Problem: A publishing services client had been printing and mailing dozens of small, customized catalogs. This approach complicated the program and significantly increased the client’s cost. The client was initially going to press with customized catalog covers for their members. As a result, the data work for each lot, the addressing and mailing, and the postage spent on mailing dozens of small lots added up to thousands wasted. The client asked MCS to help them reduce overall costs and provide suggestions for a more efficient way to produce these custom catalog mailings.
MCS Solution: MCS came up with a plan that reduced the client’s overall expenses by almost 50% and cut the overall production time in half. The approach would be a print-on-demand application where MCS would digitally reproduce the catalog covers with customized logos and customized return addresses on the fly, in one large run, rather than dozens. Mail files were combined and variable programming was conducted to create variable data and image combinations triggered by a client code. The ability to merge mail files and program variables allowed the publisher to save thousands by reducing press time, eliminating costly plate changes, and mailing catalogs as one large lot to maximize postage savings.
MCS cut client costs and turnaround times in half by developing an efficient print-on-demand program.