Open Forum

  • 1.  Integrated Software System?

    Posted 01-10-2017 10:07 AM

    Hello,

    We're looking at the systems we use to run our company and we're finding that over time, we've created or use many, separate software solutions.  Each separate system was developed to solve a particular problem but having one software solution would save much money and time, so much so, that it's tempting to consider creating our own.

    We're an agency with print & mail capabilities.  We envision a cloud based, collaborative software solution that is client facing as well as offers seamless hand off from one dept to another within the company.  A solution that takes us from 'concept' through 'delivery' to 'invoicing'...whether that product is a 'mailing' or a 'video' or a 'program'.

    One system that would allow collaborative copy writing & design, project estimating and scheduling, shop floor and inventory control and accounting software.  In addition, we've created many separate scheduling, estimating, training tools, mostly because what we have doesn't quite give us what we need.

    I feel that software development tools have evolved exponentially in the past 5 years, maybe it's not that crazy to envision a single system.

    I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has thought about this or solved this problem already.

    Thank you.

    - Carol

    ------------------------------
    Carol Martin
    Five Maples
    Putney VT
    800-437-7780
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Integrated Software System?

    Posted 01-11-2017 09:21 AM

    Hi Carol –

    Great topic and one you will be hearing more and more about in the coming years.  The integrated systems you’re talking about have existed for several years in home grown executions through the use of APIs.  There will be many offerings that will come out of the box (with limited set up relative to today's systems) that will allow you to do exactly what you’re talking about since they’ll be required for survival. 

     Early adopters/visionaries with IT and capital resources have been able to take open platforms like those offered by our organization and completely automate large parts of their organization to have less touch points and far greater efficiency.  The aperture at which you can solve these issues is only limited by your imagination as there are APIs that are capable of nearly any business function.

     Challenges to this end:  This industry, more than any other I’ve worked in, has a “we’ve always done it this way” mentality and for many it will be the death of them.  There’s  far too much talent and fresh thinking to problem solve in this space to be a sleep at the wheel. 

    To wit, we recently on boarded a large print mail operation that has totally automated their list processing mail operation (they just recently renewed for the first time) and they run on average 45 jobs a day without a single touch point, usually between 3-400 jobs a week.  You don’t want to be competing with these people for work if you have functionaries manually processing lists. 

    The challenge for most organizations is vision – if you asked the list processing department if this could be done they’d say impossible.  This particular client leveraged their IT resources for the WHY and we helped them with the HOW.  It would have been impossible for this client to do this themselves since they only really had one vision on how to process a list internally -- like they've always done it, manually.   

    I apologize for my self-serving example but it tends to be a good one due the complexity of mailing but nearly all business functions can be served up as a “ single solution” through partnerships with software vendors that leverage APIs.  EFI is probably the closest company to achieving what you’ve eloquently laid out.  A few years back their CEO, Guy Gecht, went into a fairly detailed plan on how they were going to get there with their EBus platform.  I think they are very close to delivering the vision they/you had/have, the industry will see the progress they’ve made next week at EFI Connect.  Hope to see you there…just look for the best dressed guy at the show…that’ll be me or Brian Euclide (an inside joke for those who follow TEC).      

    ------------------------------
    Scott Eganhouse
    V.P. Business Development
    TEC Mailing Solutions, LLC
    Sun Prairie WI
    (608) 825-8525



  • 3.  RE: Integrated Software System?

    Posted 01-11-2017 09:21 AM

    Hi Carol –

    Great topic and one you will be hearing more and more about in the coming years.  The integrated systems you’re talking about have existed for several years in home grown executions through the use of APIs.  There will be many offerings that will come out of the box (with minimal setup relative to today's execution) that will allow you to do exactly what you’re talking about and they’ll likely be required for survival. 

    Early adopters/visionaries with IT and capital resources have been able to take open platforms like those offered by our organization and completely automate large parts of their organization to have less touch points and far greater efficiency.  The aperture at which you can solve these issues is only limited by your imagination as there are APIs that are capable of nearly any business function.

    Challenges to this end:  This industry, more than any other I’ve worked in, has a “we’ve always done it this way” mentality and for many it will be the death of them.  There’s  far too much talent and fresh thinking to problem solve in this space to be a sleep at the wheel. 

    We recently on boarded a large print mail operation that has totally automated their list processing mail operation (they just renewed after year one) and they run on average 45 jobs a day without a single touch point, usually between 3-400 jobs a week.  You don’t want to be competing with these people for work if you have functionaries manually processing lists. 

    The challenge for most organizations is vision – if you asked the list processing department if this could be done they’d say impossible.  This particular client leveraged their IT resources for the WHY and we helped them with the HOW.  It would have been impossible for this client to do this themselves since they only had one vision on how to process a list internally.   

    I apologize for my self-serving example but it tends to be a good one due the complexity of mailing but nearly all business functions can be served up as a “ single solution” through partnerships with software vendors that leverage APIs.  EFI is probably the closest company to achieving what you’ve eloquently laid out – a few years back their CEO, Guy Gecht, went into a fairly detailed plan on how they were going to get there.  I think they are very close to delivering the vision they had and I’m sure the industry will see the progress they’ve made next week at EFI Connect. 

    Hope to see you there…just look for the best dressed guy(s) at the show…that’ll be me or Brian Euclide (an inside joke for those who follow TEC).      

    ------------------------------
    Scott Eganhouse
    V.P. Business Development
    TEC Mailing Solutions, LLC
    Sun Prairie WI
    (608) 825 8525



  • 4.  RE: Integrated Software System?

    Posted 01-11-2017 09:21 AM

    Hi Carol –

     Great topic and one you will be hearing more and more about in the coming years.  The integrated systems you’re talking about have existed for several years in home grown executions through the use of APIs.  There will be many offerings that will come out of the box (with minimal setup relative to today's execution) that will allow you to do exactly what you’re talking about and they’ll likely be required for survival.

    Early adopters/visionaries with IT and capital resources have been able to take open platforms like those offered by our organization and completely automate large parts of their organization to have less touch points and far greater efficiency.  The aperture at which you can solve these issues is only limited by your imagination as there are APIs that are capable of nearly any business function.

    Challenges to this end:  This industry, more than any other I’ve worked in, has a “we’ve always done it this way” mentality and for many it will be the death of them.  There’s  far too much talent and fresh thinking to problem solve in this space to be a sleep at the wheel.

    We recently on boarded a large print mail operation that has totally automated their list processing mail operation (they just renewed after year one) and they run on average 45 jobs a day without a single touch point, usually between 3-400 jobs a week.  You don’t want to be competing with these people for work if you have functionaries manually processing lists.

    The challenge for most organizations is vision – if you asked the list processing department if this could be done they’d say impossible.  This particular client leveraged their IT resources for the WHY and we helped them with the HOW.  It would have been impossible for this client to do this themselves since they only had one vision on how to process a list internally.  

    I apologize for my self-serving example but it tends to be a good one due the complexity of mailing but nearly all business functions can be served up as a “ single solution” through partnerships with software vendors that leverage APIs.  EFI is probably the closest company to achieving what you’ve eloquently laid out – a few years back their CEO, Guy Gecht, went into a fairly detailed plan on how they were going to get there.  I think they are very close to delivering the vision they had and I’m sure the industry will see the progress they’ve made next week at EFI Connect.

    Hope to see you there…just look for the best dressed guy(s) at the show…that’ll be me or Brian Euclide (an inside joke for those who follow TEC).

    ------------------------------
    Scott Eganhouse
    V.P. Business Development
    TEC Mailing Solutions, LLC
    Sun Prairie WI
    (608) 825 8525