Integrating Print On Demand & Order Fulfillment
The value and flexibility of digital print on demand make it a valuable service, but print on demand truly shines as a business option when it is fully integrated with other aspects of your company. By connecting print on demand options to your order fulfillment system, and by giving your sales representatives the ability to print documents as they need them, you can ensure that you are receiving the maximum value from each printed product.
Integration, however, often does not come easy. Getting the different segments of your business together requires the right tools and knowledge, and acquiring those elements can be time-consuming and expensive.
That’s why it can be extremely useful to work with someone who is experienced in integration and who already have the tools to make it happen. By partnering with these vendors, you are doing more than acquiring an outlet for your printed products—you are gaining access to services that can increase the efficiency of multiple parts of your organization. For example, some fulfillment houses specialize in integrating fulfillment of your orders with customized print on demand, including prints in your shipped orders that will enhance the overall value of the package. An experienced fulfillment house and printer should also have the tools needed to help you realize the full value of combining print on demand with order fulfillment.
Connecting the Web to Your Printed Products
One effective way of using print on demand’s customization abilities is to connect your web resources with your printed products. Unlike standard printing, where the large size of a print run means you would have to create a generalized print product that would need to cover many different situations, print on demand allows you to create documents according to individual needs and requests. By connecting printing to a web site, sales people in the field can easily order print products that address the needs and issues of their clients. A full service fulfillment provider should be able to help you with this.
Web tools can be extremely useful both in helping you and your representatives generate material and in allowing you to monitor printing and ordering activity. By fully integrating your print efforts with other sales and promotional activities, you will be creating print products with maximum value.
Print on Demand and Fulfillment Orders and Sales Lead Programs
Print on demand can work seamlessly with order fulfillment, especially when each order you receive may be different from the last. The limited-run capabilities of print on demand mean that you do not have to guess how many brochures or flyers you need to print in advance; instead, prints can be made at the same time an order is filled.
Print on demand can also be combined with shipping kits to your sales representatives or customers—customized information can detail the products in the kit and also provide specific information geared toward the individual receiving the kit. Including print materials can become a routine part of putting a kit together if you choose a printer who also has experience in order fulfillment and kit assembly.