Cream of the Crop 1/Cream of the Crop 1.iso/PRINTER/GB2001.ARJ/GB.TXT

Text File | 1991-12-30 | 13KB | 209 lines

                       A BETTER MOUSETRAP?

          Last  year  I  started  looking  at  as  many pieces of printer's
    software (primarily estimating) as I could get my hands  on,  with  the
    idea  of  doing an article, not comparing the various applications, but
    rather doing one on the one I considered the "best buy".

          I contacted as many software publishers as I could  find  in  the
    attempt  to  get review copies (not a great deal of luck there - with a
    couple of exceptions they either ignored my request  or  sent  crippled
    versions  that  didn't  give  me  full  access);  borrowed  copies from
    printers who were using various programs (a copyright  infringement  by
    the letter of the law, but all I wanted to do is compare them - not use
    them  in  my  company); and finally, spent a lot of time in trade shows
    looking at everything that was exhibited.

          The programs I looked at ranged from the  very  high  end  pricey
    programs   by   big   name   publishers   down  to  simple  spreadsheet
    applications.

          I spoke with users of many of the various  applications,  when  I
    could  find  them,  and  finally identified what, in my estimation, was
    the "best buy" - a sleeper that is so powerful that as Jack Stewart  of
    PDX  Press  in  El  Paso,  Texas says, "For the last seven years I have
    searched for software that would give me the total capability I needed.
    Dr. Karl Golling was the only author who would listen and give  me  the
    software I needed".

          Once  I  had  identified  the program I wanted to do this article
    on, I started deviously establishing  a  rapport  with  the  author  (I
    wanted to know as much about the application as did the author). To say
    that  Karl  is an unusual individual is as much of an understatement as
    would it be to say that  his  software  is  a  "pretty  good  piece  of
    software  for  printers."  His  father was an internationally respected
    mathematician who worked with, among others, Albert  Einstein.  Perhaps
    when  Einstein  was  bouncing young Karl on his knee, some of that grey
    matter  was  absorbed  by  Karl.  When  Karl  started  working  on  his
    dissertation  for his Doctorate, he selected as his topic the effect on
    employees of changes in the way a company operates - something that was
    a major consideration in the development of GB.  Karl is  a  practicing
    psychoanalyst, a master at computer programming, and a "listener".

          He  got  involved  with  writing  software  for  the graphic arts
    industry  by  doing  the  original  programming  for  the  computerized
    version  of  the  Linotype at the tail end of that technology's being a
    major factor in the typesetting industry (old timers, please note  that
    I  did  not  say "the end of that technology's life" - we oldtimers all
    know that letterpress is not dead). A decade or  so  later  he  started
    working  with  a printer who wanted an estimating program created. That
    arrangement didn't work  out  so  he  continued  on  his  own.  He  was
    intrigued  by  the  needs  of printers and in his spare time he started
    working on a new concept for software for the printer.  The  result  of
    that effort is Gutenberg 2001 (GB).

          The  major  difference  in  GB and other software created for the
    management of a printing company is  that  Karl  constantly  is  asking
    questions  of printers, uses his expertise in the art of listening, and
    immediately incorporates those valid ideas into his program rather than
    waiting for a major upgrade to be issued at sometime in the future.

          GB is a highly sophisticated, fully  integrated  and  continually
    improving program. Some users are totally satisfied with using only the
    estimating  part  of the program, never getting into the other parts of
    the program. But the estimating program is only the tip of the iceberg.
    Those who go deeper into the application  and  take  advantage  of  the
    ability  to turn that estimate into a job, create the job ticket, track
    the    job    ticket    through    each    department     (typesetting,
    camera/platemaking, press, bindery, and delivery. Still others milk the
    program   dry   and   use   it   for  determining  productivity  on  an
    employee-by-employee basis, tracking order outs, as a cash register for
    over-the-counter sales, invoicing and statements, and accounts payable.
    In the works is a fully integrated general ledger.

          The early version that I worked with had a Lotus  type  menu  bar
    across  the  bottom  of  the  screen.  For users of Lotus that might be
    comfortable, but for Cy Stapleton who finds PFS First Choice all I need
    for my simple one-page spreadsheets, it  took  some  getting  used  to.
    Evidently  there  were  some  other  printers  who had the same comment
    because it wasn't more than a couple of months before Karl  updated  GB
    to  where  it used simple pull-down menus like those in Windows and the
    Mac environment. The same was true of my two  major  complaints  -  the
    cumbersome way the initial version handled booklet estimating and paper
    inventory - and minor complaints of some of the terminology used - i.e.
    "outs" rather than "up", etc.

          The  beautiful  thing  about  it  is  that you don't have to wait
    until a major upgrade is issued to get these updates. All you  have  to
    do  is  to  dial the GB bulletin board and download the updates as they
    are written. More on that BBS later.

          Let's take a quick look at some of the features of  GB,  starting
    with the estimating part. GB will generate detailed estimates so easily
    that  it  can  be  done  by the salesperson rather than waiting for the
    estimating department to work it up. A pop-up window shows  your  costs
    and  gross  profit  on  the job. If you have a fax modem, with a single
    keystroke you can either FAX a  customized  quotation  letter  to  your
    customer,  print  a  hard copy or simply read it on the screen.  If the
    customer isn't ready to order, you can save  the  estimate  for  future
    retrieval.

