In-house print management vs. outsourced print management, what is more beneficial for your business? We bet you nine out of ten business owners would say it’s better to keep it in-house but those nine business owners would be wrong.
Contrary to popular belief, outsourcing print management is not expensive nor is it risky. These are simply misconceptions that often result in business owners making poor decisions for their companies. To ensure you don’t make the same mistake, we’ve made it our mission to bust the seven myths of outsourcing print management. So let’s get started!
Myth No 1: They won’t meet our requirements
One of the top concerns of business owners is that printing companies will not be able to meet their requirements or understand their needs. Obviously if this was the case, it would be counter-productive to outsource print management, however providing you work with an experienced printing company, you won’t have this problem.
Accurately defining your requirements and negotiating a good SLA will ensure that the company meets your company’s printing needs. Remember that these companies are highly experienced in printing (it’s what they do everyday) so for them it’s business as usual. However if for one reason or other a company fails to meet your needs, you are well within your rights to reject their print jobs.
Myth No 2: Printing costs will rise
Thought outsourcing was more expensive? You thought wrong! Outsourcing your print management can actually save you money, as you’ll be able to reduce labour costs. Not only that but by working with experts, you eliminate the risk of excessive colour printing, which can be very costly for businesses.
Many people think outsourcing print management is more expensive as a result of inaccurate calculations. Remember that when it comes to calculating the total of in-house printing, you need to include:
- Cost of stock (working capital tied up)
- Staff management time
- Cost of wastage / scrap
- Investments in printers and hardware
- Cost of energy
Add these up and you’ll soon see that outsourcing is the more cost effective option.
Myth No 3: Print quality will suffer
For some strange reason, many business owners are under the impression that if they were to outsource their print management to an expert printing company, their print quality would actually suffer.
We don’t know about you, but this definitely seems a little absurd, especially since printing companies are likely to have access to much better printing equipment than the average business. Not only that but printing experts are also likely to have a better eye for detail and will therefore ensure only high quality work is passed to their clients.
All you need to do is make sure you negotiate print quality in your SLA. That way, if the print company doesn’t meet your print quality needs, you’ll have grounds to refuse their work.
Myth No 4: Print management admin will increase
Another common misconception of outsourcing print management is that it will lead to increased administration, but this is simply untrue. In fact, by outsourcing print management, you can actually reduce print management admin.
One reason for this is that you will only need to handle one invoice from one supplier for both your consumables and printing services, rather than multiple invoices from different companies. It will also allow you to reduce authorised print buyers.
Seeing as your staff won’t have to spend time ordering print consumables or actively managing print jobs, outsourcing print management will give them more time to concentrate on core business tasks, allowing you to benefit from increased productivity.
Myth No 5: Print lead times will increase
Don’t be the business owner that thinks they can complete print jobs much faster than a company that is actually experienced in printing. Even though they will be carrying out printing jobs for multiple clients, a print company is still more likely to offer faster lead times than you can achieve in-house.
Our main piece of advice is to negotiate lead times in your SLA to ensure the company always delivers your printed materials on time. Remember that they will have access to the latest printing technology and be used to printing in high volumes, so there’s really no need to be concerned about lead times.
Myth No 6: Print companies won’t handle our volumes
Are you concerned that a printing company won’t be able to handle your volumes at peak periods? Don’t be! Providing you negotiate volume demands and the quantity needed during peak periods in your SLA, there will be no need to worry that your print company won’t handle your volumes.
Go with a print company that is great at communicating – it’ll give you peace of mind. You should also find out if the print company will hold stock for regular items, so you never run out of your essentials.
Myth No 7: Outsourcing print management will make us less responsive
The last myth is that outsourcing print management makes companies less agile and responsive. Again, this is actually opposite to what it does. Providing you choose a reliable print company to work with, you will find your company is much more agile and responsive.
Outsourcing print management will increase staff time availability, giving them more time to respond to business needs. It will also allow your business to improve its green credentials through less waste and increased efficiency.
Finally, outsourcing print management will give you access to the latest technology, ensuring you can respond to even the most challenging requests.