Does your company’s printing feel like the ‘wild west’ filled with rogue spending, lack of brand consistency, and logistical nightmares? It’s time to rein it in.
That’s why, in our digital-first world, print still has an essential role for business. From marketing and operational forms to business cards, physical print gets results you can hold. But the way most organizations go about obtaining those materials is still living in the past.
If your marketing team is emailing zip files across town to a print shop, while your sales team orders outmoded brochures from a vendor two states over, you’re losing money and hurting productivity. The answer is Centralized Print Management.
Below is an overview of what your operations would look like with a streamlined print workflow system, thanks to PrintGizmo.
1. Regain Control of Your Brand
The greatest danger of decentralized printing is brand dilution. When employees order materials themselves, they may use an old logo, the incorrect hex color or off-brand messaging.
By using centralized software, you build a digital storefront of pre-approved templates.
- Locked Branding: Admin controls keep logos and fonts locked in.
- Variable Information: Staff can customize information (for example names for visiting cards) without changing the layout of design.
- Version Control: Change a file once in the system and all users have continuim to the new version. No more “use the 2023 brochure” emails.
2. Slash “Maverick” Spending
“Maverick spending” is when employees buy things off-contract or outside the channels (agencies) which a company has negotiated. In printing, this frequently means you pay premium retail prices on a single job instead of getting bulk pricing.
Centralization provides:
- Budget approval flows: Cap department spend or have orders approved by a manager when above X amount.
- Consolidated Vendors: Tally up all your purchasing with one or two preferred vendors (or in-house print center) for volume pricing.
- Transparency: You can’t manage what you couldn’t measure. A centralized dashboard lets you see who is printing what, and the cost.
3. Automate the Tedious Logistics
How long of an effort is your team putting into trading emails with printers, reviewing proofs, and complaining about shipping times?
Print management software takes the caveman out of admin.
- Instant Proofing: Customers receive instant PDF proof on the screen before ordering.
- Inventory Management: If you warehouse items (such as promotional swag), the system monitors inventory levels and notifies you when it is time to reorder.
- Seamless Shipping: Customers used to wonder where their package is? email chain.
4. Speed to Market
In a competitive world, fast is better. If it takes three weeks to launch a new campaign because of back-and-forth tweaks and print quotes, you don’t have forward momentum.
With a centralized Web-to-Print solution launching from weeks into minutes. Marketing HQ uploads the assets and regional branches order only what they immediately need.
The PrintGizmo Advantage
Efficiency isn’t just about doing more work, but about doing smarter work. With centralized print management software, you’re making the shift from reactive chaos to proactive strategy.
Ready to put an end to paper chasing and make your team more efficient? Find out how PrintGizmo will improve your print purchasing and protect your brand now.
Mike isn’t just the Director of Marketing at eLynxx Solutions – he’s a customer-whisperer, a growth alchemist, and a trend-spotting oracle all rolled into one. His passion lies in igniting interest in eLynxx’s innovative solutions, fueling the company’s customer base, and using client feedback to steer the industry towards a brighter future.