Outsourcing your membership card printing to a third-party supplier has many benefits and not just for your organisation: members can experience a better service too.
If you’re printing cards in large numbers, getting someone else to take care of the fulfilment and mailing could significantly improve your business operations.
Why outsource?
- Saves time and frees up your resources
One of the biggest benefits of outsourcing is freeing up your staff to focus on core business activities such as member engagement, customer service and marketing. If they’re not having to spend hours printing cards and letters, matching them up, fulfilling and mailing them – they can spend their time on the member activities that drive value and revenue.
- Achieve cost efficiencies
Outsourcing your membership card printing means you don’t need to invest in expensive card printers, repeat consumables or the overheads of staff to operate them. You will also realise a lower cost-per-card as specialist card printing companies benefit from economies of scale, so they can produce a card at a lower rate.
You also won’t need to worry about maintaining or upgrading equipment, which further reduces overhead costs.
Card fulfilment and mailing organisations usually have access to keener postage rates, which means you often save money on delivery costs too.
- Streamline your operations
Most membership card printing organisations will work with you to receive membership data in a streamlined way.
It can be difficult to get lots of internal processes to match up together when you’re managing the printing yourself. If you work with a specialist provider, they can manage the whole process for you and provide you with records of successful printing and mailing at the end.
Choose a provider that can set up an API connection directly with their system and your own, and all card requests will happen automatically, without any need for manual input or intervention.
- Offer more sophisticated card functionality to members
Outsourcing to an expert membership card printing supplier gives you access to a range of features and technologies you’d struggle to replicate inhouse, such as RFID technology, encoding, specialist print finishes, and more. Together, these can lift the impact of your card and its member benefits to a different level.
- Offer faster turnaround times, providing a better service to your members
If you have new members joining your organisation regularly, working with an external provider can speed up the process of them receiving their membership cards and welcome pack. You aren’t reliant on one particular staff member returning from their holidays for example, or until there’s a batch of cards ready to process.
Read about the Full Managed Service we provide for the Hynt Membership Card Scheme.
- Scale up and scale down easily
Outsourcing allows you to scale up or scale down easily, making it ideal for organisations with fluctuating or seasonal membership volumes. A specialist provider can expand card production easily to meet increased demand, whereas in-house operations may struggle to keep up with sudden changes in volumes.
- Eliminate errors
Sophisticated automated printing and fulfilment machines eliminate the risk of human error. They match up membership cards, letters and items automatically, reject duplicates and provide a time stamped record of successful completion.
- Get access to greater expertise and sustainable options
Having a printing and fulfilment partner gives you access to their experience and expertise. They can help advise on best practices for design, features and security. Many also offer sustainable card solutions across other materials such as Recycled and Biodegradable PVC, Paperboard and Wood or Bamboo. Ideal if you’re looking for more eco-friendly membership cards.
Interested in learning more about outsourcing your membership card printing, fulfilment or mailing? Email hello@thecardnetwork.co.uk to find out more.
