Printing is one of those functions that support a business, but people do not really think about it that much. Yet, most offices use a good amount of time and resources to print documents, invoices, marketing materials, and much more. Whether they do it in-house or use a partner, a company will always want to save the most money, but the question is, which saves more money? Some companies fall under the false notion that doing it in-house saves them money in the long term, but they end up having to raise their fees to accommodate in-house printing costs.
What people discover is that upkeep costs, supplies, extra salaries, and equipment depreciation eat too much into their daily operational budget. Some offices even have to rent more space to accommodate their equipment, further adding to their overheads. What is worse is that, oftentimes, companies cannot afford to buy the highest quality printers that can have both high output and quality levels. Therefore, even if they do some printing in-house, they still have to pay a partner to handle what they cannot.
Printing outsourcing companies such as Tab Service Company are all too familiar with the frustration of business owners and managers who seek to cut down on costs while maintaining document integrity and quality. They have worked in several sectors, and there is not one where they have not seen businesses benefit from outsourcing their printing and even mailing. Tab has seen firms go from being frustrated about equipment replacement, repair, and administration to trusting them for printing and having much more efficiency and time to deal with core operational and expansion needs.
Another thing about printing equipment is that it is designed to be cost-effective at elevated volumes. Meaning that if you are operating below those levels, you are probably wasting money. To determine if you need to switch to an outsourcing partner, analyze the labor cost, repair & replacement cost, inputs, space, and maintenance costs every month on top of acquisition costs against the fees for using an outside provider.
Another thing to consider is the opportunity cost in terms of time spent on mundane tasks such as printing. Using your workers for simple tasks such as printing may be a waste of their talent, which would be better suited to doing activities that contribute towards bringing in more revenue.
How Print Outsourcing Will Help You Save Money
- Cost savings via reduced risk. Top-quality printing can only be achieved using the best quality printers and a team that knows how to properly use them. Your basic office copier will cost $1,520 on average, with more mercantile models going for anywhere from $15,000 to $100,000. Now, we factor in supply, repair, and software expenses to make everything run well. Finally, let us not forget, after every few years, you may need to replace printers as technology advances, and you need to keep up with the competition.
- Save space. Depending on which models and number of pieces you have, extra space will most likely be needed for the equipment and to accommodate employees safely maneuvering around each other and the electronics. Commercial rental property is not cheap and let us not forget about electricity. Unless you are lucky, most premises do not come with an extra small room that just fits your printers. You will most likely have to rent one more full-size room and figure out how you will make it work on the balance sheet.
- Reduced labor costs. Salaries, taxes, and benefits are just a few of the costs associated with having to hire personnel to handle your equipment. Especially if your equipment is state of the art, labor gets a bit expensive as you hire qualified workers that know how to handle your machines effectively. When you are a small company trying to save money, buying your own equipment is one of the mistakes you want to avoid.
- Reduced human resource expenses. Even before you hire the personnel, you have to either advertise the position or engage an agency to provide you with candidates, both of which are not free options. Furthermore, these processes take time, depending on what you are looking for. So, not only will you spend money but also time, and while the position remains vacant, who will handle the printing needs of your firm?
- Increased efficiency. Outsourcing to professionals with adequate experience in the field helps you leverage their expertise to be more efficient. Using a partner gives you access to graphic designers and print experts that are familiar with the latest trends in the market and can guide you on what is working and what is not. This way, you effectively do away with your learning curve and the cost of any mistakes you would have made due to inexperience.
- Consolidation of print needs. Unless you are a very large corporation with tons of money to spend on printing equipment, you most probably will not buy all the machines you need to handle all the printing needs you will face in the future. This means that even though you have machines in-house, at some point, you will still need to outsource some of your printing, thus incurring costs twice. Most printing partners have all the equipment they need or have a network they utilize to take care of all print requirements under one roof.
- Avoid fines and penalties. Businesses in highly regulated sectors such as healthcare and finance usually have to adhere to strict regulations in terms of their document preparation and handling. Failure to which hefty fines and penalties are levied on offenders. Having worked with businesses in different sectors, an outsourcing partner is aware of the nuances of different markets and makes sure to give you compliant documents. A great example of such an entity is Tab Service Company. They provide both printing and mailing services for the automobile, health, and legal industries.
- Enhanced security helps maintain customers long-term. Involving a company such as Tab Service, you get assurance of document safety as they have regular penetration testing and process audits to make sure you and your client’s documents are safe and maintain their integrity. Even one instance of document mishandling can lead to complicated legal or business process issues and, worse still, loss of a customer. Using printing outsourcing companies enables you to maintain customers over the long term via the trust you are afforded from superior document handling.
For overall financial efficiency, peace of mind, and competitiveness, making use of specialists is a basic requirement for doing business today. We are past the days of focusing on your core business and letting other sections of your company suffer. Outsourcing companies have enabled businesses to improve every part of their service delivery, making the market very competitive. To carve out even the slightest niche for yourself, you have to deliver nothing but quality all around, from your services to your paperwork.
Print outsourcing companies may just as well be your best ally when doing business in a highly regulated field. Letting them do the paperwork while you focus on excellent service delivery will elevate your reputation and revenue significantly.
