The complexity of the design, print, storage and distribution of creative material is an area of particular concern for any business continually evolving its efficiency.
An effective solution is to utilise a systematic central repository for brand, design and print data – a digital facility that ensures quality and brand integrity throughout all printed material; access to the latest, approved material; and cost efficiency, Christian Bell, Head of Sales and Marketing at Point, tells SmartProcurement.
The scope of brand collateral produced by most organisations can quickly result in an organisation’s marketing department straining under a mass of print assets scattered throughout the organisation, resulting in little control and a breeding ground for costly blunders. Simply putting all print assets into one digital place does not necessarily save time or money, as resources are still required to extract the assets for the next print job.
What is required is a system that effectively manages, organises and distributes digital assets from a central repository – a function print management specialists should offer your organisation, says Bell.
When printing, the repository will enable a smooth transition from pre-flighting to printing: assets are easily retrievable; and made immediately ready for print with correctly-embedded fonts and corporate identity (CI) usage, for example.
Ideally, an organisation’s marketing department would have access to the system and, once this information is shared, any assets can be correctly re-purposed for any print job without the traditionally-associated costs. This includes re-purposing adverts in various formats and via various delivery methods – a win for any corporate or agency.
Digital Asset Management (DAM) is an increasingly important tool for organisations that actively protect their brand and their bottom line.
Organisations can reduce costs through all but eliminating excessive asset retrieval and creation by enabling quick retrieval, re-purposing and redistribution of corporate approved assets.
Furthermore, built-in control systems promote brand continuity by ensuring that the corporate CI and brand message is consistent; and that very specific controls are adhered to (such as restricted flighting times, approval processes, and re-use in altered formats).
Lastly, using an unaffected database of assets, containing important metadata, it is much simpler to quickly and easily find and create what is needed for print distribution. This avoids disconnected and inefficient printing processes, concludes Bell.
