Print & Paper Buying

Print & Procurement can assist you with one-off print and paper buying projects through to a strategic review of your full print and paper purchasing requirements and processes.  Our aim is always to leave you in control of your suppliers, but to give you the tools to ensure you are buying print and paper in the most competitive way.

We offer a wide range of experience to achieve this, and will typically review the following areas:

Review of client’s requirements and appropriateness of product specification

We advise if you are buying the most economic size and pagination of product and also on the most appropriate paper choice and finishing options.

Review of supply base

We ensure that you are buying from printers have the correct plant specification for your products.  In addition we review if overseas suppliers may be appropriate.

Purchasing processes and systems

We review and advise to ensure that your company spends as little time as possible obtaining prices and placing orders, and that this area is as error free as possible.

Negotiation strategy

We are experienced in running a wide range of purchasing scenarios and following these up with selected suppliers.

Service level agreements and contracts

We ensure that an appropriate agreement is in place with your supplier that covers volume of work, scheduling, quality control, service levels and termination rights and advise on systems to monitor your supplier’s performance.  We can also review opportunities for process improvement and change of contract to suit new circumstances.

Any print purchasing carried out by Print & Procurement on your behalf is contracted to suppliers which have been audited by ourselves.  Estimates are accompanied by a full statement of our charges.  We have wide experience of buying in the web and sheetfed litho, digital print and screen and flexo markets as well as purchasing many other unusual print processes.

In addition we offer wide ranging experience of purchasing in associated industries, including:

Paper specification, purchasing and stock management

Advice on buying direct from mill or using paper merchants. Assistance with stock management strategies and software.

Packaging materials

We have experience with point of sale materials, flexible plastic packaging, vacuum formed packaging, card packaging and alternative options.

Sourcing promotional items from the Far East

We are experienced in the purchasing issues that this can raise and can advise on suppliers, ethics, independent quality control and testing to EU standards, transport and customs issues.

Mechanical and hand-finishing

We have access to a wide selection of suppliers in this area.

Warehousing, fulfilment and transport

We can advise on the most effective batch-size production and methods of storage as well as the most effective route to get your product to your clients.