Offshore Print Companies- Should You Take The Chance?

30.06.2010 | Author: Dale Trent | Posted in Advertising | Dale Trent has blogged 19 posts other posts by Dale Trent

Many print companies have now incorporated offshore operations to their systems. This basically means maintaining a local head office that outsources projects to printers usually located in Asia. This is fast becoming a standard operating procedure for many reputable printer companies. A lot of customers however, shy away from this option. Should you do the same or do offshore services make better sense?

A lot of people object to having printing projects outsourced to other countries because it can be a daunting arrangement. Obviously, when work is performed in a completely different location, you may not always be able to monitor work progress in real time. Furthermore, the issue of distance may put you at risk of being on the receiving end of delayed delivery. Aside from the issue of distance, barriers in technology and culture may also affect the way business printing companies perform and facilitate projects.

The very real nightmares of outsourcing can make you think that locally operated printing companies are still better options. Clearly, you’d feel so much better if you can view with your own eyes how your project is handled by stages. One crucial downside to this though is the cost involved. Locally operated printers charge a lot more compared to companies that outsource tasks. The opportunity to save should be a good reason to at least give outsourcing another glance.

You don’t have to suffer horrific results just because print companies now outsource print projects. You can entrust your project to an outsourcing company and still hope to get good outputs if you take the time to pick a good company. Only with the best printers can you expect good, accurate quality and on time order delivery.

In some cases, companies outsource to local partners. This is different from outsourcing to printers that local head offices own themselves. Partners are entirely separate entities that function based on contract provisions. In a lot of cases, it would be a good idea to contact business printing companies that own their external printing facilities. This will give you the assurance that external operations stick rigidly to the high standards of parent companies. Thus you enjoy the advantage of high quality processes and local cultural and language experience.

Before giving the go signal to outsource a task, ask first how a printing company relays information to its satellite offices. This is not just a matter of finding out if the staff members in offshore printing facilities understand and speak English well. This is also a matter of finding out if a company has the best communication devices and tools to facilitate accurate information exchange. Aside from the customary e-mail function, companies should also ideally make use of video conferencing and project sharing applications and software. Good communication platforms can help you view and edit print samples.

You may not be entirely comfortable about the idea of print companies outsourcing orders. The option however is still worth considering if you are on a tight budget. The best way to make sure you get only the best quality flyers, brochures, magazines and manuals is to just choose a company carefully. Assess procedures, standards and systems before choosing to hand over your order.

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