Document Concepts supplied the insurance company with forms, business cards and letterhead, but not the directories. When Barr discovered that the company hired customer service representatives to field calls about obsolete information, he saw a way to save his client money and secure additional business.
Barr proposed printing the directories on demand, so that each time customers joined the insurance program, their directories would be printed in the exact quantity necessary and the information would be up to date. The printing cost per book increased, but Barr showed the insurance company how much it would save by reducing customer service calls. "We found out they were fielding so many questions, they just couldn't handle the amount of traffic on these provider directories," Barr says. He also had to convince the insurance company that on-demand printing wouldn't diminish the directory's quality.
The insurance company sends raw data files of updated directory information to Document Graphics. The distributor uses a template to convert the files into a booklet. Each time a customer needs directories, Document Graphics prints them with a custom cover that displays the customer's company name. The information in the directory also is customized. "If a customer is in one county, then the provider directory only shows providers in that county," Barr says.
The client's success may soon translate
into more business for Document Graphics. The insurance company since was bought
by a large health care organization that also is considering printing its
directories on demand.
--Andrew Brown
Each year, a health insurance company printed 20,000 directories that listed providers by insurance plan and location. The directories were printed on an offeset web press and stored in a warehouse. When the insurance company acquired new business, it would ship the number of directories its customer needed. "They were printing them for a great price, but they were out of date as soon as they were printed," says Tim Barr, president of Canton, Ohio-based distributorship Document Concepts Inc.
On-Demand Printing
Keeps Directory Updated
A health insurance company used to print 20,000 copies of a provider directory each year and ship as needed to their customers, but the information became obsolete quickly. Document Graphics Inc., Canton, Ohio, now prints the directories on demand in the exact quantities needed and with up-to-date information.
Target markets for print on demand. Opportunities exist for selling on-demand printing to industries that use time-sensitive information. "Health care is really expanding and increasing volume. It's a real big on demand business," says Tim Barr, president of distributorship Document Graphics, Canton, Ohio.
Show clients their net savings. Cost per book may increase with on-demand printing, but customers still could realize overall savings. Barr suggests examining a client's underlying processes to show how it could save money. For example, a health care directory with outdated information requires customer service personnel to answer questions. With on-demand printing, the information can be updated regularly. "Yes, it would cost them more to print, but it would save them all this customer service time," Barr says.
Educate your customers about print-on-demand. Some customers assume that the quality of on-demand printing is less than its web press counterparts. Barr assures clients who don't use heavy color that the quality is on par. Show clients samples to help them make up their own minds.
