What did our moms always tell us? “You can only control what you can control.” That is true in life, and it is true in reselling print jobs, too. Things happen over which we have no control—weather knocks out power, the delivery truck breaks down, or the paper supply chain is disrupted—but there are things over which we do have control. So we control the things we can.
Here are three ways to keep your print projects on schedule, on budget, and minimize surprises.
1. Verify Ship Dates When Schedules Change
Say you need to make a last-minute change on your product’s durable label. Although you may get that job to your print vendor the next day, in the meantime, your vendor’s supplier might have gone out of stock on that label material. Now, the new stock won’t be in for another 10 days.
Any time there is a change in delivery of your project, reassess project timelines and verify that ship dates can still be met.
2. Include Special Shipping or Delivery Instructions on Your RFQ
When issuing a request for quote (RFQ), be sure to include any special shipping or delivery instructions. If a print job needs to be delivered in what is considered a “nonstandard” delivery situation, the job may need to be requoted.
For example, we’ve had situations in which the job unexpectedly needed to be delivered inside (try finding parking for some delivery addresses) or the location of the dock didn’t allow access by a standard truck. To get the delivery to the specified location, the truck had to return to our manufacturing facility and the job had to be reloaded onto a different truck.
3. Always Work from a Recent Quote
If the quote is more than 30 days old, have the job requoted. Just in the last few months, our industry has been dealing with a major mill closure and tariffs on imports. It’s always good practice to work from a recent quote to confidently present your price and delivery.
This is particularly the case when ordering business forms. Get your orders in early in order to lock in stock availability.
In today’s world, there are many things over which we have no control. The best approach to uncertainty is to control what we can. By taking some simple steps like those listed here, you put yourself in the best position to keep your print orders on track and on budget!
Bob Saunders is VP Sales of Wise, Alpharetta, GA. Wise manufacturers industrial/prime labels and tags, traditional forms, and digitally printed products and services for resale only. For more information, visit www.wbf.com or email Bob at [email protected].
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