Contracted Print Services Equal Big Savings for Global Manufacturer

Documents and label parts are at the heart of every manufacturing process. No matter if they take the form of a product warning label, an instructional manual or any one of the countless documents that support front-office operations, these items are essential to managing every aspect of a business.

Despite their importance, however, documents and labels can be expensive, wasteful and time-consuming. On average, U.S. manufacturers across all industries spend an estimated $50 billion a year in their centralized print operations. But is this money being spent wisely? Many manufacturers are re-evaluating their in-house print centers and discovering that efficiency is indeed lacking. One such manufacturer realized the need to streamline its process for producing printed production parts and in-house documentation and looked to Standard Register for a solution.

In-house Print Center Inefficiency
With several diversified product lines that cater to the industrial and construction markets and include such components as portable and stationary air compressors, mobile and industrial generators and mircorturbines, this global manufacturer had a major pain point concerning the operation of its in-house print center. The company’s print center, located in one of its multiple manufacturing facilities and operated by a third-party vendor, produced printed production parts and various other materials for the company and its complete product line.

Over the past several months, employees at this facility had become increasingly dissatisfied with how its third-party vendor managed the in-house print center, citing lack of manufacturing industry knowledge and overall poor service. At the same time, they realized that taking on the print center duties internally was not a good use of their time and resources. For example, the center, on average, produces upwards of 1.2 million black-and-white images and 100,000 color images per month. The manufacturer determined that what it needed was a partner—not a vendor—to facilitate its in-house printing requirements.

Delivering Cost Savings and Quality Product
For nearly a decade, Standard Register has been a partner with this global manufacturer, providing the company and its various facilities with comprehensive Manufacturing Parts Solutions. As part of this long-standing business relationship, the Standard Register account team was diligent in ensuring customer satisfaction. Over the past several months, it became apparent to the team that the operation of the manufacturer’s in-house print center was an important issue that needed addressed.

In order to attain a complete view of the manufacturer’s in-house print operations and needs, Standard Register performed a thorough assessment of the print center and its usage requirements. Following the assessment, Standard Register representatives were able to present the manufacturer with a complete Contracted Print Services solution that would exceed the manufacturer’s needs and expectations.

As part of this full-service business process management solution, Standard Register provided the manufacturer with consultation to help determine how to free up space, people and assets while using our industry expertise to help reduce expenses and enhance operating efficiencies. In addition, by staffing the manufacturer’s in-house print center with three full-time Standard Register employees, we helped the manufacturer substantially reduce the total cost of document management through organization and management of document inventories and digital assets.

Following the implementation of the Contracted Print Services solution, the manufacturer was quick to realize a return on their investment. What that return amounted to was a 24 percent reduction in spending by the manufacturer, or approximately $225,000 in annual savings.