Gaining visibility and control of an organization’s print spending is no small challenge. There are hidden costs across the enterprise and throughout a document’s lifecycle. Here are just a few of the critical flaws in the print procurement process that can drive up costs:

1. Unleveraged sourcing power
   When print buying is spread across a large supplier base, there’s little opportunity to take advantage of economies of scale. Print suppliers often price based on department spend levels and incur costs due to unnecessary risk factors. Negotiation leverage over an unmanaged supplier base is limited.
   
   
2. Fragmented print purchases
   With many people involved in procuring print – from Marketing and Sales, to Manufacturing and IT -- there is no consolidated view, no means to track and control total costs. Decisions are made based on individual needs with little regard for enterprise costs. Maverick spending abounds.
   
   
3. Focus on per-unit cost of printing and finishing
   When buying decisions are based strictly on per-unit costs, you lose opportunities for further savings. This approach ignores expenses associated with design, distribution, storage or archiving, and document obsolescence. Only by examining the entire lifecycle of a document do you uncover the true cost of a document.
   
   
4. Spot-market buying
   Manual requisition processes are expensive. Reliance on trusted suppliers leads to sole-sourcing and increased costs. Multi-bidding leverages substantial industry overcapacity, while a consistent technology-enabled process drives down embedded process costs.
   
   
5. Critical production decisions are left to the print provider
   With no internal print expertise, many purchasers rely on their printers to make production decisions. Though knowledgeable, printers seldom offer alternatives outside their own capabilities, and offered choices aren’t always focused on the customer’s best interests.
   
   
6. Excessive change orders
   The best quoted price is quickly undermined by change orders. Statistics show that 80 percent of all print jobs incur change charges, significantly driving up the final invoiced price.
   
   
7. Just-in-case printing
   Printing large quantities of documents just in case you might need them is costly. Approximately 35 percent of documents become obsolete prior to use. Moreover, the cost of managing and storing those documents adds to the expense.