Product category:
Management and Administration Software and Systems
News Release from: Touch Systems | Subject: Clarity Professional
Edited by the Printingtalk Editorial
Team on 15 August 2005
Business Software Suitable For All Size
Of Firms
According to Touch Systems, today's businesses of all sizes and across all sectors, usually rely on some form of computerised management and accounting software.
According to Touch Systems, today's businesses of all sizes and across all sectors, usually rely on some form of computerised management and accounting software However, whilst larger enterprises often have specialist programs - such as customer relationship management (CRM) and management information systems (MIS) - configured for their specific production and services, off-the-shelf options for smaller companies have been harder to configure
This article was originally published on Printingtalk on 9 Mar 2004 at 8.00am (UK)
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Touch Systems said that it now offers its Clarity Professional modular business process software, which has been designed with the sign-making, screen-printing and display industries in mind, and which is suitable for all types and sizes of user, from the smallest firm through to multi-national, multi-site operations.
Keeping track of the processing of estimates, orders, jobs, despatch and invoicing is a time consuming and labour intensive task but Clarity Professional has been designed to handle all the elements involved in work progressing, from initial marketing and sales activities, through quotations, order confirmation and stocks, to production scheduling, pricing, delivery and invoicing, said Touch Systems.
Users' cost savings are claimed to be considerable and the margin for error, such as inaccurate estimations and production information, is eliminated.
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Available in a modular format, Clarity Professional has been configured to enable users to invest in the system that best suits their budget and production criteria, knowing that it can be extended at any time in the future when a more sophisticated suite is warranted, said the company.
Designed to operate on a Windows based PC, Clarity Professional can be configured for single users, or for operation across a network.
The program runs on a Microsoft Access backbone or, for VPNs and larger networks, under full SQL server.
However, all the features of the software and its interface remain the same, independent of the database engine being employed, added Touch Systems.
Incorporated in to Clarity Professional are all the necessary features and tools to allow users to collect, store and analyse customer information and those elements complement the program's existing quotation, production and costing facilities.
The standard package is designed to integrate materials' purchase, goods handling, stock management and production supervision, with direct links to Microsoft Office.
It is also quick and easy to send e-mails to contacts with PDFs of any document, such as quotes and invoices, it is claimed.
Quotations and estimates can be created against new and existing customers, with Clarity's estimating wizard producing accurate calculations that can be tailored against different types of stock, labour requirements, production and delivery methods.
Once a job has been confirmed, a sequence converts it in to an order and makes it quick and easy to track from acceptance to final delivery and invoice.
Unlike many accounting packages, which are order driven, Clarity Professional is an enquiry driven information system that means that the job process is handled from the point of the initial request, through estimating and manufacture to invoicing.
In simple terms this means that, because enquiries are logged on the system as soon as they are received, they cannot be overlooked or forgotten.
The program calculates quotations, keeping a record how costs have been estimated and retaining records of any changes that might be made.
Another feature is the ability to retain rejected jobs for future reference for sales and marketing departments that want to analyse and reduce lost orders.
Clarity Professional is said to be suitable to businesses providing a service as it is for production or the supply of components and products to the trade.
Thus, the program is said to also be suitable for distributors and resellers, as well as for end users.
Progressing orders is straightforward, with schedules and where a specific job or order lies in the work-flow able to be viewed at any time.
Touch Systems said that Clarity Professional can either be used straight out of the box or, for larger operations who require bespoke products, it can be configured to fit in with a company's specific requirements.
With a starting price of £399 for a single user, the program is compliant with ISO9000 procedures, yet users need no accountancy experience and only minimal training to make full use of it, added the company.
Richard Gamlin, the sales director of Touch Systems, said: "We have designed Clarity Professional to incorporate all the elements of the sales order process, production, delivery and invoicing procedures, across a range of industries.
Our aim is to offer a simple, yet fail-safe method of maintaining the administrative side of a company, as we believe this is an area that tends to get overlooked.
This type of management software is often considered an additional expense and complication, which businesses are reluctant to address.".
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