Print management outsourcing can provide a wealth of benefits to businesses, handling the full print process from start to finish. Over the years, the term has been used in different ways, but at the heart of print management outsourcing is the ability to aggregate all aspects of a business’ print in one centralised place, which, in turn, can dramatically cut costs and save time.

Outsourcing should not be confused with printer management, which is the maintenance of the printers in your office. Instead, print management outsourcing takes the full printing process off of your hands, providing your business with a trustworthy and all-inclusive service, covering consultancy, production, coordination, and distribution. Let’s take a look at these in more detail.

Consultancy

Print management specialists provide more than just products. One of the key services a print company can offer is a comprehensive consultancy. The first step to print management is a thorough print audit whereby your business’ existing print process will be extensively analysed. This highlights areas of the print process that can be optimised.

Common outcomes of a print audit include finding solutions to…

• Make the end-to-end process more streamlined
• Make the supply base more suitable and effective
• Speed up the print manufacturing process
• Reduce operational costs by making customer communications more efficient
• Reduce overall print spend
• Make distribution and delivery more sustainable
• Reduce waste and redundant stock

Production

With print management outsourcing, your business doesn’t need to worry about the creation of your print and marketing materials. Production is handled all in one place and across all aspects, from the design and branding stages to the printing and finishing stages.

Businesses can easily manage the amount of stock needed for production, as well as set up new material to be printed. The speed and quality that print management outsourcing companies can offer far out-rivals that which businesses can expect by completing the production themselves. Only the best supplies and inks are used to ensure your end products meet the high expectations and standards of your business.

Technology and software advancements continue to aid the production process. Having access to such software allows you to customise communications materials and easily print numerous orders at the touch of a button.

Coordination

A common problem for businesses is finding the space to store all of their marketing material and collateral. Print management outsourcing offers a centralised place for materials to be stored, managed, created, and supplied. Stock can be managed remotely using digital software that lets you see historical data on each individual product.

By having clear figures of your stock, your business has the power to reduce wastage and thus promote a more sustainable approach to printing. You can easily monitor your customer’s ordering patterns and gauge demand, allowing you to make smarter decisions when it comes to production and distribution.

Distribution

Actually creating your printed materials is just half of the process. Handling the distribution can be incredibly time-consuming for businesses. Through a print management provider, your business will have access to a streamlined logistics system.

You can pick the product you need, set the quantity, select the delivery address/es, and choose the delivery method, and your print management company will take care of the packing and posting. The outsourced method makes distribution more reliable, so you don’t need to worry about your products not arriving on time or being delivered to the wrong people.

You will also have access to track and monitor the status of each individual order, giving you peace of mind about the full process.

Print management outsourcing encompasses a number of different processes, facilitating a more profitable approach to printing for businesses.

Interested in finding out more about how outsourcing your print can benefit your business? Download our free eBook, Print Management: How to Reduce Costs, Save Time, and Improve Quality, and discover how you can start saving time and money with print management.

Alternatively, contact a member of our team for more guidance on the print management process.