Optimizing the Value Equation

In my role as senior vice president of commercial business development at FedEx Office, I get a lot of questions from customers, and potential customers, about the cost of commercial print. Often, we’re asked to deliver estimates based on a cost per piece calculation. And while cost per piece is certainly a relevant number to know, it’s vital to understand the true cost of commercial print.

To help our clients achieve maximum results to impact their bottom line, the FedEx Office value equation for commercial print considers five key variables:

?            Cost per piece

?            Transportation time and costs

?            Value of your time

?            Quality control

?            Business impact

Cost per piece is the most straightforward part of the value equation, but without the context of the other four variables we’ve identified, it tells an incomplete, and sometimes misleading, story. As I will describe below, the lowest cost per piece alone can conceal the true cost of printing.

Transportation costs are often a hidden factor that can greatly increase the overall cost of commercial print. Traditional printers that produce at a central location, and have the work delivered to locations across the country, will need to build in the cost of that delivery. You can bet those delivery charges will increase your overall project cost, and quite possibly drag down your speed to market.

Quality control is vital in commercial print. From managing brand colors and messages to minimizing the need for reprints, it can have a significant impact on the success of any print initiative. In fact, in a recent FedEx Office survey, 85% of the consumers said they equate the quality of a company’s printed materials with the quality of services it provides.

What is your staff not doing so that they can dedicate time to managing print projects?

The value of your team’s time can be a somewhat subjective question, but it’s an important one for you to understand. If the commercial printing partner you’ve selected requires your team to dedicate significant time and resources to managing the project, you need to know that up front and do your best to quantify the impact to your business. What is your staff not doing so that they can dedicate time to managing print projects?

Because we distribute projects digitally to whichever of our 19 commercial printing facilities are closest to the point of need, transportation time and costs are minimized. And since all 19 commercial printing facilities utilize the same state-of-the-art equipment and color management technology, including high-speed digital presses, automated binding and finishing equipment, and optimized digital workflow, we’re able to deliver high levels of quality and consistency.

Protecting the value of our customers’ time drives us to deliver white-glove service throughout every commercial print initiative. Our dedicated print production experts manage the integrity of print files and consistency of execution across all equipment and locations, provide detailed reports on project status, and carefully oversee shipping to ensure on-time delivery. All of which frees up your team to work on your business.

Finally, we partner with our customers to examine the business impact of each initiative so that we can ensure the appropriate allocation of resources. Is there the potential to capitalize on a significant opportunity? Is speed of delivery the first priority? Or is there a need to achieve the lowest possible costs? By understanding these and other priorities associated with each project, we can develop creative solutions that deliver on business needs.

By looking beyond cost per piece, you can unlock the true potential of commercial print. To learn more about how we’re delivering value for our commercial print clients, chat with me on LinkedIn, talk to your FedEx Office representative, or visit fedex.com/intheknow.

All the best-

Aimee DiCicco