Shall I outsource or keep it in-house? Pros and cons of externalising business printing
The proliferation of new technologies is making graphic and printed arts gradually more accessible. From the capability to design our own print material all the way to the end line, there is more choice than ever when it comes to how much you take on. Most companies exist somewhere between the wide range of printing everything themselves in-house or externalising all print work. Technology lets us to participate further out on the two ends of this spectrum.
Nowadays print providers are able to deliver firms thoroughly integrated web-to-print integrated solutions that make the process of ordering small quantities of business cards, brochures and many pieces of print material no more than a couple of clicks away. Digital solutions service providers have options for businesses to absorb the work in-house. There are many reasons to explore the latter choice: more security and more control over the timelines are some of the key advantages.
Advantages of keeping printing activity in-house
One major reason for in-house printing is the need for security, although this can be easily resolved when outsourcing printing services through working with a trustworthy provider or simply by signing an NDA. Perhaps, in case you are dealing with sensitive information or financial data for clients, you need a higher sense of security. In these cases one could think that it’s more simple to maintain liabilities when the work is carried out by company staff.
Timelines are an important factor when considering printing in-house. Frequently print providers have access to better and faster equipment, so we are not just talking about how long it will take to print something. There is a higher level of control within a firm to prioritise time-sensitive tasks. On a side note, this is usually known to pit company departments against each other. As such, internal customers too will need to be managed.
Apart from owning all of the contents, in an in-house printing scenario you own and have always access to all the assets. This is a clear advantage that resonates with in-house teams. Having one teamwork on the branding as opposed to dispersing it across many providers can make the output much more consistent.
Disadvantages of keeping printing in-house
If you want to entertain the idea of in-house printing, firstly you need to make sure that you have the needed volume to keep the equipment busy. Even if you were convinced by the list of advantages described earlier, the sheer cost of having and maintaining a department idle negates them. If the volume of work is there, you must start assessing risks as well as the costs of owning the equipment. When considering the associated costs of owning the equipment it is imperative to think about this holistically. Take into account the cost of the equipment and consumables (and also maintenance at the very least). Then there is also the cost of staffing.
Producing printed work consumes time. Assess if you really have enough volume to go for in-house printing. Lastly, ensure that if you choose to go for it, you must think about the staff and workflow in order to guarantee you get to reap the advantages.