SAi Flexi and EnRoute customers around the world enjoy hassle-free software-by-subscription
A simple change in the way signmakers keep their software up-to-date makes a big difference in convenience, time and cash-flow. Checking licenses, downloading, applying patches, testing, working out what is new and different and possibly retraining staff, used to be the accepted norm. That was then however today, signmakers around the world are enjoying the benefits of software on a subscription basis. Simply by paying a low monthly fee – a revenue expense, not a capital outlay – the latest version of the software is instantly available. Licenses for all output devices are affordable and options are available for special tools on an as-needed basis. Subscription software is automatically updated as it is refined and upgraded when new versions become available.
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SAi introduced its subscription program in 2014, when software by subscription was a very new concept. Today, most major business and home software programs are available by subscription. So are SAi Flexi, Flexi Design and EnRoute and signmakers of all sizes around the world are enjoying the benefits. “Sign printing is a moving target these days and having the latest software means that we can take on work with confidence,” said Dan Bosley, owner, Screenguild Signs, of Aldergrove, British Columbia, Canada. “Even though there are only three of us, we offer a full service, from design to installation. We began using the subscription service for SAi Flexi in 2015 and run it on four computers: three for design-related work and one for production.” The company is 100 percent digital and does a lot of work for shopping malls and property management companies, where it uses SAi Flexi to drive two print and cut machines.
“We can run one RIP to drive both of our machines, which is a great advantage for a small company,” Bosley said. HFE Signs, of Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK, is a much larger company but also depends on technology to achieve production speed, quality and customer satisfaction. An internet-driven business, it relies on smooth operations at every stage to email proofs to customers within 24-hours. It typically has final products en route to its national and international customers within 48-hours.
“To do this, it is essential to have the right software, properly integrated,” said Karl Hunter, director, HFE Signs. “Because FlexiSign software communicates directly, this means we have no issues with conversion errors when exporting and it keeps our file system nice and simple and reduces storage – which means faster back-ups.”
The company began using SAi Flexi in 2016 and is supported by reseller Graphtec GB Ltd. “We now have 10 SAi Flexi licenses. We favor this software as it communicates directly with our 10 output devices which range from print and cut to wide-format, grand format and UV flatbed printers.
As at Screenguild Signs, HFE Signs uses the software in the sales and design team as well as the production department. “The software subscription program means that we are assured of having the latest versions on all our systems without having to spend valuable time downloading, applying patches, or ordering CDs and waiting for them to arrive,” Hunter said. “Everything is up-to-date all the time and it’s cost-effective too.
” Karen Carmody, who runs Vision Graphics and Film Design with her husband, Ryan, in Canberra, Australia, echoes that experience. Having started with Flexi through the basic package that was installed on one of its first large format printers, the company subsequently needed more functionality and installed a more feature-rich version using the monthly subscription option.
“Running such a user-friendly software package is great, but accessing it in this way makes it extremely convenient. It helps with overheads and also enables us to enjoy the very latest version, so for businesses like ours it makes absolute sense,” Carmody said.
“As is quite typical with any sign and display business, work can be up and down, with several big jobs followed by a fairly long gap until the next sizable project,” she said. “In this situation, paying for SAi Flexi as and when required is ideal.”
Subscribers are also able to access new tools like SAi Flexi Cloud that links installed software to the Cloud for storage, images sources and other web-based services. There is also the SAi mobile application so managers can access Job Reports while away from the office. The new MyFlexi mobile app works with SAi FlexiSIGN and FlexiPRINT to provide print shop employees efficiency-enhancing tools to streamline production and enable remote quoting using FlexiQuote™. So, for signmakers who prefer to relax and listen to CDs, rather than watch the bar on the monitor inch along as software loads, automatically updating [SAi] subscription software is an attractive proposition. Few things about computers have ever been easier.
