The three places most people never visit on a print factory tour – and why you should make a point of inspecting them
I love exploring unusual places when I go on holiday. The well known tourist sites are very impressive. But everyone goes there. They are geared up for visitors. You rarely get an insight into the true culture of a place.
I prefer to try and discover less well known places. This often gives me a much better idea of what a place is really like.
Print buyers should think like travellers

This is just one area of a print factory that should be important for buyers
Print buyers who visit unusual places on factory tours will understand the print company culture better. They will have a better understanding of the factory. This means that they will be more in control of their jobs. They’ll also be in a better position to create a true partnership with a factory. So they will be able to achieve what they need from their suppliers.
But some print buyers do not see the need to visit the unusual places in a print factory. They will find it more difficult to achieve what they need from their suppliers. They won’t understand the factory so well. That means that they will struggle to form the right supplier relationship. And they will struggle to be in control of their jobs.
So here are three places I think you should visit on a factory tour
The car park
The car park can tell you a lot about a factory. Here are some things you should look out for:
Are there separate directors’ parking spaces? This may indicate a company culture that has a divide between management and the rest of the staff
Are there lots of flashy cars? What does this say about the management? And what does this say about profit margins?
Is it untidy? Is this a company that does not care about the way it appears?
The car park can say a lot about company culture. But there’s another place that tells you a lot about how efficient a company is.
The paper store
The paper storage area is well worth inspection. You should ask about how paper is allocated to jobs. Companies that measure this carefully will work more efficiently. They will also tend to spend less of wasted stock and this is a sign of efficient purchasing throughout the company.
You will also have a good impression about how the company cares for one of the most important elements of your job. Torn packets, dust and a lack of labelling all point to a company where quality doesn’t have a high importance.
There’s another way to check quality.
The file copy store
A company that cares about quality will keep file copies on file for three months. They will be able to check up on any quality complaint during this period. A good file copy store shows that quality control procedures are being adhered to. It also shows a company that is likely to be well organised in all areas.
So those are three unusual areas that I believe that print buyers should visit. Many will ignore these areas.
These places don’t really tell me how a factory works
On their own these three places are not enough to measure a factory. You will also need to visit the standard places: the production offices, pre-press and data management, the press hall and the finishing and despatch areas.
However, these three places will tell you a lot about a factory that may not be obvious elsewhere. Some printers prepare for buyer visits. They make sure the standard areas look their best. But they ignore the areas that most buyers don’t visit.
Here’s how visiting a unusual place helped me on a factory tour
I once visited a printer that I had been told were very good. Everything seemed to support this view. The press hall was tidy. All the quality controls were in place. Things looked good.
But the storage space for file copies was a disaster area. The printer couldn’t locate any of the sheets that I asked about. They were just crammed in untidily with no thought for future use. I wasn’t convinced that all the file copies had actually been kept.
When I visited the paper store, I found that it was a separate building. The door had been left open on a rainy day. I could see paper getting wet: it hadn’t been rewrapped properly.
Visiting these areas showed me that this was not a printer that I wanted to use.
Here’s how to put these sort of visits into practice
- Arrange a printer visit
- Make sure you visit the car park, the paper store and the file copy area
- Discuss your thoughts back at the office
Whether it’s a factory tour or a holiday, you get more out of visiting unusual places
However, I’m not suggesting that you make a habit of visiting car parks when you go on holiday!
===================================================================
P.S. Sign up right now to receive “Ten Common Print Buying Errors and What To Do About Them” and to make sure you receive similar articles to this.
2 Responses to The three places most people never visit on a print factory tour – and why you should make a point of inspecting them
I have worked with Matthew for just over a year now and he has delivered a number of highly successful training events for the IPIA during that time. He is very organised and produces seminars which are full of
Read the testimonial from Andrew PearceMatthew provided an excellent “Print Processes” training session for myself and some of my colleagues. The feature that I liked most about the training, was that the day itself was very interactive – which not only
Read the testimonial from Rhoda DayIf you think you are on top of your print buying you might be in for a surprise! We asked Print & Procurement to undertake a print audit. Matthew said ‘’If we do not find savings sufficient to earn back our fee
Read the testimonial from Rod FletcherMatthew is a consultant who is totally committed to his clients and to delivering on his promises. He has an excellent understanding of both the challenges of the print channel and the opportunities it presents. As a
Read the full testimonial from Jacky MorganApart from being a thoroughly decent chap Matthew is scrupulously professional, ruthlessly efficient and always delivers excellent results.
I genuinely have no hesitation whatever in recommending Matthew. He
In an industry renowned for its pressure, Matthew Parker delivers a very gentle but insightful intelligence about the ways of print. Somewhere between art and science there is a place that defines the balance of what
Read the full testimonial from Andy DowenDo you struggle to find enough hours in the day? Whether you’re a full-time purchaser or managing a more general administration role, the pressure on your [more]
Why beating printing companies down on price is not the best way to reduce costs
For me, few things are better than standing on the summit of a mountain The route up a mountain is hard. There’s a lot of work [more]
Three reasons why print buyers should challenge supplier choice
My daughter was about to burst into tears I had asked her what flavor of ice cream she would like. She gave me the same answer [more]
Why print buyers who stick to cost-cutting are failing to do their job
Wouldn't a garden look bare without anything in the flowerbeds? My wife is a keen gardener. One of her most regular jobs is the weeding. It's [more]
Three specification questions that can reduce the cost of printed items by over 30%
The print industry is dying There are huge amounts of overcapacity. Printing companies are tendering suicidal prices. So all a print buyer has to do is to [more]
Three questions print buyers must use to challenge process and prevent 30-address syndrome
Can you imagine writing the same address over 30 times? Wouldn’t it be a complete waste of your time? Aren't there are so many better things [more]
- Rebecca Gardner on How eight simple questions can prevent you choosing the wrong print supplier
- Kannan K on Three reasons why print buyers should challenge supplier choice
- Blanca San German on How supplier evaluation forms prevent wasted meetings with print sales people
- Nomi on Three reasons why print buyers should challenge supplier choice
- August 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
Leave a Reply