As businesses strive for operational efficiency and cost savings, outsourcing has become a popular solution for various functions, including document printing. With advancements in printing technologies and the availability of professional printing services, many businesses are considering whether to outsource their printed documents or continue handling them in-house.
Outsourcing printed documents can offer several advantages, such as reducing costs, improving quality, and relieving administrative burden. However, deciding whether to outsource is a critical decision that requires careful consideration. To help you assess if your business is ready to outsource printed documents, there are several important questions to ask.
Here are eight questions to find out if you’re ready to start outsourcing your printed documents to help reduce manual work and ultimately move to electronic documents.
1. Do you still need to send invoices and statements, for example to clients in the post?
Sending invoices and statements through traditional postal mail is a common practice for many businesses. However, in today’s digital age, where electronic invoicing and online communication are prevalent, it’s crucial to assess whether this traditional method is still necessary for your business operations and customer communication.
2. Do you manage stationery and infrastructure to do this? Printers, folding machines and franking machines?
Mailing and printing documents, such as invoices and statements, requires not only printers but also additional equipment such as folding machines and franking machines for postage. Managing and maintaining this infrastructure can be time-consuming and costly for businesses. It encompasses procurement of stationery, printer maintenance, and staff training.
3. How many printed documents do you send manually? How many resources manage this? Can they be better utilised doing something else, given mail is highly manual and not very productive?
Managing document printing and mailing in-house can be labour-intensive and time-consuming.. Dedicated resources are required for manual tasks such as printing, folding, stuffing envelopes, and affixing postage. It’s important to assess the volume of printed documents that are sent manually and the resources allocated to this process, and consider whether these resources can be better utilised in more productive activities.
4. Do you experience late payment fees from suppliers due to the slow processing of invoices?
Timely payment of invoices is crucial for maintaining healthy business relationships with suppliers. However, if your invoice processing system is slow, it can result in delayed payments. As a result, this can lead to late payment fees or penalties from suppliers. This can therefore impact your business’s cash flow and profitability, and may warrant consideration of outsourcing options.
5. Do you want to be able to transition from physical postage of printed documents to electronic distribution easily?
In today’s digital era, many businesses are opting for electronic distribution of documents, such as invoices and statements, to save time, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. If you are considering transitioning from physical postage to electronic distribution, it’s important to evaluate whether your current in-house process allows for a seamless and efficient transition.
6. Are you able to consolidate mail easily so you can reduce your mail charges?
Sending multiple printed documents separately through traditional postal mail can result in higher mail charges due to individual postage fees. Consolidating mail, such as invoices, statements, and other documents, can help reduce postage costs and optimise your mailing process. Evaluating your ability to consolidate mail in-house is essential in determining whether outsourcing can offer cost-saving benefits.
7. Can you take advantage of clean mail rates easily if they exist?
Clean mail rates, also known as pre-sorted or pre-sort postage rates, are discounted postage rates offered by postal services for mail that meets certain sorting and preparation criteria. These rates can result in significant cost savings for businesses. Assessing your ability to meet clean mail requirements in-house is crucial in determining whether outsourcing printed documents can provide a cost-effective solution.
8. Do you have end point visibility of all your transactions irrespective of the distribution methodology?
Maintaining visibility and tracking of all your business transactions, including invoices, statements, and other important printed documents, is critical for effective record-keeping and customer communication. Regardless of whether you use physical postage or electronic distribution methods, it’s important to assess whether your current process provides end-point visibility of all your transactions, or if outsourcing can offer improved tracking and reporting capabilities.
9. Do you often get requests to resend printed documents? Are you currently able to offer a self-service approach?
If you often receive requests from customers or clients to resend documents, such as invoices or statements, it can indicate potential inefficiencies in your current document distribution process. Offering a self-service approach, where customers can access and retrieve documents on their own, can improve customer satisfaction and reduce the workload on your staff. Assess whether your current process allows for self-service options, or if outsourcing can provide a more streamlined and customer-friendly approach.
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About B2BE
B2BE delivers electronic supply chain solutions globally, helping organisations to better manage their supply chain processes, providing greater levels of visibility, auditability and control. We’re driven by a passion for what we do, inspired by innovation, and underpinned by a wealth of knowledge. With over 20+ years of experience, the B2BE teams operate worldwide.
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