January / February 2023 44 Solimar Systems’ Chemistry Platform can be used alongside an MIS solution to add value MIS Software or upgrade your solution. He also says it is crucial to be able to easily onboard new staff members on any solutions in place to prevent production delays if another employee transitions away from the production environment. “As you look to invest in software to help you automate and optimise, remember to look at the company culture of the companies you consider,” he says, adding: “Solimar Solutions has extensive online education to keep customers informed and a brilliant Customer Advisory Council (CAC) to provide guidance!” So, we’ve heard from a handful of companies offering MIS solutions and it’s clear to see the benefits these solutions can bring to a print business. From print cost estimating and print job management, to stock management and accounting and invoice management, there are a whole host of ways an MIS can help you to reduce bottlenecks and improve efficiency. The challenge is to pick one that’s right for you and that has longevity as these are solutions that are going to be in your company for years to come. The good news is there are plenty of high quality and reputable options available! system to fill gaps in the ‘managed information’ being delivered. Jamie Walsh, sales manager for EMEA and APAC for Solimar Systems explains how the company’s solutions can add value to an MIS for a print service provider: “Workflow software platforms like Chemistry from Solimar aren’t designed to be a print MIS. Truly, this kind of workflow solution is considered middleware, which is how it adds value. “It’s meant to connect solutions together, providing additional levels of optimisation, automation, and auditability. For example, many print providers leverage PDF as a print file type, ensuring that those PDF files are optimised (including fonts) is crucial to reducing processing times and production errors.” Walsh continues: “Solutions like Chemistry from Solimar can change or transform legacy file types such as PostScript, TIFF, and other formats to PDF, then optimise them for improved throughput, quality, and return on investment.” Something Walsh advises looking out for when choosing an MIS is custom solutions. He says that whilst print MIS systems have custom offerings, you need to ensure that it doesn’t challenge your ability to maintain you and your MIS provider have the same vision in mind and the development of the product is going to continue once you’ve implemented the system,” Newman adds. Adding value A key theme that all the MIS providers I spoke with have highlighted is the importance of the MIS solution you choose being integrable with other solutions. Solimar Systems offers a range of solutions that can do just this. One being the Solimar Systems Chemistry Platform which is a modular set of solutions to help users to achiever greater efficiency and visibility. Solimar’s solutions are middleware and workflow solutions within the printing industry and some examples include an award-winning PDF optimisation solution, ReadyPDF Prepress Server which helps print production and electronic creation and delivery process for printers and in-plant printing centres. As part of the Chemistry platform, Solimar offers a visibility solution that can track, report, and manage work as it comes from a print MIS, through production, and out to the intended recipient. Aside from MIS solutions, the SOLitrack component of the Chemistry platform creates automated and intelligent workflows where similar work can be managed, produced, tracked, and reported on for activities such as real-time production floor management, audits, and more. Often the data that the system collects from print devices and other software and hardware can be shared with a print MIS Without an MIS, print companies can sometimes feel lost when it comes to production data and business performance
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