printIQ Cushing screen
By Ed Avis
Cushing, a long-time ADPSP member in Chicago, has accommodated web order submission from clients for many years, but its home-grown system started reaching its limits a few years ago.
“We determined about three years ago that what we were doing didn’t have the legs to last us into the horizon,” says Joe Cushing, executive vice president of the firm. “So we created a 7-page scope of what we wanted.”
Cushing logo
Among the features Cushing wanted in their new web-based order system was an intuitive quoting capability; creation of work orders that are easy for employees to understand; and job management from front end to back end. They also wanted the capability to establish customer “portals” that allow regular customers to quickly re-order jobs they frequently need.
The search for a program that met their needs was long, Cushing says. They investigated various software packages and interviewed representatives from the top candidates. In the end they chose printIQ.
“When we saw printIQ, the gentleman who gave us the demo almost read our mind with the top 7 or 8 features,” Cushing says. “On top of that there were some thoughtful add-ons. And in the end a couple of other things gave us assurances such as Matt’s (Miloszewski) candor and instincts.”
Miloszewski, the Eastern Region sales manager for IQ, which makes printIQ, notes that the fact that Cushing staff spent a long time considering their needs and cleaning up their data has made the transition from the current system to printIQ smooth.
“We’re a month into the installation now,” Miloszewski says. “This is not turnkey software – we typically plan for a 3- to 6-month process.”
Within Cushing, the process has been collaborative and has involved many other team members, including David Parkes, director of information technology; Jorge Galvan, senior production manager; Demetrius Calhoun, accounting manager; Julia Kaufman, color production supervisor, and Matthew Cushing, account manager.
Advantages
Cushing says he expects the printIQ system to improve the company’s order management system from front end to back.
“I think people will find the printIQ interface intuitive and fresh looking,” he says. “One step up will be the customized portals. If we have a client who orders regularly, say a series of safety signs, restroom signs, directional signs, whatever – those would reside in a storefront portal where they can say, ‘We’re doing a standard order with three restroom signs and two exit signs.’”
Customers making unique orders also will experience a smoother process. They will be able to select from a variety of standard templates – banners, signs, posters, etc. – and specify parameters such as colors and stock. The system will automatically deliver a quote; if it looks good, the customer can upload the job and pay for it online or on account.
The intuitive quoting system draws from a database of costs, and it can be customized per customer. The quoting system will work the same way whether a customer places the order online or an employee enters information while speaking with the customer.
“Employees will be able to click on certain things to see what the costs and mark-ups are,” Cushing says. “So if a customer calls back and says ‘You’re close on everything but this part,’ the employee can easily uncover the costs to see if an adjustment can be made.”
In addition, the database from which quotes are generated will house Cushing’s inventory data, which will facilitate the company’s just-in-time inventory maintenance. For example, if a salesperson quotes a job that will use 40 sheets of Gatorboard and there are only 30 sheets in inventory, the system will send an alert that at least 10 more sheets need to be immediately ordered. This will prevent expensive rush orders, and will ensure the materials are on-hand when a job begins.
Once a quote is accepted, it becomes the work order. The floor manager will be able to conveniently observe all the work orders in progress and sort the various tasks by discipline and deadline.
“This will be a big help in managing jobs,” Cushing says. “A well-written work order is important. The project manager can tweak it if needed and push it onto the floor.”
Another feature of the new system that Cushing feels will be most pleasing to customers is the ability for them to log in and observe the process of their jobs in real time. For example, if a client wakes up in the middle of the night worried about a job, she can take a quick peek online and feel assured that it’s moving ahead as expected.
Construction Drawings
Cushing’s business has largely shifted to graphics work and away from AEC plan printing, but that work still exists. Cushing says he expects the company’s AEC clients to like the new interface and ordering processes as much as other clients.
On the back end, as cost information for plan printing is entered into the costing database, Cushing leadership will have to decide whether the existing square-foot pricing model will work best, or whether the firm should shift to a per-sheet or per-job model.
“This transition is giving us the option to make that change,” Cushing says.
Ultimately, the new system should smooth operations for all of Cushing’s orders. Says Miloszewski: “We’re trying to reduce touchpoints in the process and make the interaction between the customer and provider easier and quicker.”