Estimating is a cornerstone of a printing business. Print estimating software is designed specifically to support printing businesses with the challenges of tight profit margins.
Leverage a MIS to do the heavy lifting of print estimating for you. HiFlow’s Estimate Wizard was created with the printing industry in mind. The estimator inputs only relevant data without having to calculate anything outside of the system. In addition, HiFlow uses the parameters of the job to estimate other things (quantities, times, costs).
Information an estimator requires to quickly produce an accurate estimate is available to the estimator in HiFlow’s database—fixed costs, mark-ups, variable costs and a lot more. Instantly.
Does every job really need an estimate done by an estimator?
Determine whether or not you can automate the estimating process – are there parts of your print business that you can price out without needing an estimator? Simpler jobs without complex multiple components? Print estimating software that is part of a comprehensive MIS system, like HiFlow, can assist in automating the simple jobs.
With HiFlow’s Print MIS tool estimating can be automated so that more and more jobs do not require a human estimate.
More Accurate Job Costing
Estimating can make or break a sale, and has arguably the biggest impact on profits. The more accurate the estimate, the less profits are impacted. An underestimated job costs the printer money, while an overestimated job loses business.
Many printers are guilty of ball-parking quotes because they’re in a hurry or have created estimates so often and are making assumptions. But more often, the culprit is complexity. Print estimates can be pages and pages (and pages) long; it may be easy to overlook a detail.
Using print estimating software can streamline the estimating process, make it faster AND more accurate.
Here’s 10 reasons HiFlow’s print estimating software works to widen your profit margin:
- Estimating module which is easy to learn and use
- Templates customized to your business, allows fast job creation
- Reducing quoting errors with a step by step process that includes dependencies
- Supports multiple versions of a quote; stores jobs & quotes
- Speedy entry of “standard” products with just a few clicks
- Supports BHR (basic hourly rates) , throughput-based pricing
- Quotes include direct cost, total cost, overhead, mark-up
- Quotes are created with only a few clicks
- Create custom finishing processes that flow to the production floor
- Custom pricing levels by product, client; from 5 to 100
Leverage an MIS to do the heavy lifting of print estimating for you
The way to stay on top of an overcrowded competitive market is analyze your estimating processes and consider updating your production processes and technology.
There are many benefits to understanding costs and profitability inherent in the estimating process. Having an accurate, speedy, easy estimating tool that automates large portions of your estimating process equals less stress and wider margins of profit. Implement a comprehensive MIS system with a robust estimating engine—consider HiFlow Solutions.
HiFlow is a flexible Management Information System developed to automate the processes from estimating through production to invoicing designed by our industry experts for packaging, label, and print production. HiFlow MES module allows real time data from sensors to compare estimate, job ticket with actual production costs.
