Impressions - May/June 2023 - 33

ultimately pay for itself-the same as any other smart investment-by
allowing you to spend your time on those aspects of your business only
you can do, versus those tasks better suited to a computer.
" I think a company should consider adding software early on, "
Muniandy emphasizes. " Some programs are expensive, but not all
are. If you are doing only a few orders a month, maybe it's too soon.
But if you are doing a few decent orders a week, you're already earning
enough revenue to justify the cost. It may not be a full-featured program,
but something to get started with. "
Campbell agrees, saying, " I think there's a bridging point between the
person selling pre-decorated products at a craft show and a prosumer
doing customization, for example, a monogram shop or a business
adding logos and names to uniforms. At that point, you are doing
enough throughput to justify the cost. "
In the same vein, Mertens says, " I suggest looking at business software
as an employee. It's not so much a matter of affordability as answering
the question 'How will this help me grow and scale my business? Will
this software replace having to hire a full-time graphic designer or
accounting person?' "
Ultimately, Mertens says, even smaller companies soon realize they
are running up against a growth barrier as sales increase. You can only
get so far organically. At some point, you need technology.
" The monthly cost is irrelevant if the software pays for itself, decreases
overhead, increases efficiency and reduces staff needed to grow, " he
explains. " A shop must always consider opportunity costs. What are
the more profitable activities you could focus on if your software freed
you from the menial tasks? "
WHAT TASKS CAN BE AUTOMATED?
Ultimately, today's industry software can be loosely divided into three
categories: job management and scheduling; e-commerce; and graphics
management and stock artwork. Industry-specific accounting and
" THE MONTHLY COST IS IRRELEVANT
IF THE SOFTWARE PAYS FOR ITSELF,
DECREASES OVERHEAD, INCREASES
EFFICIENCY AND REDUCES STAFF
NEEDED TO GROW "
- CRAIG MERTENS,
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION,
INKTAVO
enterprise-resource-planning, or ERP, packages are also available, with
the latter being used to manage day-to-day business activities such
as accounting, procurement, project management, risk management
and compliance.
Job Management and Scheduling: Tasks handled within this
category include quotes, pricing integration with industry suppliers,
art approvals, order processing, workflow, production scheduling,
invoicing and shipping.
" Let's say you want to create a quote for a Gildan 5000 T-shirt
from San Mar, " Muniandy says. " Our software tells you the cost, and
you add in your markup. If you build a pricing matrix that includes the
decorating, it takes into account volume discounts. "
By way of another example of the benefits gained by letting a computer
do this kind of work, Muniandy cites the case of a customer who would
In today's world, software and hardware
are equally essential to a company's
success. Image by stockphoto-graf
May/June 2023
P.33
Impressions - May/June 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Impressions - May/June 2023
