Avanti

Avanti is a Toronto software developer whose Avanti Slingshot product is a management information system built for commercial print businesses. Founded in 1984 as Avanti Computer Systems, it received a strategic stake from Ricoh in 2013 and was fully acquired in 2017; it now trades as Avanti, a Ricoh company, with Slingshot sold through Ricoh.

What Avanti offers

• Avanti Slingshot Print MIS — a cloud-based, JDF-certified system that connects orders from entry to dispatch.
• Process automation — removes double-keying of orders into CRM and job set-up.
• Estimating and scheduling — tools that cut guesswork and errors when pricing and planning jobs.
• Production management — planning of equipment, staff and materials across prepress, production and shipping.
• Sales and customer control — visibility of opportunities, sales pipeline and approvals, with CRM links and online ordering.
• Reporting and API — real-time data for decisions and an API for connecting other systems.

Who it works with

Ricoh positions Slingshot for digital, large-format, offset and specialty printers, from small print shops to in-house enterprise print departments.

Key facts

• Based in: Toronto, Canada
• Founded: 1984
• Owner: Ricoh, since 2017
• Standard: JDF certified