Steve Bell of Bell Graphics in Ellesmere Port, (near Liverpool) in the UK wanted to bring his company management workflow up to date and move it fully into the cloud. His selections for the two key systems he uses were Sage One for his online accounting and Hexicom Software’s Print MIS and print estimating software called ePrint MIS.
Bell Graphics promise their customers “high quality colour print delivered on time, so you can relax in the knowledge that your job is in the right hands and taken care of”. But to achieve that promise requires sound systemisation, detailed management focus, and a trustworthy print estimating software solution.
The Bell Graphics business is a short to medium run digital print operation and Hexicom’s Print MIS system has proven to be a great fit for this model. As a full print estimating software package ePrint MIS enables Bell Graphics to quote their customers various job requirements, manage their jobs to ensure work is undertaken to specification on time, and then invoice the job to the customer.
Accurate estimating for a wide variety of customers and requirements
The client base of Bell Graphics includes design and marketing agencies, web design agencies International companies, Charities, Churches and interest clubs and societies. These clients have a wide variety of print requirement and Bell Graphics need to have a reliable and flexible print estimating software to enable them to meet these requirements.
The configuration that Bell have in their Print MIS system enables them to estimate digital and offset print as well as large format and signage requirements. The details of the print machines are configured in their Print MIS system and when the estimates are created they draw on this data to accurately calculate the costs, mark ups and final selling price for the customer.
If after receiving the print estimate the customer should ask for a revision Bell Graphics have the flexibility in their print mis software to re-calculate the estimate taking into account the customers new requirements, and to then email this back to their customer from the Print MIS system.
Bell Graphics can also outsource work to third party vendors and receive their prices directly into their print estimating software. Having received these third party prices Bell Graphics can then add their mark up and in the print estimating software and send the estimate to their customer.
Where Bell Graphics have often repeated requests for the same item they can create a standard product in their Print MIS system and store that in a catalogue to use in future print estimates. This makes the whole print quoting process more streamlined and faster and also ensures the price quoted is identical each time. Clients today expect complete consistency when dealing with a professional print supplier and a print estimating software that enables this is an invaluable tool.
Easy linking of the Print MIS system to Sage One accounting software
After the invoice has been sent Bell Graphics are able to transfer the invoice details through an Internet connection called an API from their Hexicom Print MIS system to their Sage One accounting package. They then use Sage One for their financial management and accounting processes.
This workflow enables Bell Graphics to export data rather than re-key the data manually from the Print MIS system into the Sage accounting software. This was a key requirement for Bell Graphics as they wanted to be sure to remove the potential for error moving data between the two systems. Having an accurate print estimating software is great but you need to be able to easily transfer that data to the accounts system as well to complete the management workflow. Having moved the data to Sage One Bell Graphics then use Sage to send customers their statements, record customer payments and track their finances.
Hexicom Software work with customers who use a wide range of accounting software including systems such as Xero, Sage Line 50, Sage One, MYOB and of course Quick Books. In all cases the Hexicom Print MIS solution enables data to be exported or transferred through the Internet into the accounting software.
