Print/mail service providers love big accounts. Clients that consistently send them high volumes of work are frequently the backbone of the business. The stability that comes with multi-year contracts to process recurring large print/mail applications enables strategic planning and capital investments that allow service providers to deliver top-quality performance.
For years, print/mail service providers built their operations on the concept of processing high-volume jobs in the most efficient manner possible. Superior productivity counted on setting up jobs and letting them run on production equipment for hours at a time—maybe even days — with few interruptions.
Service providers accepted smaller jobs from their clients because handling that work was often a requirement to win the high-volume work they really wanted.
Drops in high-volume transactional mail began years ago are predicted to continue. It might be time for service providers to adjust their sales approaches and actively pursue smaller mailing jobs from organizations they previously ignored.
Benefits of Smaller Job Processing
By serving smaller businesses, print/mail service providers can offset declining high-volume work, build resilient revenue streams, and position themselves as indispensable partners for local businesses.
Diversification and Stability
Reliance on large, high-volume clients exposes providers to greater risk as these segments shrink. With a high percentage of revenue coming from large jobs, the unexpected loss of a major client could be devastating. By expanding into the small business market, service providers can diversify the client base. They reduce their dependency on a few large accounts.
Shorter Turnaround Times and Flexibility
Smaller businesses may demand shorter print runs and faster turnaround, which print/mail service providers can accommodate with flexible production schedules. Providers can fill production gaps between larger jobs and maximize equipment utilization.
Personalized Service and Stronger Relationships
Small businesses value personalized service and close communication. Building these relationships fosters customer loyalty and can lead to repeat business and referrals within local business communities.
Customization and Niche Services
Small businesses often need tailored solutions, such as customized direct mail campaigns, variable data printing, or unique marketing collateral. Providers can make use of their experience in personalization and technology to offer high-value niche services that larger competitors may overlook.
Cost-Effectiveness and Predictable Revenue
While individual jobs may be smaller, the cumulative effect of serving many small businesses can be substantial. Managed print solutions, for example, offer small businesses predictable monthly costs and operational efficiencies, which can translate into steady, recurring revenue for providers.
Opportunity for Innovation
Small businesses may be open to experimenting with new marketing approaches or technologies. Providers can use these opportunities to pilot new services and build case studies that help attract more clients.
Integrating into the Workflow
To accommodate work from smaller clients, print/mail service providers accustomed to high-volume jobs can make their operations more flexible, efficient, and responsive to lower-volume, higher-variety demands.
Automate and Standardize Workflows
Implement workflow automation tools to streamline repetitive tasks. Automation reduces manual intervention, speeds up processing, and minimizes errors, making it easier to handle a higher volume of smaller, diverse jobs. Standardize processes and create reusable templates for common job types. This ensures consistency and reduces setup time for each small client job.
Invest in Flexible, Modern Equipment
Upgrade to printing and finishing equipment that supports quick changeovers and on-demand printing. Consider equipment like folder/inserters and envelope printers that automate machine set-up, ensuring professional results for small batches and reducing non-productive time between jobs.
Consolidate and Batch Small Jobs
Combine multiple small jobs into efficient print and finishing runs. Daily data files from various clients can be grouped and printed together, optimizing machine usage and reducing costs per unit. Convert to a white-paper workflow to reduce change-over requirements and standardize on a single outbound envelope. You can customize outbound mail with envelope-printing gear mounted in line with inserting equipment.
Enhance Piece Tracking
Typical quality control processes deployed for high-volume stand-alone jobs may not work when combining jobs from multiple clients. Service providers must be sure they can account for accurate production of every mailpiece for every client. Service providers may need to adjust the document workflow to support a complete audit trail for managing a large number of smaller jobs.
Adapting to the Times
Print/mail service providers can adapt to the changing landscape of the market and their client expectations. The ability to manage both high-volume and low-volume jobs will open new opportunities and ensure that all clients, regardless of their size, receive exceptional service.
Take advantage of advanced technology and automation to enhance operational efficiency in a production environment that may be necessarily more varied. Embrace flexibility and responsiveness in workflows as strengths that cater to diverse needs while still delivering high quality and efficient print/mail production for clients.
The print/mail industry is evolving. Service providers that adjust their processes to address the trends will be in the best position to thrive as they accept the impact of shrinking mail volumes.
Mike Porter at Print/Mail Consultants creates content that helps attract and retain customers for companies in the document industry and assists companies as they integrate new technology. Learn more about his services at www.pmccontentservices.com. Follow @PMCmike on X, or send him a connection request on LinkedIn.
