety of print sectors

By comparing these options, you can find a Print MIS system that aligns with your specific needs and business size.

Why Your Print Business Needs a Modern Print MIS System

Before choosing a new Print MIS, you should clearly define the reasons driving this decision. Common scenarios include:

1. Your Current Technology is Obsolete

Technology evolves rapidly. If your existing Print MIS or ERP is outdated, lacks upgrades, or faces compatibility issues (e.g., moving away from Windows 7 or Microsoft GP), transitioning to a modern Print MIS is essential.

2. You’ve Outgrown Your Old System

As your print business grows, your operational needs change. If your current system can’t handle new customers, expanded product lines, or increased production complexity, it’s time to upgrade.

3. You Have Specialized Needs

If your business requires advanced features like graphical scheduling, lot/serial control for food packaging, or automated estimating, you need a system that aligns with your industry requirements.

4. You Need to Streamline Your Workflow

Inefficient workflows—such as navigating through multiple layers to find job materials or tracking production manually—can slow operations. A modern Print MIS system can automate and streamline these processes, saving time and reducing errors.

When trying to find the ideal print MIS systems, sit down either individually or as a team and articulate the underlying reasons fueling your search. For those falling under the first category, take this opportunity to envision the potential benefits a new system could bring to your company. Instead of solely focusing on features, think holistically about the overarching needs your business faces. Consider aspects like streamlining estimating processes or diversifying invoicing layouts. Remember to avoid generating feature lists based on your current software’s perceived shortcomings.

Example: Let’s say your current system makes it very hard to purchase. You need to click 10 levels deep to get to screen where you select a material needed on a job.

How to Choose the Best Print MIS Systems

1. Identify Your Must-Have Features

Create a list of features you need in a Print MIS system, this is your list of needs. Your list should have 10 to 20 needs such as:

• Cloud-based access for remote work
• Automated job scheduling
• Real-time inventory tracking
• Integrated estimating & quoting tools
• CRM integration for client management

2. Rank Features by Priority

Allocate a hypothetical budget to each feature (e.g., $100,000 total). Assign value based on importance:

• Essential Features: High-priority needs should be allocated $15-20k (e.g., estimating & job scheduling)
• Nice-to-Have Features: Lower-priority items that improve efficiency can be given smaller amounts like $1-5k.

The reason you need to do this exercise is because as an ERP vendor, if you give me a list of 20 items, I can tell you that I can provide them all. If you give me a list with priority, I’ll be better equipped to help.

3. Compare Top Print MIS Systems

Use a comparison table to evaluate Print MIS vendors based on key criteria.

Engaging Print MIS Vendors: What to Ask

Once you’ve shortlisted vendors, ask these questions:

• How does your system handle job scheduling and estimating?
• Can your Print MIS scale as my business grows?
• What integrations do you offer (CRM, ERP, accounting)?
• What is your implementation timeline and support structure?
• Do you offer fixed-fee pricing or subscription models?

Tip: Watch out for hidden costs like extra charges for additional users, advanced reporting, or customizations.

How to Pick the Right Print MIS Vendor

1. Look for Industry Experience: Choose a vendor specializing in print manufacturing MIS.
2. Prioritize Cloud-Based Solutions: Cloud solutions provide scalability and remote access.
3. Evaluate Customization & Ease of Use: Ensure the system can be tailored to your workflows.
4. Check Pricing & Billing Models: Subscription-based pricing is often more cost-effective.
5. Read Reviews & Testimonials: Look for Google reviews, YouTube demos, and case studies.

Narrowing Down Your Print MIS Vendor Options: How to Choose the Top 3

Selecting the right vendor is a crucial step. Follow this roadmap:

1. Look for Industry Experience

Choose vendors that specialize in your type of print manufacturing. A vendor with a track record in your industry understands your unique challenges and can streamline implementation.

2. Prioritize Modern, Cloud-Based Solutions

Ensure the system is cloud-adaptable for long-term scalability. If you’re unsure, consult an IT expert to verify technical compatibility.

3. Evaluate Customization Options

While minimal customization is ideal, ensure the system can be tailored to your specific needs without excessive costs or complexity.

4. Compare Billing Models

Subscription-based pricing is often more cost-effective than traditional “buy it once” models. Look for vendors offering modern, flexible pricing options.

5. Request Budget Estimates

Ask vendors for rough budget estimates early. Make it clear these are preliminary and non-binding to gauge alignment with your financial expectations.

6. Secure Fixed Fees or ‘Not to Exceed’ Pricing

Fixed fees provide financial predictability and protect against unexpected costs.

Remember to look for Google Reviews, blogs, YouTube, or any other source to validate what the vendors say. If something seems too good to be true, the truth is probably on the internet.

Closing The Deal

Now you’ll have selected 3 vendors to work with, ask them to do a demo for you. Offer to let them meet with the team before the demo for a couple of hours if they need. If you have selected a vendor that knows your business, that is all they really need. Very few small or medium businesses (under 100 computers) are as complicated as they think.

When you have held your long form demos and interviewed the vendors, you’ll establish a favorite pretty quickly. I recommend calling references at this point. If you have two that feel tied, you can call both. No vendor is going to give you a reference that is bad. There are two “tells” that a reference might not be the best.

1. They are really new. Someone who purchased the product in the last 3 months is not a good reference. They should be “Live” or very close.
2. They are really old. A reference that’s 10+ years old is not running the current system (and maybe didn’t work with the current staff).

At Sabre, we’ve been implementing PrintVis and Business Central for small to medium sized manufacturing companies. You can see what they have to say by checking out our testimonials page.

Want to learn more? Contact our experts today.