Can I input my own machines and cost rates in PDQ to match the software to my business?
Yes. At any time during or after your 60 day trial, you may contact us to help you set up your own bespoke estimating model inside PDQ. We charge consultancy time to complete this process. All of your upgrade options are explained in this table.
Do you offer any help calculating cost rates?
We offer a cost rates calculation service and a software solution for this – CostDriver. Contact us for more details.
We pay more / less for our paper – how come PDQ’s is cheaper / dearer?
We have collected sample prices from a wide range of sources and the numbers used in PDQ are a rounded average of these. It is therefore likely that you will be paying more or less for paper.
Our cost rates are more / less than those used for similar equipment in PDQ. Why?
As with paper, we collected data from a wide variety of sources and printers to calculate a rounded sustainable average of hourly cost rates. Your rates will therefore be different in many cases.
Are the prices being calculated the current market prices?
The prices are being calculated using widely accepted MIS ‘time and motion’ estimating logic (not price lists or matrices) and sustainable average cost rates / rounded average paper prices from a wide range of sources. The prices being generated in the software can therefore be taken as an ‘average market price’. On any day an individual printer will doubtless be willing to do a job for less or demand more than the prices shown.
Does PDQ use price lists or matrices?
No. Our software uses accurate ‘time and motion’ manufacturing logic to calculate the best method of production by examining all of the production routes available.
Can PDQ connect to my MIS?
PDQ is JDF compatible and we can therefore in principle connect to any MIS with this functionality. Each MIS varies, however, and we would need to assess your system for any known compatibility issues.
Do you offer an MIS to compliment PDQ?
At present we do not offer the range of functionality typically present in an MIS, which is why we have developed connectivity options via JDF.
What is ‘route based’ estimating?
A production ‘route’ is principally defined by the printing machinery available. PDQ builds hundreds of impositions for each printing press based upon the sheet sizes it can print and the size of the job in question and with each imposition it checks the consequential costs of all pre-press and finishing processes available to this press to ascertain the cheapest method of production, or production route, hence the term ‘route-based’. PDQ can check many thousands of production scenarios in much less than a single second.
Does PDQ work for the web printing process?
Yes. PDQ can calculate results for the web printing processes including inline folding solutions and offline sheeted solutions. It can also accommodate inline finishing processes such as remoist gumming and pattern perfing.
Does PDQ work for direct mail production processes?
Yes. We have created a special module just for direct mail. It can calculate solutions for data processing, inkjet personalisation, laser personalisation, machine enclosing and MBB and all manner of other DM processes.
Does PDQ work for point of sale (POS) production processes?
We are currently working with a POS development partner to perfect PDQ for point of sale production processes. The solution should be available by the summer of 2012.
I have wide format digital presses, can PDQ cope with this?
Yes. We can calculate results using linear metres logic and / or square metres logic.
Is digital treated differently in PDQ as my MIS struggles with this?
PDQ understands digital. When looking for a best-fit solution it uses the correct ‘thinking’ for digital to present an accurate price for this process.
How does PDQ ‘know’ what is allowed in a production route and what is not?
Our software is a ‘rules-based’ solution, meaning PDQ is ‘taught’ by the implementer what is allowed and what is not allowed in any given production process. Once it understands the rules it will repeat them faithfully until such times as the rules might be changed by the implementer. As such, an estimate done by user A in PDQ will have exactly the same result as user B, creating a ‘standard approach’ to the estimating function.
I can only see 6 colour presses in PDQ and we only print up to 4?
The evaluation version of PDQ is programmed with a wide range of sample printing presses whose maximum colours is generally set at 6. However, all colour combinations are tested. So a four colour job will be costed at a four colour rate. If you click on the ‘Costs’ button next to the component imposition, you may verify this.
UPGRADE OPTIONS
At any time during or after your 60 day trial of PDQ you may upgrade your product in any of the following ways:
Option 1 – Single User Standard Continuation
The fastest and simplest way to continue using PDQ!This option allows you to continue using PDQ with all of the functionality built into the 60 day trial version without modification on a ‘software-as-a service’ (SaaS) monthly renewed license basis. We will ask you to set up a standing order or regular credit card payment and you will be invoiced automatically each month.
| The cost of this option is £49 + VAT per month (per user / PC). |
Option 2 – Single or Multiple User Bespoke Continuation
Use your own settings, papers and cost rates and only pay for support only when you need it!This option allows you to modify PDQ, with our help, so that it contains all of your own machinery, cost rates, outwork price lists and paper prices. We will also, if required, install the software on your network server allowing multiple user access to a centralised database. We will set you up with a new ‘Printers Profile’ in PDQ, thus preserving the sample data in the system so that you may see how your prices compare to the standard model built in. You will also be able to add and edit your own range of regularly quoted products to help speed up the estimating process. Offered on a ‘software-as-a service’ (SaaS) monthly renewed license basis, we will ask you to set up a standing order or regular credit card payment and you will be invoiced automatically each month.
| The cost of this option is £99 + VAT per month (per user / PC). |
Plus: £1,500 + VAT one-off setting up costs*.
Plus: Support charges billed @ £95 + VAT per hour (offsite) or @ £125 + VAT per hour (onsite)**.
Where support charges are incurred these will be billed monthly with your software license.
Plus: Optional product upgrades will be charged extra @ price upon application.
*setting up costs are based upon simple to medium complexity set up’s. For very complex set up’s additional charges may be incurred. We will advise you from the outset if any additional charges might apply.
**a minimum charge of 4 hours applies for onsite support. A full day is billed at our day rate of £750 + VAT.
Option 3 – Single or Multiple User Advanced Continuation
Covering all of your needs, this comprehensive package comes with online options and support and product upgrades built in to the monthly price!This option allows you to modify PDQ, with our help, so that it contains all of your own machinery, cost rates, outwork price lists and paper prices. We will also, if required, install the software on your network server allowing multiple user access to a centralised database. We will set you up with a new ‘Printers Profile’ in PDQ, thus preserving the sample data in the system so that you may see how your prices compare to the standard model built in. You will also be able to add and edit your own range of regularly quoted products to help speed up the estimating process. In addition, you will be shown how to build your own complex pricing models so that you can independently manage and administrate your system. We can also extend, if required, your environment online and allow your staff, or your customer’s, direct access to the system to obtain instant estimates based upon pricing rules that you create. Offered on a ‘software-as-a service’ (SaaS) monthly renewed license basis, we will ask you to set up a standing order or regular credit card payment and you will be invoiced automatically each month.
| The cost of this option is £199 + VAT per month (per user / PC / online). |
Plus: £750 + VAT per day setting up costs*.
*the number of days set up time is dependent upon the complexity of the set up and whether an online environment is requested. A typical installation might take up to 5 days setting up and an online environment 3 days to build = £6,000 + VAT.
Other options:
There are many options that you may wish to consider once PDQ is up and running in your organisation, including:JDF connectivity: If you require PDQ to connect with your JDF compatible systems, talk to us about our powerful connection tools.
Online price comparisons: Once your system is set up, you can participate in an online price comparison environment. It’s quick, it’s ethical and it’s a tool that buyers really want to use, giving you access to new customers without lifting a finger. Contact us for more information.