Everything we buy – whether an item, commodity or service – comes with a price. Sometimes we have to wonder if we are getting our money’s worth. Did we overpay? What went into the price? Could we have negotiated a better deal? That’s where buyer’s remorse can set in.
Print buying is complicated. There are specifications and details galore… let alone price considerations. Print suppliers work on the premise of getting as much as they can for each print project. Buyers work to get the most for their money.
The quandary is that pricing for printing projects must cover many hidden costs to maintain the financial health of the printing supplier.
When purchasing direct mail, marketing materials, promo and other printing, a buyer must consider what goes into the pricing, not just ink and materials. For example press schedule changes are costly to a printer. So are time-consuming spec amendments, unplanned drop shipments and unpaid inventories of customer pre-ordered items. These are hidden costs that must be reimbursed sooner or later.
There are many moving parts in the pricing of printing. From keeping track of labor and materials, to maintaining records of change orders and marketing agencies juggling design and implementation of the product, and. of course, the development and production of the print products themselves. All of this can be a two-headed problem of runaway time and money. To make it worse. Some buyers do not realize just how much they are costing their print producer every time a change is made.
How can buyers and sellers keep track of these moving parts all in one place while capturing accurate details? Some use spreadsheets. Some use email logs, even handwritten sticky notes. None of this is convenient, efficient or accurate. And it causes some customers to overpay and others to underpay.
eLynxx Solutions provides specialized software to printing suppliers and buyers alike that puts the information they both need at their fingertips.
Make your life easier and your pocketbook heavier… no matter which side of the fence you are on. Discover more about our software. Call today 717-709-0990 We can help.
Rich Scotti isn’t just the Director of Product and Brand Management at eLynxx, he’s the driving force behind its evolution. With a keen eye for market needs and a deep understanding of the print industry, Rich guides the development of new offerings, ensuring they stay at the forefront of print management technology.
