How to Overcome Challenges for Print-on-Demand Printers

Print-on-demand is a business model that focuses on manufacturing products to order. It eliminates the need for inventory and presents an attractive opportunity for printing professionals. Many are turning to this model to meet changing consumer demands and fight rising material costs. In short, print-on-demand allows you to capitalize on recent market changes. The print-on-demand market was valued at $1.8 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow to $8.8 billion by 2033 as more businesses leverage the benefits.

Like all business models, print-on-demand has several challenges. Understanding the pros and cons of print-on-demand is essential to facing these challenges and devising actionable solutions. Set your print-on-demand business up for success with a sound strategy to optimize your workflow and adapt to changing customer preferences.

Challenges and Solutions for Print-on-Demand Businesses

A print-on-demand business offers many benefits in a changing landscape. It allows you to enter the market with minimal investment and customized products. You can also stay agile in the face of changing trends. Despite these benefits, it also presents several challenges for printing professionals. Adopting a strategic approach to these challenges is essential for business success. Some typical challenges associated with the print-on-demand model include:

Quality Control

Customer demands for high-quality work continue to rise. Ensuring consistent product quality across different providers is a considerable challenge for print-on-demand printers. Having many different partners and using different printing machines and materials pressure printing professionals to maintain a uniform quality standard. Entrusting a third party with the end product can result in lower-quality items. You may also experience delays in fulfilling orders, leading to dissatisfied customers.

Print-on-demand businesses must implement strict quality checks and establish a rigorous quality control process to ensure consistency across all print partners. Researching potential suppliers before partnering with them is essential to ensure you only work with reputable providers with a reputation for high-quality output.

Some potential solutions for quality control challenges in print-on-demand businesses include:

Implement quality control from the outset: Successful quality control begins in the planning stages. You can set the stage for consistent execution across projects. Develop standardized quality guidelines for all your print partners to follow so you can eliminate any ambiguity on what makes up an acceptable product.
Conduct regular audits: Developing clear quality control standards can only work if you ensure your print partners adhere to them. Conducting regular audits reminds your partners to incorporate these standards into their workflows.
Get customer feedback: Create a feedback system that allows real-time quality monitoring. Your aim is to make feedback frictionless for your customers. Ensure your team has access to this information to address issues promptly.
Develop a culture of continuous improvement: Quality control comes together when your team members and partners integrate it into their daily culture. Provide your team with adequate training and incentives to maintain your standards and strive for continuous improvement.

Managing Smaller Jobs

The traditional printing model of large volumes and scale efficiency is becoming redundant in the age of personalization. A massive 86% of customers say a personalized experience increases their brand loyalty. In printing terms, this trend toward personalization means an increase in small orders with multiple variations. Meeting personalization preferences can complicate scheduling and reduce efficiency for your print-on-demand business.

The demand for customizations means that print runs are getting shorter and more varied. In line with this trend toward personalization, the printing market has changed significantly. Small organizations can now compete with large printers, provided they can overcome the associated challenges. Print-on-demand automation is critical in meeting consumer needs. It optimizes job scheduling and reduces switch times between jobs, helping print-on-demand businesses manage the increasing number of small orders and variations.

Some potential solutions to personalization challenges include:

Integrate intelligent workflow software: Implement automation tools to simplify providing meaningful, personalized service without sacrificing efficiency. Optimizing a single process can make a considerable difference, provided you choose the right one. Focus on existing bottlenecks and identify any gaps you can address from the outset.
Use predictive analytics: The more you can leverage existing data to streamline your workflows, the better you can manage print-on-demand challenges. With rising material costs impacting printing workflows and personalization concerns, you can leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to forecast demand. This information makes it possible to plan your production runs to focus on efficiency and quality.
Combine multiple smaller print jobs: When you combine smaller print jobs into gang runs, you can use common materials to reduce printing costs and waste. Ganging various print jobs together increases your throughput. You can do much more with less and meet customer demands for rapid turnaround. Automated AI ganging tools can simplify the process further. They group smaller jobs automatically and optimize the layout to eliminate unnecessary material waste.

Adapting to the On-Demand Economy

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the on-demand economy. It forced consumers to change their behavior, and many of these changes have persisted after the pandemic. Instant gratification quickly became the new normal, and the on-demand economy is here to stay. The increased demand for customized products and faster delivery have positively impacted print-on-demand, boosting its popularity and adoption.

With popularity comes competition, and many print-on-demand businesses have found the current landscape challenging. Like many other businesses, print-on-demand companies must offer self-service order submission portals and quick turnaround times to stay competitive. Printers need to be agile and responsive to maintain that competitive edge and focus on adapting quickly to changing market trends and consumer demands.

Some workable solutions for adapting to the current on-demand economy include:

Streamline the ordering process: Today’s customers want a frictionless ordering experience they can complete from home. Investing in user-friendly, self-service order submission portals can simplify ordering for you and your customers.
Leverage automation: The more you can automate your workflows, the better you can meet existing customer needs for on-demand services. Automating repetitive non-core tasks reduces turnaround times and improves responsiveness. When you relieve your team of these tasks, they can focus on print quality.
Stay agile: As consumer preferences evolve, you must ensure you provide the services they need at any time. Monitor market trends constantly so you understand and adapt to customer preferences.

Tackle Print-on-Demand Challenges 

One of the most critical elements of tackling modern print-on-demand challenges is balancing quality and efficiency. Customers want personalized, small orders, and they want them fast. Automating your workflow and leveraging the latest digital innovations can differentiate you from competitors. At the same time, you can focus on meeting changing customer requirements. With the right workflow software solutions, you can transform your print-on-demand business model and set yourself up for success.

Fujifilm XMF PressReady advanced workflow automation software is a purpose-built print production workflow system that automates routine and repetitive tasks. Integrating this system into your existing workflow frees equipment operators to focus on physical operations. At the same time, you improve efficiency and reduce production costs. Tackle the changing print-on-demand market with Fujifilm solutions.

Talk to our team and leverage our expertise for your future success today!