Managing Print Communications is
Smart for Business
By Joe Haddad
Marketing materials, forms,
business cards, letterhead, envelopes, company manuals – these are just a few
of the print communications businesses and organizations spend billions of dollars
on each year. But due to obsolescence, printing industry estimates show that up
to 35 percent of company literature is thrown away. What is the cost to your
organization?
As a result of the cost involved
with unused print materials and the onset of new digital technology, more
businesses are partnering with printers to manage their print communications –
and saving money.
Defining Print Management
Print management is an efficient inventory and printing
system. This capability allows customers to have printed only what they
need, when they need it. A
traditional printing press could not do this affordably, but with the
capabilities of digital printing, it is possible to produce small batches of
forms, reports, newsletters, brochures and other print materials.
New technologies are enabling printers to produce small
quantities at a fraction of the cost. Today, more than half of all printing is
done in run lengths of less than 5,000. Our fast-paced marketplace means more
organizations are changing to remain competitive – through mergers,
acquisitions and name changes or new product lines. Advance planning can ensure
that your company produces the right quantity of printed materials exactly when
you need them.
Printing only a small quantity of a document is
beneficial for many reasons. When a change needs to be made, the organization
is not left with outdated materials or the reprinting costs. The new batch is
created with the changes. Print management reduces waste due to obsolescence,
limits inventories and in turn saves the organization money.
Maximizing Resources
Printing accounts for only about 10
percent of the total cost of creating and managing print communications. Other
costs include message creation and design, ordering, warehousing, distribution
and inventory obsolescence. Therefore, when inventory is reduced, time and cost
savings are realized because of decreased warehousing requirements, lower
shipping costs and increased handling efficiency. It also reduces the cost of
renting and staffing a warehouse facility.
Any organization that maintains a
large amount of inventoried materials, has multiple
offices or regularly updates forms, business cards and other documents, would
benefit greatly by working with a printer that offers print management
capabilities.
A Print Management Checkup
If you answer “yes” to more than five of the questions
below, your organization can benefit from a print management program.
1.
Do you have multiple offices, divisions or departments?
2.
Are multiple vendors used for your printed communications?
3.
Do you use multiple forms or documents?
4.
Do you continuously run out of print materials?
5.
Do you constantly place rush orders?
6.
Are your forms or other print communications inconsistent in design or
format?
7.
Do your logos vary in size or color from document to document?
8.
Do you experience overall difficulty in managing print inventory?
9.
Do you under order or over order print materials on a regular basis?
10.Do you
have more than one person placing printing orders?