New Trend: Pre-Approval —Morgan

A representative at Kentucky Printing said, “Since we are a ‘print broker’ for a university, all of the printers we use for the university must be pre-approved and be posted as a ‘certified printer’ on the university Website for purchasing. For other clients, we have a working relationship with several additional printers.”

While the majority of our print buyer respondents are in favor of pre-approved lists, others have expressed their reservations. As one PBO member stated, “Our process of getting a vendor on our approved list makes it difficult to source new suppliers and get truly competitive pricing. I’ve also talked with vendors who will not quote work with us because of past issues with these restrictions. It adds a layer of complexity to my job as production manager and is not the best practice for my organization.”

Whether or not you believe the pre-approval process is helpful or hurtful to your business, there’s no doubt that the trend is gathering momentum with major print buyers. The upside to this is that pre-approved lists can encourage stronger strategic interactions and, ultimately, elevate the value of print.

Those who embrace this trend may find new doors opening to them. PI

—Suzanne Morgan

About the Author
Suzanne Morgan is president of the annual Print Oasis Print Buyers Conference (www.printoasis.com) and Print Buyers Online.com, a free e-community for print buyers and suppliers (www.printbuyersonline.com). PBO, which has 11,0000 members who buy $13 billion a year in printing, conducts research on buying trends and teaches organizations how to work more effectively with print suppliers. Morgan can be reached at smorgan@printbuyersonline.com.