Print MIS (management information system) software will continue to evolve in 2027 as printservice providers strive to improve processes, automate workflows, and better understand operating costs.
With accurate, real-time insights into the volumes, types, and profitability of existing orders, you can adapt to ongoing shifts in the markets for printed products and the emergence of new opportunities to grow your business.
Print service providers use Print MIS software for multiple functions, including estimating, order entry, scheduling, job tracking, inventory management, shipping, invoicing, and reporting.
The goal of Print MIS software is to eliminate costly delays and errors that occur as job data and job files are transferred from print buyers to job estimators, schedulers, prepress professionals, production personnel, customer-service reps, shipping employers, and the accounting team.
Print MIS software can have a major impact on the profitability of your business. Every error and delay that occurs as the data moves from one department to the next doesn’t just lead to missed deadlines. Errors and miscommunications reduce your profit margins and opportunities to earn repeat business from satisfied customers.
For years, Print MIS software has been viewed as a nice-to-have improvement over spreadsheets and job tickets. Today, a multi-functional, easy-too-integrate Print MIS is essential to staying competitive.
In a 2026 Technology Outlook webinar hosted by WhatTheyThink, print-workflow-consultants Pat McGrew and Ryan McAbee emphasized the “The front office is the new automation frontier.” While advances in production, prepress and color-management technologies have enabled the pressroom to work faster, the front-office workers who receive and process inquiries and orders from customers are having trouble keeping up.
Some struggles can be attributed to receiving incomplete and unstructured data from the customer or sales rep. Every print buyer begins with a fairly good idea of what they want to order. But sometimes their intentions and choices aren’t properly conveyed through e-mails or phone calls.
According to McAbee, the MIS job ticket must include all estimate details, customer-approved changes, and file status before it flows from prepress into scheduling and production.
Here are other trends that might exacerbate the problems.
Shortage of skilled labor. As older, experienced press operators retire, it is difficult to find and train replacements. To address this issue, many print businesses are developing integrated AI driven automated workflows that streamline both business and production functions.
Print MIS software is critical because it touches every department within a print business. Sales professionals, customer service reps, equipment operators, accountants, and shipping personnel can all be more productive as Print MIS software quickly automates boring, repetitive tasks.
Shops with smooth, automated workflows can attract younger workers (“digital natives”) who may still regard printing as an antiquated, dying industry.
New hires won’t need as much technical training, and they can quickly get more involved in the innovation-focused side of modern printing and customer service. They can assist in developing and testing new products for changing markets or help educate younger print buyers and solopreneurs about the special effects and custom manufacturing that is possible with digital printing technologies.
The use of multiple print processes and cross-platform media. Today, many in-plant and commercial print shops use a combination of wide-format inkjet printers, production color toner presses, and high-speed cut sheet inkjet presses. Some shops use semi-automated offset printing presses that reduce set-up times for more competitive pricing on big projects.
This trend has led inkjet media suppliers to develop substrates that can work on more than type of printing process.
For example, Agfa Synaps durable synthetic paper is available for use on flexo and offset presses as well as HP Indigo liquid electrophotography (LEP) presses, production toner presses, and wideformat UV inkjet printers.
General Formulations offers 19 x 13 in. and 29 x 20.5-in. sheets of adhesive-backed vinyl that enables print-services providers to output floor and window graphics on an HP Indigo press or production toner press.
Customers really don’t care about which process is used to print their jobs if it fits their budget and quality expectations. So, print-job schedulers can use Print MIS data to calculate whether it would be more profitable to print a graphic on a wide-format inkjet media roll or on a cut sheet for their production toner press.
The continuing quest for higher margin products. The proliferation of higher-speed digital printing devices in commercial printing businesses and in-house print shops has resulted in lower profit margins on standard printed products such as flyers, brochures, posters, and simple signs. So, smart business leaders are tapping into the versatility of digital printing equipment to offer new types of products.
For example, with the right combination of inks and varnishes, it is possible to make prints with raised textures, spot gloss and spot matte effects, or invisible markings that can be scanned with UV light to ensure that a printed coupon, ticket, or document isn’t a counterfeit.
The data gathered by Print MIS software can help guide decisions about when it’s time to focus more marketing resources on attracting higher-margin work.
Modern print buyers have different expectations. The purchasing managers who ordered products through phone calls, purchase orders, or emails have retired. Today’s buyers routinely order many different products from online marketplaces such as Amazon or Etsy.
So, instead of asking one print-service provider to supply trade-show graphics and another company to deliver branded apparel and promotional products, they often choose a single, trustworthy supplier of multiple types of printed products.
Mergers and acquisitions or print businesses are increasing. Over the past few years, you have probably read news about commercial printing companies that have acquired wide-format printing businesses. And some wide-format printing businesses have built nationwide networks by merging with other wide-format companies.
Print-business owners who would like to exit the business in the next 3-5 years can use Print MIS software to get their business operations and finances in order before a potential buyer begins the due diligence step of acquiring a business. Companies that sell for the highest prices are those who can document their profitability and prospects for growth in the future.
As one of the first providers of cloud-based Print MIS software, Ordant understands that no two print businesses are alike. Over the years our customers have suggested dozens of features that have helped them reduce some of the complexities of day-to-day business.
Today, we offer modules that can help you integrate how job data is received, design files are adjusted, and proof approvals are expedited. To see the full range of modules Ordant offers at https://ordant.com.
Keep in mind that our modular approach doesn’t require abandoning other software you currently use to improve business efficiency. Ordant can integrate with multiple third-party programs, such as QuickBooks, Hubspot, and UPS.
Ordant is simple to use. Whether you are interested in just one or two modules or a fully integrated Print MIS, let us know. Odant’s experienced team of printing, workflow, and software experts can guide you through the entire process.