Issue 89, 4/3/08

In this Issue

In Other News

Darren Woolley speaks at the APMA Breakfast Series in Sydney, April 8. Details in next newsletter.

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There are numerous ways of managing the printing requirements of your business. The procurement of the company’s stationary is a completely different exercise to buying of high quality marketing pieces on behalf of the marketing department. The first is a commodity based buying decision compared to a decision that involves factors such as timing and specialisation of marketing materials.

In this edition of the P3 e-news Chris Sewell of P3 looks at the best approach to print management as it relates to the advertising and marketing industry and offers a few observations to help before you start.

Caught out by the cheapest quote

Only when printing is completely transparent can an organisation be comfortable that good corporate governance is in place. It is not just about the money. It is all about being able to see the spend. Only then can there be no suggestion of any impropriety.

I recently had a meeting with a Procurement Manager from one of the big banks and the first thing he did was hand me his business card. I rubbed the card between my fingers and thumb because the stock felt thin and flimsy and noticed that the ink smudged on the card. He looked very sheepish as he explained that it was a mistake he made in a recent print review because the winning print company had come in with the lowest pricing and threw in a "highly competitive" quote for business cards, a common bug bear with many procurement people.

So how do you make sure you don't make the same mistake when reviewing your print needs?
Outsourcing to a large print management company should deliver transparent reporting so you see what and where your printing dollars are being spent. It should also help alleviate some of the back office administration bottlenecks. You will save money in the long run but it may end up actually costing you more money on the actual printing component.

Using a smaller print manager could help to deliver a better service if timing and quality are major issues for you currently. Or you could in-source the print production skills and take total control over the entire process.

What is best for my business?
Ask yourself a few questions : Is it important that I control every transaction or is working within my annual print budget a more cost effective measure? Does my current pricing match up with the industry benchmarks?  If I am looking at outsourcing do I still want to control the purchasing and payment functions? Will this make life easier or lead to duplication? Is it the cost of the actual printing or the inventory control and distribution that needs addressing?

What should you do now?
P3 can help you with independent audits of your current and future print needs and match suitable suppliers to these requirements.  This process can either be used to change suppliers or help change or improve the incumbent partners offering and service. We cover the length and breadth of the printing world from choice of suitable printers, print managers or other service providers to benchmarking and forecasting tools.

Find the right print management solution by contacting Chris Sewell on 02 8399 0922 or email Chris at chris@p3.com.au for a confidential decision about your companies needs.

P3's Print Managment Audit

The P3 Print Management Audit is designed to ensure you have an independent schematic of the current print supply chain including the interaction with any digital supply.
1. Stakeholder's views are gathered and reported in a confidential manner to help you understand current state of process.  
2. Any issues are identified clearly with options for improvement including costing and savings where appropriate.
3. You will have a transparent overview of this category spend to help your corporate governance requirements.

The process is divided into three stages:
1. Auditing the current systems, suppliers and contracts
2. Reviewing and agreeing the print outputs required
3. Reporting on current systems, agreements and supply options for changes needed

Areas of review include your Marketing department, Procurement department, internal clients, internal IT department, advertising agencies, design agencies, any in-house studio, current Print and DM suppliers, warehousing, merchandising suppliers and other suppliers as identified.

Digital workshops selling fast

Do you know someone who needs to know more about digital?  Or do you know someone who would like to know what digital is capable of delivering?

TICKETS SELLING FAST
Melbourne - Tues March 18, Sydney - Thurs March 20

Get an overview of the online media & advertising landscape, identify current trends and major digital opportunities, learn how to set and measure digital objectives and how to effectively integrate digital within the media mix. Speakers include:
• Russell Easther, Business Director, P3Digital
• Lachlan Brahe, Managing Director, emitch Sydney
• Ed Smith, Chief Commercial Officer, News Digital Media

Who should attend?
• brand, advertising and marketing professionals
• account management
• no digital experience is required

For information or to register, contact Amanda Constable on 03 9682 6800 or download a booking form here.

P3Media Workshops

The P3Media Workshops were recently held in Melbourne and Sydney. Feedback has been overwhelming with advertisers benefiting from up-skilling members of their marketing teams in current media opportunities and future possibilities.