Launched at the company's latest annual Connect users' conference, Fiery Dashboard offers a raft of information that includes print engine use and status, a breakdown of jobs and pages printed by media and the split between colour and mono.

According to EFI, the online dashboard also give users access to a range of metrics such as paper jams and job errors to help them identify inefficiencies within the production process.

The Dashboard view can be customised to focus on specific devices or groups of devices, to define targets for engine utilisation, or choose date ranges to measure daily, weekly, quarterly or annual growth.

Fiery Dashboard also provides system status information to show operators when engines require calibration to improve colour consistency or if new software updates are available.

EFI claims that the MIS will help customers determine whether the right machine is producing the right job, either colour or mono, most efficiently and cost-effectively.

John Henze, vice president of Fiery marketing at EFI, said the new cloud-based service, which is available as a free 30-day trial, gives users a firmer-grip on their production operation.

"From printer uptime and utilisation to media use and paper jams, as well as a host of other metrics, now print shop owners and managers can take better control of their operation with our cloud-based Fiery Dashboard service," he added.

EFI also used its latest US conference to demonstrate developments within its ERP portfolio, including PrintSmith Vision.

Launched last year, browser-based PrintSmith Vision offers a range of tools including estimating, quoting, order tracking, scheduling and data collection.

The company also demonstrated new additions to its EFI Pace and Radius software, the latter adding new flexible packaging enhancements and improved intergration tools.

In addition to the product developments announced at Connect, EFI has bolstered its large scale MIS capabilities with the acquisition of Latin American ERP specialist Metrics.

The privately-held firm, which develops ERP software for print and packaging businesses, will assist EFI in its growth in Brazil and across Latin America, as well as supporting existing EFI products.

Guy Gecht, chief executive of EFI, said: "With this acquisition we believe we are now the largest MIS/ERP provider to the printing and packaging industries in North and South America, Europe, Australia/New Zealand and South Africa."