Is a New MIS the Best Thing for Your Shop? Top 2 Reasons to Consider Making a Switch

A modern and effective print management information system can elevate your print operation to new levels of efficiency and profitability. However, as your business grows over time, so will your objectives and your workload, and what used to be the right fit may no longer be. That’s why conducting regular workflow evaluations of your MIS is crucial to your continued success. If your system can’t keep up with the demands of your business, it might be time to partner with a new vendor so you can ensure continued productivity down the road.

Here are the two biggest signs you should consider a new MIS vendor: 

When you make your MIS purchase, you are buying more than just a software solution, you’re investing in a long-term partnership with your vendor. This means your vendor should see you as more than just a customer. It should provide high-quality, full-service support and online self-help tools throughout the duration of your relationship to ensure you get maximum value from your investment.

The vendor should have a clear, detailed launch plan to kick off the partnership, as well as well-organized, phased roll-outs for implementation of additional MIS functionalities. These need to be led by product experts who fully understand how to navigate the complexities of your operation and can quickly suggest feasible solutions to any challenges that arise. You should also have unlimited access to self-help resources to enhance your product know-how along the way and guide you to self-sufficiency and mastery over the platform. 

When more serious issues arise that cannot be adequately addressed by support technicians or customer service representatives, executive leadership should always be accessible to help. A direct line of communication to vendor leadership shows the company’s full commitment to your success. 

If you haven’t established much of a true partnership with your vendor and have been left to navigate your MIS mostly on your own, with little support beyond basic troubleshooting, it may be a good time to consider investing in a vendor that can be more hands-on in collaborating with you for long-term business growth. 

2. Product growth has been limited. 
A strong MIS vendor partnership should be for the long term, which means your vendor needs to be able to keep up, not only with your business growth, but also with advancements in the print industry.  

The most impactful partner should be a trailblazer of technology innovation rather than a follower of industry trends. This not only means staying ahead of the curve with new products, but also being savvy about business development. An experienced vendor should be able to offer you a realistic picture of their long-term capabilities and have a strong understanding of the power of outside partnerships to complement and enhance product functionality. 

On the topic of functionality, your vendor should also be agile enough to issue frequent releases and regular enhancements, in addition to big product launches, to resolve software bugs and improve system performance. A vendor not invested in the optimal functionality of its platform will not be equipped to keep up with the complexities of your existing workflows, much less your business demands as you grow.

Your business has been built to last and needs a partner with vision for the same longevity. If your vendor has lacked product growth and business development, it’s a huge sign to start looking elsewhere. 

Evaluate your current partnership. 

The wrong MIS can be incredibly costly to your business. If your current vendor has not delivered the supportive and innovative partnership you need to drive operational efficiency, nurture deeper customer relationships and accommodate business expansion, it’s time to research alternative solutions that can better serve you. 

Before committing to a new vendor, establish clear business priorities and be honest about what you need from an MIS, not only to manage the day-to-day of your operation, but also to support your long term vision. Understand how your potential vendor will guide you through launch and beyond. Ask about the vendor’s tools and resources for training and support. Get to know how they approach product releases and enhancements and how they see their functionalities expanding over time. 

Want to see if Avanti is the right partner for you? Chat with a specialist to see how our Slingshot print MIS could fit into your workflows.