Few of the common complaints from people managing a print set-up are as follows:
1. We have been working with this Web-to-Print or Photo book system for so long. We have launched just one web-store with 10 products. Why is the implementation so complicated?
2. Is my staff capable of handling the implementation?
3. We don’t know how we can begin researching for the perfect solution.
Now here are the answers to these questions:
We have been working with this Web-to-Print or Photo book system for so long. We have launched just one web-store with 10 products. Why is the implementation so complicated?
One of the most common mistakes that print houses make is they buy a storefront solution out of an impulsive decision or directly hire someone to build one for them without doing a ground-work research on their exact requirements. It is usually a verbal communication among the customers, the sales guys and the software developer. There are a lot of random emails exchanged with screen-shot attachments about how the storefront should be. Starting to build a storefront in this way is similar to driving in a foreign country without a GPS or maps. You may eventually reach your destination but it won’t be without consuming a lot of energy, time and cost you twice as much. You need a product inventory, a strong understanding of the requirements and the listing of the category structure as a starting point. There are also several other elements but the configuration of the product portfolio is where the implementation time is mostly consumed.
Is my staff capable of handling the implementation?
You need to have a Scope of Work (SOW) between your software vendor and you. This can be a simple document but it is important. The implementation should be in an organized form so that there is a track and it outlines all the requirements. It should include the following:
1. Product Portfolio and Category requirements
2. Branding Requirements
3. Customer Database Requirements
4. Server & Security Requirements
5. Workflow Requirements
As you are mainly a print-house and want to build your own solution, it is very likely that you may start to build your storefront or photo book solution without considering the above points. If you choose a wrong vendor and they too ignore these points, it will then become a wild goose-chase to get your storefront configured and your customers and sales staff will keep on changing the requirements for you. If you have considered the above mentioned points and opted for a solution like Pixopa Web to Print Ecommerce, it doesn’t mean that the scope will change, but you know that it is a disciplined approach towards the deliverables that you, your customers and staff have defined before your project initiated. Nevertheless, in any circumstances if it does change, it gives you an opportunity to pause between the project to reassess the timelines, costs and the overall effort for customization.