Effective print management is all about maximising effectiveness while minimising wastage and expense. There are two areas where print management can have the desired impact: inside print and outside print. Inside print refers to your internal administration, outside print to your marketing materials. We’re going to look at the former today, and suggest how you can trim the fat and improve efficiency in your inside print processes.
Audit inside print
The first step is to audit your inside print and suss out the lay of the land. Before you can start streamlining processes, saving money and preserving resources, you need to find out where you use print throughout your business. Where and when is the office printer at its busiest, and which of these uses are nonessential? A print audit is necessary to determine your company’s relationship with print. Here at PMG we carry out a free print inspection before working with our clients, highlighting where and how improvements can be made.
Consolidate print tasks
Often, inside print inefficiencies are a result of too many cooks spoiling the broth. Everyone and no-one is in charge of inside print, meaning that files go to the printer twice when they didn’t need printing at all and ink and paper refills are ordered before they’re really required. Clever print management is about consolidating your print tasks and placing them under the care of a single employee. When one individual becomes intimately acquainted with your inside print and is made accountable for print management, issues of inefficiency can be quickly and effectively resolved.
Combine print and digital
Print and digital are not mutually exclusive mediums. Many businesses waste a lot of money and significant resources because they fail to combine print and digital in a way that works for their organisation. Printed training manuals can be pared back and combined with digital training videos in order to reduce printed materials, while email and instant messaging can replace or augment printed memos for a similar effect. Use print sparingly but intelligently, bringing in digital technologies where necessary to save time, money and resources.
Consider procurement
Procurement is one of the key areas where businesses can save money on print. Many organisations use a single supplier for all of their print procurement needs, either because doing so is the easy option or in the belief that remaining loyal to one supplier will result in the most competitive deals. However, a more holistic approach to procurement can help you to save money on print and provide you with the best, most expedient service. Shop around to find the best deals and use multiple suppliers if needs be – one supplier might offer unbeatable savings on ink, while another might sell the best quality paper at competitive prices. Sticking with a solitary supplier isn’t necessarily the most cost-effective approach.
Print management is all about improving your company’s relationship with print – whether that means revolutionising your print marketing campaigns or saving money and resources across your inside print processes. PMG can help you to audit inside print, reduce unnecessary wastage and find the best deals on print procurement. Contact us today to find out more about how we can help.
