Wakefield saves £200,000 on print services

Wakefield Council has saved more than £200,000 on its print requirements through the Crown Commercial Service’s Wider Public Sector Print Services framework.

With a wide variety of print products in its portfolio, the council appointed CDS to provide a fully managed print solution, including lithographic, digital, web, No Carbon Required sets, stationery, promotional items, envelopes, display items and variable data.

In the first year of the contract with CDS, technical advice and effective market testing yielded approximately £56,000 of savings. Through the agreement the council was able to standardise print sizes and the range of materials used to minimise waste during print production, reducing environmental impact and saving money.

The following year, the council’s eCommunications team needed to find £100,000 of savings across all channels to meet wider budget challenges. Working closely with CDS to review their printed materials, including moving to digital channels, the department provided approximately £83,000 of savings. Eager to find further savings, another £62,000 of additional savings was made by combining technological advances and industry best practice in their printed communications.

Neil Warren, chief finance manager at Wakefield Council, said: “The managed print service provider model is a new service delivery method for the provision of external print at Wakefield Council. The contract has achieved significant cashable savings, along with non-cashable efficiencies due to only having one supplier to manage.

“In our experience, the CDS team provide a professional service and have a wealth of knowledge available to ensure that the best solution is provided for each print requirement. An excellent level of support was provided by the Crown Commercial Service who guided us through the procurement process and the award of the contract with CDS.”