Shuttleworth's reprographics and commercial print industry customers attended meetings last month to discuss the new resource after being sent links to upgrade their MIS automatically as part of the support and maintenance service.

Version 5.1, which was announced at Drupa, features a new user interface, which is fully integrated into Microsoft Outlook to enable users to drag and drop emails, hyperlinks and files into the application.

Shuttleworth joint managing director Paul Deane said: "We are speeding up the process for the front office and helping to manage communications for better efficiency.

"Shuttleworth MIS version 5.1 is a central depositary for all management data handled within a business rather than information sitting in individual email inboxes."

Deane added that the Shuttleworth Business Intelligence tool gave users greater access to data than ever before.

The new feature enhances Dashboards and allows customers to publish data via the internet and mobile applications, enabling them to see how their business is performing in real time.

NSD International IT manager Ron Bagnall said: "I was impressed with the speed and efficiency of version 5.1; it achieved exactly what we wanted it to do."

Northend Creative Print Solutions MIS manager Andrew Yate added: "The drag-and-drop functionality has transformed the way we estimate. It is quicker, paperless and the status of outstanding enquiries provides complete visibility throughout the company."

The company has also launched its new division Shuttleworth Plus, which creates bespoke applications for MIS users who want a more focused system.

Lonsdale Direct Print Solutions (LDPS) is working with the Shuttleworth Plus team to develop a web page for customers to place orders and enquiries linking directly to its MIS.

LDPS Commercial director Jonathan Marriott said: "It was easy to communicate our requirements and the team was able to suggest improvements to the interface due to their knowledge and experience of the MIS database."

The service is not exclusive to Shuttleworth MIS users and assists developments of any MIS brand regardless of the supplier.

Deane said: "To do our job well, and provide a system that is as effective as it can be, we needed a dedicated resource to provide unique solutions to specific requests, as no two businesses are the same."