My comments come from having worked all sides of the printing equation – as a print buyer I was responsible for sourcing vendors, purchasing and maintaining the stock levels of a variety of printed products. As the production manager for both offset and digital printing companies my role among other things was about getting the job done correctly and on time. I have now been a broker for over 20 years. I became a broker because the printing company I was working for closed and one of our clients, with whom I had developed a good relationship, was now also needing digital and wide format print, and wanted to work with me. They knew they could trust me to get the work done and delivered on time. They also knew that I would be patient with their lack of understanding around print, and that I was willing to share ideas and explain the processes involved. I am happy to report 20+ years later they are still my client and that a week doesn’t go by without doing something for them.
I have tried to make the relationship we have the hallmark of our business. I view myself as an extension of their business, part of their management team so to speak. Managing their printing needs as if they were for my own business. Something I try to replicate with all our clients even if their requirements are much smaller in comparison.
One of the biggest keys to success as a broker is finding quality printers. I have said many times that not all printers are created equal (for that matter neither are print brokers). While on the surface 2 printers may seem the same, at a micro level each will have different strengths & weaknesses. The type of jobs they excel at will differ. A good broker will be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of all the printers they use, thereby being able to put each print job in the right hands. It has been my experience that this is key to providing the service that should come from a broker. When a printer is doing something they excel at, very rarely will issues arise, the result is a quality finish and delivery is on time. I have been fortunate that just about all the printers I have worked with over the years have really treated me as a true partner, and been happy to work with me and my clients. Not only are they very good at what they do and their prices are fair, but they will always step up to the plate for me if a problem arises, or if a very short, or even sometimes unrealistic turnaround is required.
I mentioned above that just like printers all print brokers are not created equal. It is important that just as you should do your due diligence before engaging a printing company you should do the same before engaging a print broker. Ask them questions that will divulge not only the length but type of experience they have. Seek examples of the different types of jobs and clients they have worked for. Most importantly ask for testimonial/references. If you can obtain a reference from someone you already know and trust, all the better. Don’t allow assumptions to be made. For example, just because someone is a fantastic graphic designer it doesn’t necessarily mean they know anything about print. I have worked with many a graphic designer who have come up with the most beautiful work, but have no idea of the processes involved to accomplish what they have envisioned or the huge effect a certain design element can have on the price. It is my opinion that as part of getting a design degree, some classes or even work experience around print & finishing processes should be included. There is a project planning/management term that is applicable here. Begin with the end in mind. To do this one must understand the processes involved. I should also state that I have worked with graphic designers that do understand print and finishing processes and prepare their artwork accordingly. These graphic designers and brand developers I have no hesitation in recommending to my clients.
I can get the same service from a sales rep.
There is one fundamental difference between the sales rep for a printing company and a print broker. The sales rep, represents the company they work for. They want you to work within their capabilities. A print broker represents you. They have your best interests at heart. Through consultation with you they will determine what is right for you and what best suits your needs. Then they will place your job with the supplier or suppliers that will provide the best result. Let’s face it, when working directly with a printer and all or part of the job isn’t within their capabilities, what are they? They are a print broker.
It is important to note that clients have different priorities. For some it is price, for others it maybe that it is delivered on time, in most cases though it is quality. No matter how good the price is there will always be a lingering feeling of dissatisfaction if the product does not meet the quality expectations of the client. For this reason, I get to know all I can about the printers I use, before I use them. First and foremost, they must have a proven track record of providing consistent quality. Secondly their production processes must be organised so that they can deliver when they say they will deliver. Thirdly they must offer all this at a fair price. Even though we often come up with the best price, it is only third on our list of priorities our aim is provide consistent quality and on time deliver at a fair and competitive price.
Is there a time that I shouldn’t use a print broker?
Some will say that the decision to use a print broker depends on the complexity of the printing. To a certain extent this can be true but not necessarily. For sure, if a job is quite complex you will benefit greatly from using a print broker. However, I recall a situation where I was quoting on printing business cards, not complex at all. This client was more concerned about price. I got the job, and later found out that he had also obtained a quote directly from a printer and that we had still come in at a better price. The interesting thing about this story is not that I had a better price than a printer (it doesn’t always happen but you might be surprised at how frequently it does), the interesting thing in this case is that the printer he received a quote from turned out to be the very same printer I was using to print his cards.
What if something goes wrong, am I covered?
We have all heard of Murphy’s Law – ‘What can go wrong will go wrong’. If I were asked what profession Murphy was in, I would say he was a printer. One of the great benefits of using a print broker is that Murphy is less likely to show up. This is because any broker worth his salt will be very aware of what can go wrong before it does, thereby avoiding it. Having said that, stuff happens and you want to know if you’re covered when it does. The short answer, and I can only speak for myself here, is yes, absolutely you are. We stand behind all our work. I do not like to find out from my clients that something is not quite right with their printing. My expectation is that my suppliers will let me know about it and what they are doing to rectify it. For example, I got a call from one of my printers to inform me that they were only delivering half of my client’s order. Something had gone wrong with the laminating and half of the job had bubbles and crinkles through it. They had picked it up as they went through their quality control prior to packing. The also informed me that the balance was already scheduled to be run on the next available print run and would be sent out the following day. I was then able to inform my client who as you can imagine appreciated how the situation was handled.
Still not sure? Get a Print Audit.
I read an article that claimed across all market sectors in the UK, print overspend was estimated at 25%. Now I do not know if that is true and I couldn’t find any comparative figures for here in Australia. But on the assumption that there is a level of truth to this statistic and that it applies here in Australia as well, it would be worthwhile getting your print procurement processes, specifications and costings audited. We provide a complete print audit service. By performing an intensive print audit analysis on your company’s current print spend and procurement processes you could save thousands.
We were invited by a project manager at KPMG to be part of a project they were doing for the National Australia Bank. After doing a simplified audit of their current project, not only were we able to save them money but more importantly we were able to suggest a better product more suited to their needs. A better product for a better price, that is the type of result we endeavour to achieve for our clients.
Features and benefits of an audit include:
Our Guarantee
If our audit reveals that you are in a healthy position and there is no real benefit from having our services. We will tell you. The results will be completely transparent.
Contact us to begin your print audit – info@myprintsolutions.com.au
My Print Solutions is a print management company (print broker) managing the design, print procurement and distribution for a variety of small, medium and large companies.
Click on the link to get an idea of some of the companies that have engaged our services, some have also been kind enough to provide a testimonial – http://myprintsolutions.com.au/#testimonials
