The following are some of the ways that automated print pricing can make a buyer’s life easier, as well as some tips on how to select the appropriate solution.

Do you find it difficult to fit everything you need to do into 24 hours?
There has never been more competition for your time, regardless of whether you work as a full-time buyer or manage a function that is more generic in nature within administration. The expectations that are placed on employees by their employers continue to rise. There is a significant emphasis placed on streamlined operations.

If you are having problems working efficiently, the problem can be that you are trying to source print. There is a dizzying variety of both finished goods and methods to choose from. This indicates that you can’t rely on just one printer or even a small group of vendors to meet all of your needs. Every business has a somewhat unique collection of tools and areas of expertise in their arsenal. Different strategies are need to be used for each individual product.

When looking for a specific print specification, it can be a challenging endeavour to ensure that you are approaching the appropriate businesses. This calls for specialised expertise that most purchasers do not possess, unless they have been in the business of purchasing prints for a very long time. It is not always easy to ensure that you are finding the correct source at the right price, even if you are experienced in the field and know what you are doing. In addition to that, the process requires a lot of time.

Nevertheless, there is currently another option available.

Automated print quotation systems have the potential to have a significant impact.
Automated print quoting solutions have the potential to significantly improve the effectiveness of your print purchasing. Presented for your perusal is a screen capture from the 3 Print Prices system.
Automated print quoting solutions have the potential to significantly improve the effectiveness of your print purchasing. Presented for your perusal is a screen capture from the 3 Print Prices system.

These days, the correct technology can provide some extremely astute answers to difficult problems. They also provide purchasers with a number of substantial benefits. The most noticeable of these is the reduction in required time. In most cases, buyers will approach three different suppliers to solicit price quotes for a job. In most cases, this entails a great deal of manual labour. The buyer determines the parameters of the specification. Every printing company determines their prices based on their own unique method. After that, they send an e-mail with their quote to the buyer, who then evaluates the different prices. It is going to take some time. Because of the automation of the system, many more vendors can be contacted. The entirety of the process is automated, and the pricing is almost instantaneous.

The automated method also has another advantageous side effect. Errors are less likely to occur as a result. The traditional method of estimating requires a significant amount of data entry duplication. A single mistake in the data may result in inaccurate costs and a plethora of additional issues further down the road.

Following that, automated technologies make it unnecessary for consumers to have a certain level of prior knowledge. A strong technical understanding of print is required in order to select the appropriate press for a given work. Sometimes, even the most skilled buyers and print estimators have trouble figuring out which press options will yield the best results. Automated solutions now have the ability to compare a wide variety of solutions in a short amount of time.

Last but not least, automated systems make reporting a lot less difficult. It is not required to suffer through the process of crunching numbers on spreadsheets anymore in order to report accurate facts.

If you are considering making an investment in a system similar to this one, what characteristics should you look for?
How do we choose which vendors to work with?
Quotes from vendors are required for every type of system. On the other hand, not all systems select their vendors in the same way. It’s possible that some systems let any printer join and quote. Some people participate in a preliminary screening process. Always go with a programme that has some kind of screening process built into it; this is my number one piece of advice.

How are the various pricing determined?
This is a component of the system that is of the utmost importance. The most effective systems analyse and account for every conceivable combination of press configurations offered by each supplier. Calculations of a more fundamental kind are required by less complex computer systems. These will not necessarily provide you with the best pricing.

Which service levels are comprised of this offering?
A greater number of people are behind the creation of certain systems than others. If you run into any issues, is it possible to get a hold of a human being and have a conversation with them?

How simple is it to make use of the system?
If you are new to the world of printing, do you think that creating a specification will be a difficult task for you? Certain systems anticipate that you have a certain level of prior knowledge of print. Some applications will utilise straightforward images and questions to lead you through the procedure.

What kind of goods does the system have the capability of integrating with?
To reiterate, the things that are actually available for purchase through an automated system can vary quite a little from one another. Check to see that your system has all of the essential items that your business will require going forward.

What kind of flexibility does the workflow have?
What steps should be taken if adjustments have to be made in the middle of a project? Will there be enough capacity in the system to handle this? Or are you going to have to start the procedure of obtaining quotes from scratch?

What steps are taken after an order has been placed?
Check to see that the system also comes equipped with an effective work management system. When we are ready to move forward with a job, will it bring up all of the appropriate communications? How will you be kept up to date on the progress of the job? How will the proofreading process work? Can the system generate reports that are helpful for purchasing?

However, even if all of these concerns can be addressed in a way that satisfies the buyer, there are still certain customers who are hesitant to use automated purchasing systems.