How to squeeze the most from your DTG set-up

This month, Colin Marsh, managing director of Resolute DTG, talks about streamlining the direct to garment process and how CRM software can help save you time and money.

A lot of people think customer relationship management (CRM) software is only used by large companies. One of the reasons behind this is the cost to implement a CRM system can be prohibitive and normally requires a lot of training, most of which is just over the top and very often a waste of precious time for small to medium textile printing companies, or is it?

Since the dawn of the smart phone, tablets and mobile data it is now possible to run a relatively simple CRM package from the office that is synchronised when on the move. Keeping track of orders due out, supplies due in and quotes is an essential part of running a textile printing business. This type of mobile CRM also lends itself to the busy print on demand DTG printer who just doesn’t have the time for lengthy CRM packages and associated costs.

The process

So how does this work? Let’s take a look at an example of a relatively new system that is proving to be a very flexible, a simple solution that copes well with quick updates, is fully mobile and tested in the DTG and decoration industry.

DaPulse.com, a web-based data management system that is available on Apple, Android and most major platforms is a great way to quickly clear your desk of bits of paper, store quotes, allocate jobs throughout the company and receive updates at every point when a job is updated, shipped or an email from the client is stored for future reference. Taking a look at the demo site will give you a quick in site into how you can make it work for you.

A good example is keeping track of things from first email to a client. It is possible to BCC an email address into your email to a client that will automatically generate a new job bag (called a Pulse in this software) and file the email for future use. Once created this virtual job bag can be accessed from anyone in your company who is authorised on any device with a data connection. It can be used to store artwork files, quotes, replies and copies of invoices etc. From here you can allocate this job to any team member registered on the system and let them take over with their part of the production process. Once they have finished another update shifts this onto the next process until finally the job is ready for shipment and invoicing.

Portable filing cabinet

If you are able to keep track of all your live jobs and pull up archived jobs quickly on the fly you are putting yourself in a well organised place. Used correctly a CRM system like this is your company’s filing cabinet on the move. Storing actual artwork files, invoices, past job data and all the clients’ communications in one place makes searches for things a quick and simple task. We currently use this system at Resolute and have been for over 18 months, it has expanded beyond belief and is now the platform to which over 30 people work from all in different areas, most of them mobile.

To get a better view of what is possible visiting dapulse.com will launch a quick demo video showing how simple it is to streamline your business and stop losing those bits of paper that could cost you a lot.