At first glance, the article “Wide-Format for Transactional Printers? It’s Not as Crazy as It Sounds!” might be somewhat alarming to a large (or wide) format PSP. As the market is evolving PSPs are looking for new ways to differentiate their offering in the marketplace, a crowded space even before you have transactional printers diversifying into it.
But the interesting take this article brings forth is not that transactional printers should run out and buy large format equipment, but that they should partner with a large format printer so they can expand their offering by outsourcing those jobs. This can benefit both companies, bringing diversification to their offerings without actually changing their equipment or workflow. The transactional printer can now offer customers solutions for larger jobs without the high entry equipment cost, greatly expanding their marketability. For the large format PSP, they can outsource smaller print jobs to their transactional printing partner, while they focus on expanding into other large format areas such as 3D or printing for décor.
But before making a diversification leap in either direction, it is crucial to do an internal company audit. Where is the majority of revenue coming from? What jobs are customers asking for that you don’t service? Would the benefit be financial or simply improving standing with your customer base? Is there a gap in the local marketplace that your company could fill? As the marketplace evolves these questions are important to revisit on an annual basis.
If you can find a partner that you trust to deliver the same quality, outsourcing could be a smart solution for handling types of jobs that are not economical to service in-house but would be a gap in your service not to offer. This also potentially frees up more time to go after the more niche markets, to truly give your company differentiation in the marketplace.
