Part of ViaTech’s “Things You Avoid Asking” series - - real questions, real answers, practical fixes.
What are the benefits of print vendor consolidation and when does it make sense?
TL;DR
As organizations grow, print becomes harder to manage because vendors, portals, and exceptions multiply. Consolidation isn’t about giving up flexibility; it’s about removing friction so teams can move faster with more control. Done right, it improves consistency, visibility, and total cost without slowing execution.
Full Article
If your organization supports multiple locations, campaigns, or training programs, print can quietly become complicated. Multiple vendors, different portals, inconsistent specs, and disconnected workflows create delays, errors, and unnecessary cost.
Most teams do not set out to make things complex. It happens over time.
Print vendor consolidation shifts work to fewer, better coordinated partners operating under a shared structure. The goal is not to eliminate choice. It is to remove friction so teams can move faster with confidence.
When done well, consolidation becomes an operational advantage rather than a procurement exercise.
What print vendor consolidation means
Print vendor consolidation typically means assigning most print and kitting work to a primary partner, supported by a qualified backup. Standard items are standardized. Controlled flexibility is preserved for what truly needs to vary. Ordering, production, reporting, and fulfillment operate through one coordinated system.
Why consolidation works:
Faster launches: Each additional vendor adds handoffs, approvals, and follow-ups. With a unified workflow, assets and templates live in one place. Teams spend less time coordinating and more time executing. Repeat work often moves from weeks to days.
Stronger brand consistency: Different suppliers interpret brand standards differently. This shows up as color variation, paper substitutions, and inconsistent finishing. Consolidation embeds brand rules into ordering and quality controls so output looks the same everywhere.
Clearer spend visibility and pricing: Fragmented purchasing hides leverage. Consolidation creates a single view of activity, enabling better pricing and clearer decisions about what to keep, change, or retire.
Fewer SKUs and smarter inventory: SKU creep happens quietly. A consolidated program supports a standardized core with approved customization. With one inventory view, teams can manage minimum and maximum levels, produce on demand, and reduce obsolescence.
More reliable kitting and distribution: When items ship from different suppliers, deliveries arrive at different times and errors increase. A consolidated partner coordinates production, verifies completeness, and ships from the right location to keep launches on track.
Stronger compliance and training control: Updates happen once and flow everywhere. Older versions can be retired automatically. Paired with secure digital access, teams can trust they are using current, approved materials.
Less waste and better sustainability: Better forecasting and standardization reduce overproduction, reprints, and obsolete inventory. Consolidated shipping simplifies logistics and reduces unnecessary freight.
Lower total cost of ownership: Unit price is only part of the equation. True cost includes internal coordination time, rework, freight, and delays. Consolidation reduces these hidden costs by simplifying workflows and eliminating duplication.
Risks to plan for and how to avoid them:
How to build a simple business case
What to expect from a strong partner
How ViaTech helps
ViaTech supports multi-location organizations with a unified approach to ordering, production, kitting, and reporting. We align catalogs to brand rules, maintain consistent quality across production, and provide real-time visibility into usage and spend.
For teams combining print and digital, we support secure access to current materials, personalization where it adds value, and structured workflows for complex or regulated content. We help model the business case, pilot the approach, and scale at a pace that makes sense.
Bottom line
Print vendor consolidation removes friction so teams can move faster with confidence. Done right, it delivers speed, consistency, visibility, and lower total cost without sacrificing flexibility.