MIS vs. Workflow Automation: What’s the Difference?
MIS platforms like Printavo and DecoNetwork manage quoting, order handling, and artwork, but when it comes to factory efficiency, they stop short. In this post, Andrew Smith, Founder | MD at ZenSmart, breaks down how workflow automation takes over—optimizing production, batching, tracking quality, and maximizing profitability.
Transcript
I was asked last week to explain how we fit relative to an MIS system like Printavo, Deco Network, PrintIQ and so on. And an MIS is great for quoting managing client comms, order management, controlling the artwork and versioning. Some will generate print ready artwork and help with predicting print schedules, but in terms of factory efficiency, that’s where it stops. And the reality is, the bigger and more diverse your product range, the more difficult it is to control what is manufactured, its efficiency and know what’s going on. And that’s where workflow automation systems come in. Workflow automation is not only about gluing the different stages of production together into the most efficient combination, but also about, one, how the workflow is around the factory. Two, how work is queued, batched and sequenced into production. Three, how those batches flow into the downstream workflow stages. Four, managing fails and quality and keeping you on track. Five, seeing and controlling people and machine performance. And six, optimizing logistics. MIS manages what is the work to do. Workflow automation controls how you work to maximum profitable efficiency. So if you’d like to know how to get the most out of your MIS by joining it to a workflow automation platform, reach out, we’d love to talk with you about it.
