Free advice for improving your printing organization.

Maximizing Your Print Management Software ROI:|
Reports For Success

The key element to any business management system is the reporting capability. You could purchase the most powerful system available, but if the information produced doesn’t allow you to make informed business decisions, then your investment is wasted.

No matter how many reports a system includes, most companies have a favorite report that does not come with it. Fortunately, many systems include report writing tools that allow users to design their own reports. Report writers work well for developing straightforward reports, but fall short with more complex reports, such as job tickets or estimates. The complex reports usually require custom programming by the vendor or your own IT staff.

But before spending the time and money to develop new custom reports, make sure you have a good understanding of the reports that come with the system. By working within the system and doing some out-of-the-box thinking, you may find that the system’s existing reports can effectively provide the desired information.

Some of the many management reports essential to running a successful business include:

• Spoilage by employee, cost center, or department
• Productivity by employee, cost center, or department
• Profitability by job, customer, salesperson, or product
• Projected/estimated production vs. actual reports
• Estimated material usage vs. inventory reports

Regardless of whether you use the reports that came with your system or developed your own reports, be sure to design a reporting system that’s efficient and contributes to wise business decisions. Most important, make sure people know how to produce, read, and interpret the reports. Design top-level, action oriented reports that measure the performance of each area of your business. Then educate your people on the meaning of the information and how to be proactive when using the information to improve operations.

Craig L. Press is president of Profectus, Inc, a national consultancy that helps printing organizations implement best business practices and maximize the value of their information technology investments. www.profectus.com