PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT: From Sales to Mail: It Links It

As more printers harness technology to get leaner, management information systems (MIS) become all the more critical for staying with the competition. PrintStream business management software from Streamline Solutions—available in 14 complementary modules, along with 13 possible extensions—automates a variety of processes in a printing facility.

Three modules manage order estimating and entry, designed respectively for general printing, direct mail and book printing. Able to store job templates, the print estimator automatically selects the best press and most economical paper to use for any job and generates quotes and/or confirmation letters. Quotes can be copied from one customer to another, and up to 100 versions of any quote can be stored.

Estimate information is passed automatically to the order entry module—no need for wasteful re-entry—and a credit check is applied before converting to a job. The order entry checklist is defined by the printer. Work orders, ink specification sheets and sales copies can be printed to different parts of the facility, while relevant information is sent to the scheduling, job costing, inventory and purchasing modules.

PrintStream's directmail platform lets users estimate postage, versions, drops and packages. To ensure competitiveness, it also enables comparison of estimated costs with rates from other price lists. Upon approval of the estimate, job data is passed on for production and billing.

Streamline says the book estimating module determines the most cost-effective imposition for each component in a project. It calculates prepress costs based on number of pages and colors. Multiple quantities, page counts and bind styles can be processed within each estimate. All the components of an estimate can be displayed in an on-screen, printable layout. A multi-plant feature lets the same estimate be run through different facilities to compare production efficiencies.

PrintStream also offers a fulfillment platform, designed by Streamline to integrate with the print estimating and direct mail components. It accepts separate databases for each client or can run multiple fulfillment accounts from the same database. Item price lists can be managed, as well as territory data for commission or sales analysis reporting.

A printer can create ordering variables—project, order type, recipient type, etc.—that guide the flow of jobs through its system. Orders can be inputted directly into the system, imported from a file or received through a Web-based interface, which can be customized for individual fulfillment accounts. The customer can cancel, hold or release orders via the Web.

An inventory module helps manage direct mail projects. The company says that, unlike with some inventory software, physical counts can be conducted without shutting off PrintStream. A real-time monitoring screen shows 450 items at a time with color-coded status indicators.

The remaining PrintStream modules—scheduling, purchasing, job costing, shop floor data capture, production tracking, customer support, postage accounting, corporate accounting and sales analysis—support the estimating and fulfillment platforms. Other additional extensions simplify data reports, streamline mailing functions or consolidate multi-firm or multi-facility operations.

SUN07, this year's Streamline User Network Conference for PrintStream Users, will be held later this month, Sept. 27-29, in Park City, UT. Session coverage will include: data analysis and reporting; the upcoming Version 12; and PrintStream best practices. Also, if you're at Graph Expo, you can see Streamline Solutions' exhibit in Booth 5136. www.printstream.com