The offset printer has to accept different printing jobs from its clients. An error in the quote will directly affect the over-all printing profits. The printer has to calculate the printing cost correctly to optimise printing profits. Estimation, which is the first step in any printing firm’s transaction with its client, is a very critical factor that decides whether the job will make a profit or loss.

Mumbai-based Pentaforce Software Solutions launched the PrintFast Q estimation software in 1988 and since then the company has installed more than 200 softwares in the domestic and the international markets.

These installations are at Almats Branding Solutions, Colortec Industries, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Rave Scan, Presskunj, Shree Pack Containers, Saroj Art Pritners, Safe Offset, Sadguru Art Printers, Graphtone India, Gazelle Enterprise, Unique Photo Offset, Oxford Printer, Printplus, Gemini Printing Press, Fipro, Picfare Industries, Integrity Print Media, Kavideep Printers, Khokha Packaging, M B Graphics, Prabhat Printing Press and Velpack.

Madan Singh, chairman and managing director at Pentaforce Software Solutions, says: "This software is suited for sheetfed offset, web-offset and digital printing. PrintFastQ is designed with modules. Each PrintFastQ module can function as a stand-alone or work as an integrated one thereby lending immense flexibility."
 
Almats testimonial
Almats Branding Solutions, the Mumbai-based printing firm invested in PrintFastQ after trying four different estimation softwares. The company in the early 80’s tried to develop the estimation software but did not succeed.

Asgar Kothawala, chairman at Almats Branding Solutions, says: "I tried developing the estimation software but could not succeed. I was not satisfied with the software. It was very slow and was not up to my expectation."
 
Boosted productivity with huge time savings
PrintFastQ can generate estimation in a few minutes, the moment the client asks for a specific job. This enables the user to create estimations very quickly and with greater accuracy.

Kothawala says: "Preparing the estimation manually requires approximately two to five minutes, whereas estimation prepared in PrintFastQ requires approximately one minute. The specification for the job provided by the client is generally the same, like paper GSM, plate size, ink and the machine details. Only the size of the paper and quantity changes. Once these two parameters are filled in, the estimation can be prepared in no time. PrintFastQ allows the printer to respond to the client on time."   

According to Kothawala, PrintFastQ has various features which are useful for estimation. Features like, comparison of two estimations to know which job is providing profit, access to the software through LAN or internet which enables the user to access the software even if the person is sitting at home.

The software can send an SMS to the client stating the details of the estimation of the jobs in brief. The unique feature of the software is that it gives the status of the estimation like quotation awaiting, under negotiation, order closed and order lost. Besides this, it also gives detailed statistics of the estimation sent month-wise.

The number of boxes required for packaging job in an export-oriented unit is possible with the use of this estimation software.

He says: "The best part of the software is like any other software; PrintFastQ can be installed on any computer and does not require huge space. The Pentaforce team has co-operated and incorporated the changes suggested by me." 

Kothawala concludes: "After installing the PrintFastQ, the estimation making process has become a lot easier and faster. In my career of 45 years, for the first time, I am enjoying a software like this."

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