1. What prompted you to develop PriceCal, and how did it evolve from an internal tool to a standalone product?
PriceCal was born out of necessity. In my own print business, I saw firsthand how complicated and time-consuming it was to generate accurate quotes, especially for custom jobs. The process relied heavily on experienced staff, which made us vulnerable to errors and bottlenecks. I started building PriceCal as an internal tool, teaching myself programming and working late nights to automate our pricing logic. When the pandemic hit and I saw many print shops struggling to adapt, I realised that our solution could help others too. That is when I decided to refine PriceCal into a standalone product, making it accessible to printers everywhere.
2. How does PriceCal address the complexity of print pricing better than traditional e-commerce platforms or custom-built systems?
Traditional e-commerce platforms are built for standard, off-the-shelf products and simply cannot handle the endless combinations and customizations unique to print jobs. They lack the flexibility to manage variables like materials, sizes, finishes, quantities, and special processes, making them a poor fit for the print industry.
Custom-built systems, while more flexible, often come with high development and maintenance costs, and require significant technical knowledge just to get started. The learning curve can be steep for both owners and staff, and ongoing support or updates can add even more complexity and expense. Even then, many custom solutions still miss the subtle nuances of real-world print pricing.
PriceCal was designed by a printer, for printers, to address these exact challenges. It calculates print costs systematically, using the same logic and step-by-step approach that printers use in their daily operations. The platform is intuitive and easy to use, even for those without a technical background because it mirrors the natural workflow of print costing. PriceCal automates complex calculations in real time, instantly factoring in all the variables that matter to printers. This gives customers instant, accurate quotes without the usual back-and-forth, saving time, reducing errors, and ensuring pricing consistency. With PriceCal, printers get a purpose-built solution that handles complexity effortlessly, without the high costs, steep learning curve, or technical headaches of custom-built systems.
3. What is Printalogue, and how does it simplify the customer experience for printers?
Printalogue is essentially an online catalog. A ready-made mini web shop that every printer gets the moment they sign up for PriceCal. Instead of struggling to build a website or set up a store on platforms like WordPress, Shopify, or marketplaces, printers instantly have their own branded digital storefront with a unique URL, no technical skills required. This means they can showcase all their products and services online, without competing side-by-side with other vendors or dealing with complicated integrations.
What truly sets Printalogue apart is its integration with the powerful PriceCal pricing engine. Even the most complex print jobs, incorporating options like paper types, finishes, die-cutting, lamination, folding, and more are handled effortlessly. Printers don’t have to worry about setting up complicated pricing formulas; the engine manages all the costing in the background and delivers instant, accurate, and transparent live pricing for every product, 24/7. This eliminates the traditional back-and-forth of manual quotes, making it as easy for customers to order print as it is to shop from any online catalog.
The customer experience is further enhanced with a modern, intuitive interface where users can browse products, view detailed information, leave reviews and likes, and see real-time updates much like scrolling through a social media feed. Any changes to product components or costs are reflected instantly, so customers always see the latest information and pricing.
In short, Printalogue transforms the traditional print shop into a digital, customer-friendly mini shop online, making it simple for printers to go digital and effortless for customers to get exactly what they need, quickly and transparently.
Example: https://ph.printmart.cc
4. How do you differentiate PriceCal in a competitive market of B2B automation tools?
The heart of PriceCal and what truly sets us apart from other B2B automation tools is our proprietary pricing engine, purpose-built for the printing industry. Unlike generic B2B solutions that focus on workflow automation or inventory management, PriceCal tackles the single most complex and critical challenge in print: pricing.
Print pricing is notoriously intricate, with countless variables like paper types, sizes, finishes, quantities, and custom options. Most automation tools simply are not equipped to handle this level of complexity. That is why many printers struggle to move online or end up with e-commerce platforms that cannot reflect their real-world pricing, leading to confusion, manual workarounds, or lost sales.
PriceCal’s engine was designed from the ground up by printers, for printers. It automates and standardises even the most complicated pricing structures, ensuring instant, accurate, and transparent quotes for every possible product configuration. This means printers can confidently offer real-time pricing online something that is almost impossible with traditional B2B tools or off-the-shelf e-commerce solutions.
In short, PriceCal isn’t just another automation tool; it’s a specialised solution that solves the core pain point of the print industry. By making complex pricing effortless and reliable, we empower printers to embrace digital transformation without sacrificing the nuances that make their businesses unique.
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