          Once  your  customer  has  entered the order, you can immediately
    generate a job ticket or work order, schedule  production,  pull  stock
    from inventory or order stock, etc.

          With the optional bar-code reader, due in early second quarter of
    1992,  the  software will print a bar-code on the work order where each
    employee can scan the work order when he starts and  stops  working  on
    the  job  and  GB will give you real-time data collection, along with a
    report of estimated production time compared with real  time.   I  have
    seen the prototype of this and it works.

          The inventory section automatically tracks inventory and lets you
    know  when  you  need  to re-order. A highly detailed reporting section
    gives you complete and accurate details on your financial  position  at
    any time. Most of these reports can be user defined.

          The  over-the-counter  section allows you to enter cash sales and
    generate a receipt for your customer, accumulating  these  sales  daily
    for  entry into your general ledger (or into GB's own general ledger in
    the not too distant future).

          The price list section allows you  to  generate  not  only  price
    lists for particular items, but also counter price books with the touch
    of a keystroke.

          In the copier section you can generate prices on the step method,
    slope  method or increment method - and calculate any additional charge
    for different types of stock.

          The blueprint section calculates the cost based upon  the  square
    feet and the selected stock.

          One  of  the  most outstanding features of GB is its user-defined
    formula section.  This unique feature enables you to customize  GB  for
    your  shop  rather than you having to change ways you do things to work
    within GB's environment.

          GB has a sophisticated password  system  that  enables  the  shop
    owner to determine who can access what portion of the program and data.
    In  otherwords,  you  may  want a salesperson to be able to generate an
    estimate but you might not want him to be able to offer any discount on
    that estimate, authorize credit, see the margin of profit window, etc.

          As Karl says, "Gutenberg 2001 is not just a software package,  it
    is  a  better  way to run your shop." Study after study has proven that
    through the effective use of computer technology, profits can  increase
    up to 400%, and GB appears to be an excellent way to start. Whether you
    have  a  1 person copy shop or quick print operation or whether you are
    running a line of 4- and 5-color presses with over 200 employees, GB is
    designed to make your operation more efficient. An example is that  the
    shop  owner  can  make  each  employee a profit center and easily track
    individual employee's productivity. A future article will go into  this
    area in more depth.

          In  my  estimation,  the  one thing about GB that might scare off
    potential sophisticated users is the price. How can it possibly  be  as
    good as that program which costs ten times as much? At the other end of
    the scale, that entry level potential user might ask how he can justify
    purchasing  GB  when  there  are estimating programs available for less
    money.  The obvious answer to me, after looking at many, many programs,
    is that in bottom line dollar cost GB is the least expensive of all  of
    the  programs  I  have  looked at and is destined to be the software of
    choice in our industry.

          Back to the support . . . Karl was wise enough to see that if  he
    were  to  continue  to improve GB he would have to delegate some of his
    responsibilities. With this in mind he decided to continue to  do  what
    he  did  best  -  program. After looking at several marketing firms, he
    decided to get in bed with Custom Micro Systems - an  Orlando,  Florida
    based solutions-oriented computer company. CMS's long suit is providing
    comprehensive,  needs-  based  solutions  that  make sense. Immediately
    after becoming involved with  Gutenberg  2001,  CMS  realized  that  an
    experienced  printing professional would be required, so they recruited
    industry veteran Danny Young. Danny has been a printer  for  23  years,
    owned  his  own  commercial  plant  for 11 years and spent the other 14
    years working in various management capacities in  both  sheet-fed  and
    commercial plants.

          Danny  heads  up  the  unique  user  support  program for GB. The
    foundation of  the  support  program  is  the  traditional,  one-on-one
    telephone  support  from  knowledgeable  personnel,  but  it  goes much
    further than that.  A computer bulletin board allows users to log on at
    any  time  and  receive  information  and  technical  assistance.   The
    bulletin  board  contains  databases  of  commonly  asked questions and
    commonly encountered problems, as well as the corresponding answers and
    solutions.  In another section of the bulletin board the user can  find
    program  updates,  formulas  that  can be used to customize GB, etc.  A
    newsletter features articles on such topics  as  employee  productivity
    tracking,   press   profitability   analysis,   managing   for  maximum
    efficiency, and more.  In November 1991 CMS sponsored the  first  of  a
    series  of regional workshops where users have the opportunity to learn
    how they can get more out of  GB  and  network  with  other  users.  In
    addition to the sharing of information and experiences with the system,
    these  discussions  provide  feedback  to  Karl  on the users likes and
    dislikes of GB - providing the framework for future development.

          GB is already available in German and in early  1992  there  will
    be  a  Spanish  and  French  language  version.  This multiple language
    capability promises to make GB a serious contender in the international
    market.

          I have always heard that it doesn't take elegant offices, a large
    staff, and millions of dollars to  come  out  with  a  great  piece  of
    software.  Years ago Jim Buttons proved that dynamite software could be
    written by an individual who had a logical mind, a kitchen table and an
    inexpensive  computer.  Dr. Karl Golling perpetuates that scenario with
    Gutenberg 2001.