Did you make any resolutions for this year? How about reaping the benefits of non-procrastination? Having worked in the ID security industry since 1985, the ID Edge team has become very familiar with a phenomenon called the “Summer Rush.” It’s caused by a big spike in demand for ID printer supplies from several industries, including schools,parks & rec, resorts, and special events. Unfortunately, this causes a number of issues for every organization that relies on ID printer supplies for their day-to-day operations.
Let’s take a closer look at how the Summer Rush may affect your business and why you should avoid it this year.
Shortage of ID Printer Supplies
The Summer Rush inevitably brings a temporary shortage of ID printer supplies because many industries are experiencing high consumer demand and need to print a ton of ID badges. This means that there are less supplies to go around, and if you’re out of a certain ribbon or laminate you might have to wait several weeks until it’s back in stock.
Unfortunately, such delays can bring operations to a halt for the organization that isn’t prepared with reserves. Can you imagine not being able to issue or replace any ID badges for several weeks?
Longer Shipping Times
Another major issue with the Summer Rush is that ID supply companies get so many orders that shipping times inevitably increase. This is especially true for larger orders, where many different items have to be put together to complete the order.
Why the Summer Rush Happens
The Summer Rush typically starts around April, when seasonal businesses begin to order supplies. This is especially true for summer resorts and event planning companies. People are taking vacations this time of year and going to lots of events. This means there are millions of badges that have to be printed and lanyards that have to be handed out.
If you’re looking for custom lanyards, for example, it will be harder to get them during the summer because many resorts and event planning companies are getting customized lanyards for patrons and to promote a music festival, or some other performance.
However, the Summer Rush doesn’t stop when summer events wind down because the school year is right around the corner. This means educational institutions are ordering huge quantities of ID printer supplies to ensure they can print ID cards for students and staff.
With thousands of schools and higher education institutions across the United States, and thousands of students in each, you can imagine the kind of demand that occurs that time of year.
Start the Process Now
To avoid the frustration of ordering ID printer supplies during the Summer Rush, it’s a great idea to start the process now. This way you can get all your department approvals without a rush, you can plan out exactly which supplies you will need, and you can order enough to have a cushion in case on unexpected spikes in ID badge production in your organization.
The best way to plan for your ID printer needs is to take the following steps:
- Consider how many cards you printed last year, between the months of April and October.
- Consider how much your demand is likely to increase this year (perhaps your organization or customer base have grown). For example, if you printed 1,000 cards last year and your business has grown by 30%, you’d need to have enough supplies to print about 1,300 cards this year.
- Build in a cushion of 10%-25%. If your organization is growing quickly, a 25% cushion is more appropriate. If it’s relatively stable, 10% should do. This helps ensure you don’t run out of supplies during this time.
However, the most important thing is that you don’t get caught without enough supplies. While everyone else is stressed out because they’re not sure if they’ll get their supplies on time, you’ll be happy to have a supply closet full of all the ID printer supplies you need!
We Can Help With an Estimate
If you’d like some help with an estimate for ID printer supplies, we can help. Just give us a call at (800) 798-3343, or send us an email through the Contact Form.