Maybe your business is picking up and you’re weighing the pros and cons of purchasing your own printer. Or perhaps you’ve been having issues with your current printing company and you’re looking for an alternative. Whatever your concerns, the following disadvantages of outsourcing to a third party for your printing services will definitely be something to evaluate as you make your decision.
Consider whether these 4 drawbacks could impact or are already affecting your business operations:
1. Relinquishing Control
For some business owners and managers, giving up control is something that can be harder than they’d like to admit. But when you outsource a major part of your operations, you’re going to have to be okay with someone else taking the lead.
Keep in mind that the printing company you hire is not going to execute production on your items in the same exact way you would; they’ll have their own managers, company protocols and procedures that might not be in line with your preferences.
Also important to consider is that no one is going to prioritize your company the way that you would. Whatever printing company you select will have a laundry list of other client items to throw into production, meaning you are unlikely to be their top priority.
2. Additional Expenses
Compared to the freedom and control of owning your own printer, outsourcing costs can be staggering! For a printer to make money, they of course will charge you exponentially more for a task than what it would cost for you to do it yourself in-house. Your contract with a printer will hold you responsible for a predetermined rate PLUS any additional or unexpected costs that arise throughout production.
Depending on your contract, you may be liable to pay for mistakes that the vendor makes with your products, necessary changes and/or hidden fees. And if your printer happens to do rush orders, you can guarantee that there will be a hefty additional charge associated with getting your order in a hurry.
Before making a decision, it will be beneficial to learn more about the costs of in-house printing, just as you would get a price quote for the outsource costs.
3. Quality Issues
This probably won’t come as a surprise, but some vendors will overpromise to win your business and then underdeliver when it comes time to actually go into production. That’s because their end game is not to satisfy your customers. Their goal is to fulfill the conditions of the contract you signed. A third party won’t have the same level of focus on your products that you or your employees would have.
The type of machines that your vendor uses can also affect quality if you need prints on uncommon materials, like:
- Plastics
- Metals
- Woods
- Fabrics
Each printer is different and designed for a specific type of functionality. If you need to print on untraditional materials, it’s always best to consult with a printing professional first to make sure you achieve the highest quality.
4. Communication Problems
Sometimes even just communicating with someone in the office next to yours can be hard. Imagine giving directions to someone in a different time zone.
Outsourcing means you have to work with someone that probably lives in a different city, state or even country. If there is a significant distance in between, you might even have trouble just getting your contact on the phone, let alone having a clear conversation. The time spent playing phone tag with your printer is time that could be better spent in other aspects of your business.
If any of these disadvantages are deal breakers for you, it might be time to consider bringing print production in-house. Contact our friendly team for advice on the next step for your company.
