Midnight is a true end-to-end solution for the Print & Mail industry. With our unique understanding of the production process the Virtual Systems’ team has designed a workflow to maximize success with the MIS. The workflow also provides a complete view of all the elements that can be employed to effectively and efficiently manage workflow, sales, and inventory.
Converting estimates to orders is simple with the Export to Order button. This eliminates re-keying quote information. The additional benefit of the Estimating modules is to track why quotes did not convert. It is easy to review the estimates won vs loss report and identify products that are consistently lost based on specific criteria. Through utilizing the Loss Disposition feature, account representatives are encouraged to follow up with potential clients and gain insights about possible areas for improvement.
Upon winning an estimate, the order tracking process begins with Midnight’s Dynamic Job Board (DJB) and Shop Floor Data Collection (SFDC). Project steps are defined within the Job Status created in the Global Settings Admin panel. Job status steps are customizable to your process making it easy to design the workflow that is right for you. In creating your workflow keep in mind the 80/20 rule. Create your processes for 80% of the work. The remaining 20% may already have specific process and workflows that are adhered to. Don’t get stuck on trying to make everything fit the model, there will always be clients and projects that have their own rules.
As orders are working through the process, key costs are also being recorded. The Purchase Order module features the ability to attach a PO with a job. Purchase Orders are listed on the Job Detail Analysis report, providing key information on total costs of production. POs coupled with Inventory costs, labor, shipping and more provide a complete picture of project profitability. The Job Detail Analysis can be accessed anytime during the production process to view time and materials invested as well as identify costs associated with a project that were not factored in at the time of the estimate.
With all the processes completed, invoicing is made easy. All items associates with the order should have been updated throughout production to provide accurate counts and billing information. Keeping the order up-to-date makes invoicing as simple as selecting the format for the invoice and printing it. The system provides complete continuity and history when all modules utilized are updated. Midnight Workflow streamlines the Print and Mail process making it easy to manage more jobs efficiently and effectively.
