Mergers and cutbacks affecting print vendors and marketers during the pandemic have added a layer of uncertainty to the print buying experience. But greater efficiency, expertise, and cost savings are available to companies returning to print to help them ratchet up business.
Print users can benefit by 1) rethinking their print acquisition options, including the “do it yourself” direct buy route, various types of outsourcing or a blend, and 2) reviewing their print management tools and processes for effectiveness.
In a typical print acquisition experience, the user:
· Obtains print by buying it directly from a printer.
· Obtains print from a broker. On behalf of a print customer, a broker buys the print job from a printer and resells it to the print user with a markup (on a job-by-job basis).
· Hires a print management organization to handle print. A print manager does what a broker does, but also manages the entire print buying process for the user for all print jobs.
Print users, brokers, and print management companies alike use a variety of tools to handle the transaction and communicate about all aspects of a complex print job. The aspects include determining a vendor pool, specifications, artwork, direct mail components, versioning, change orders, proofs and approvals, quality assurance, delivery, reporting, and other details.
Print users’ project management tools include:
· Spreadsheets, email, and phone conversations
· Homegrown software
· ERP and general procurement systems that aren’t specifically designed for print
· Interactive software specifically designed for print, direct mail and promo
Print buyer’s software can be the most efficient and cost-effective solution for print acquisition—whether you’re a direct print buyer, broker, or print manager. With over 50 years of print expertise and a patented print-buying methodology, eLynxx Solutions software and service enriches and enhances the print-buying experience at all levels.
eLynxx Solutions’ offers the top-rated, least disruptive, and easiest-to-use print buyer’s software, preferred by print users, brokers, and print management organizations. It’s precisely tailored to work the way you do. Software benefits include:
· Communication and collaboration (eliminating the inefficiency of spreadsheets, emails and system workarounds, which saves time and money)
· Management of the entire process, including specifications, approvals, versioning, change orders, delivery and invoicing
· Full, timely reporting
· Transparency (no hidden fees or markups)
· Compliance
In addition, eLynxx Solutions offers services tailored to satisfy customer needs. Services include:
· Specifications and vendor qualification
· Print management services (from getting prices to monitoring the entire process)
· Quality assurance
· Software integration and support
In a challenging economy, fully exploring print acquisition options and tools ensures that buyers get the custom solution they need for their specific circumstances and budget.
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.