Photogravure Services Market Procurement Intelligence Report

The market for Printing Services and its sub-segments such as Photogravure Services are at an interesting intersection. High procurement costs put a hindrance for buyers looking for upgrading or replacing a printing asset. As an alternative, suppliers are offering cost-effective re-engineering capabilities such as retrofitting of existing equipment with new systems.

Buyers prefer to engage suppliers whose offerings span beyond Photogravure Services. The practice brings in several advantages such as rationalization of supplier base, economies of scale and reduced category management cost.

Suppliers expect an increase in OPEX from rising prices of paper and ink which has resulted from rising input costs and to some extent, from shortening supply. Still, declining use of paper and intense competition will offset this incremental cost.

Trends like these and many others discussed in this report are necessitating a relook at the way Photogravure Services is procured and the procurement cost saving opportunities that exist.

It has become imperative for category managers to remain as agile as possible in terms of their procurement practices. However, it is not always easy to quickly spot and implement alternative practices in a category like Photogravure Services. To help quick decision making, this report advises on several procurement best practices that have worked well for category managers.

For example, Buyers should compare critical capabilities of suppliers based on security policies regarding materials provided, types of printers used, print color guarantees and TAT and onboard those that can offer a one-stop solution.

Personalization of posters, cards, and messages have a high impact on end-consumers during marketing campaigns and therefore, preferred suppliers must have the capabilities to offer personalization in digital printing.

Buyers should assess factors such as their overall printing requirements, quality of prints required, and need to repeat orders. Such information can be used to take a decision on choosing between a domestic service provider or an offshore service provider based in a low-cost country. Buyers can also choose to attain a balance between offshoring and domestic engagement to optimize their cost-saving opportunities.

Photogravure Services procurement managers also need to proactively identify and mitigate potential risks that can arise in the supply chain or contracts for Photogravure Services procurement. Some examples include: