5 Tips for a Seamless PrintVis Implementation
Hello! I'm Scott, president of Courier Graphics Corporation and a proud third-generation printer. I joined the family business in 2009 and have since navigated various organizational changes, including my second ERP/MIS implementation—this time with PrintVis. After years on EFI Logic, and then EFI Monarch, we were ready to explore better options. In March 2023, we successfully went live with PrintVis after a six-month journey, with the heaviest lift occurring in the last few months. Here are five essential tips to help make your PrintVis implementation a success.
1. Involve Key Players Early and Often
Changing systems can feel daunting, especially for the people that use them every day. Involving team leaders from the start can help to get their buy in and make it a seamless experience for all. PrintVis offers an array of features that can revolutionize your operations, but your team needs to be able to see the value for themselves. Include them in demos and discussions about the new system and ask:
What do you need the system to do?
What does your current system do well?
What are your current pain points?
What improvements would make your life easier?
What would your dream system look like?
You’ll be more confident that the new system will meet your team’s needs, and they’ll be more likely to champion it throughout the organization.
2. Don’t Skimp on Reseller Research
Printers aren’t one-size-fits-all, and PrintVis has over 30 partners worldwide with different benefits to align with your specific goals. Choosing the best reseller partner will be crucial for a successful implementation, so it’s important that you’ve done your due diligence. Ask questions like:
How many implementations have they completed?
Have they worked with businesses in your vertical?
Who will be involved in your build-out?
What’s included in the build-out, and what’s not?
What’s critical to your build-out, and what’s negotiable?
What does the statement of work look like?
What happens if things don’t go as planned?
Thorough research and discussions in the upfront will pay off in the long run.
3. Go Lean for Launch
Everyone wants to go live with a perfect system, but like most things in business, this is a process; and that’s actually a good thing. Prioritize essential areas and eliminate outdated equipment and barriers for the initial launch. Of course things like accounting, estimating, and shop floor data are important, but can easily be phased in later. Not only will this give you an opportunity to learn the system and refine your approach, but it can also prevent costly delays and team frustration.
4. Embrace Transformation
With new systems come new processes. And often, they’ll optimize operations over time.
For instance, our previous method of quoting ink was straightforward: sheets through the press multiplied by a flat rate. PrintVis, however, breaks it down by color. While this initially added complexity, it ultimately delivered the same results without requiring extensive custom adjustments. Adapt to the system's design rather than trying to replicate old processes.
5. Create an Expert
Choose a key member of your team to truly own the implementation, prioritize it, and become the go-to resource for questions. Ideally, they should have thorough knowledge of every part of your business from estimating to accounting. This enables them to champion the transition and help manage, resolve, or communicate any pain points as needed.
Lastly, patience during this transition is key. Change can be frustrating, and testing and training takes time; but it also provides a great opportunity to evolve. And if you need a little additional support, the PrintVis user group is an invaluable resource that’s always there.
Hopefully these tips help minimize stress and make implementation a more rewarding experience for you and every member of your organization.
See you on the next page, Scott Carritt