Printsum Flyer Presentation Handout 9 questions on MIS Can you see the future?

 

9 Questions to ask when choosing an MIS

1. How good is the estimating? (Is it intuitive? Does it just add up the figures? Or can it really make suggestions to maximize efficiency in the use of paper and production? Can it consider all the pre-press and finishing processes when comparing litho and digital?)

2. Is it fast and usable? (Not just pretty. Don’t forget you’ll be using it day after day, month after month? Some systems get really convoluted in real use.)

3. How much does it really cost? (Do they give a straight answer? What happens if you argue – does the price come down? Why? What else do you have to pay before you get enough modules to be actually useful? What’s the on-going cost? It’s really not a good idea if they tell you support fees are not essential.)

4. Can you transfer data from another system? (And will there be a charge for this? If so, how much?)

5. How much installation and training will you need? (How much will this cost you? Why does it require so much?)

6. Is it a ’32 bit’ system? (If so it’s overdue for a re-write, without which the software will soon be non-usable. Most modern computers are 64 bit anyway, and 128 bit PCs are on the way)

7. Does it look old fashioned? (If so, it probably is. Oh dear. Maybe not very future-proof? If it looks OK, ask how recently the bits underneath were rewritten. Listen to the pauses!)

8. Can the data be accessed remotely? (From home, or via your mobile phone? That’s the way things are going)

9. Can you try it out seriously without spending a fortune? (Why not? Are they worried you might change your mind?)

For a fuller document about choosing MIS, see ‘Choosing an MIS’