Outsourcing can be the answer...

Redeploying the in-house team to other duties, and outsourcing instead may be the strategy you need to follow.

Consider the following benefits of outsourcing to a specialist publisher:

Shorten production cycles - react positively to market changes

A specialist publisher produces design, editorial and print all day every day; they are tooled up for the job. Not only that, but they should already have all the (expensive) resources necessary to do a good job quickly: photo libraries, page layout software, repro tools, experienced staff, image manipulation software, management resources, backup systems, fancy pencils, etc. This also means that you will be able to react much more quickly to market changes; a short production timescale for a customer magazine means you can appear fresher, more dynamic and more relevant to your readers.

Use your staff more productively

The benefits of publishing good quality materials for your staff and customers are worth a lot to your organisation; but the regular grind of producing newsletters, magazines or website content every month is not something your staff will necessarily enjoy. And let's face it, if they aren't trained journalists and designers, your customers won't much enjoy what they produce either. On the other hand, a professional design and editorial team can produce you consistent results - month in, month out. Put your staff to better use - like coming up with the creative ideas for direct marketing, ad campaigns, customer service initiatives, market analysis, customer communications, PR - all the things they would rather be doing! And then let the publisher take those ideas and turn them into reality.

It's cheaper to outsource

Yes, it really is, and for all these reasons:

• You don't have to pay the staff overheads, or fork out for National Insurance, holidays, sick pay, maternity leave etc
• You don't have to find something for the designer and editor to do in between jobs
• You don't have to make pension contributions
• You don't have to buy specialist (and extortionately priced!) software - let alone maintain lots of shiny Macs
• You don't have to buy image libraries
• You don't have to pay by the hour (most publishers will quote on a per-project basis).

Better efficiency

Because a publisher has multiple clients utilising the same services, there are considerable economies of scale - which ought to be passed on to you!

Cohesive design

Your publisher will have all the experience necessary to ensure that your publications correctly and harmoniously reflect your brand identity. (And if you haven't got a brand identity yet, you probably will have by the time they've finished with you!)

Stable budget control

Your publisher should give you a fixed figure for the project. They should also give you an idea of any other charges which you might incur ahead of time - so you can make sure you avoid them...

Up-to-date design and techniques

By outsourcing to a specialist publisher you also gain access to their expertise, knowledge, training, equipment and design skills. All of which helps to keep your publications looking up-to-date, fresh and interesting.

Flexibility and responsiveness

Any publisher you outsource to is used to dealing with a multitude of different projects and will therefore have effective methods for dealing with the last-minute changes which arise in any publication. If they have been in business for any length of time they will also be responsive - anyone who isn't doesn't survive long...

Experience and capability

An outsourced publisher may have many strings to their bow; design, editorial, web design, reader data management, advertising sales, consultancy, advertisment design, print and distribution, project management, imagination, creativity, business sense - but above all, an idea for what will work and what won't. They should be able to give you new ideas that make your life easier - much like we are at the moment.

Objective perspective

A team of publishers makes a splendid sounding-board. They've been around. They know what's been tried, what works well, and what doesn't. Unlike you, they don't have their heads buried in the detail of your customer proposition - and the distance often lends new perspectives and fresh insights, which in the end means you get a happier customer.

Outsourcing is a cost-effective way to increase your resources

If you have never outsourced before it is going to seem odd at first. Your focus moves from digging into the nitty gritty and chasing up contractors to providing ideas and resources and then reviewing the results provided by the publisher (OK, that's a bit simplistic - but you get the idea). You are going to have to feel comfortable with your publisher, and build up the trust that is necessary to ensure you get the work done in the way you want it. This is why it is so important to work with a publisher who understands your company culture and who has the necessary experience to make you feel confident in the end result. If you want to see the kind of client comments your supplier should provide you with click here. Ultimately though, what you are getting is all the experience of publishing professionals for less money than employing in-house staff - it makes sense.

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