If you work with ID printers, or have the responsibility of making ID cards for your organization, you may have noticed a phenomenon known as the “Summer Rush.” It’s a very distinct seasonal occurrence, when many organizations are purchasing large quantities of ID printer supplies, like ribbons, laminates, badge holders, and lanyards and such.
There are several reasons for the Summer Rush, including:
- Schools: A lot of the demand for ID printer supplies comes from educational institutions, including K-12 facilities and Universities. Most of the enrollment and ID card needs occur in late August / early September for these organizations, so they tend to make large purchases during the summer, to ensure they have enough supplies. When you consider all of the educational facilities in the U.S. doing this at roughly the same time, it can put a big strain on available supplies.
- Resorts / Travel Venues: The summer months also see a huge spike in vacation travel, which means venues must be ready to issue room access cards and ID cards to their patrons. This wave of demand occurs during late spring, right before vacation season.
- Events: Summer also sees more events, like concerts and parties, where temporary passes may need to be issued to visitors. Ribbons, badge holders, and lanyards become very much in demand as venues and promotional companies ramp up for shows and events.
Of course, there is also a demand spike for ID card supplies during winter, as people travel for the holidays and attend New Year’s Eve parties. However, the Summer Rush is by far more dramatic because a much larger number of organizations and institutions are seeking supplies at the same time!
Planning for the Summer Rush
Here at ID Edge we always like to advise our customers to purchase supplies ahead of the Summer Rush because it significantly improves convenience and can even reduce costs.
For example, with the heightened demand over the Summer Rush, many vendors run out of supplies, which in turn causes long delivery times. There’s nothing quite like being stuck, unable to print ID cards because you don’t have any ribbons left, or because you ran out of laminate rolls.
So, many organizations end up paying more for their supplies because their vendor options simply become limited. Instead of getting a good deal on their supplies, they end up being stuck and making a purchase from the only vendors who still have their specific parts and supplies in stock.
Additionally, the surge in orders can cause significant delays in shipping. Some ID card suppliers simply don’t have enough manpower to handle the orders in a fast and efficient manner and end up sending orders several days late.
To avoid such inconvenient situations and extra expenses, we highly advise our customers to make purchases ahead of time. You will save yourself a lot of time and frustration, and will be able to use your budget more efficiently.
Strategic Purchasing Decisions
So how should you plan out your purchase of ID card supplies to void the Summer Rush?
The best way to do this is to make an estimate of how many cards you will need to print from now until October. A good way to do it is to make a spreadsheet and list the different supplies you are currently using; ribbons, laminates, blank cards, lanyards, etc. Then, based on the expected volume, estimate how much of each item you will need to complete all the cards.
Make sure to build in a margin of safety into your estimate, just to account for an unexpected increase in the number of cards you’ll need to print, as well as to account for any mistakes during the printing process. For example, once you have your estimate for the number of ribbons or laminates, you may want to multiply it by 1.10 or 1.15 to tack on an extra 10%-15% to your expected printing needs.
With a thorough estimate that includes a margin of safety, you won’t have to rush or stress about getting the right types of supplies. You’ll save yourself a lot of headaches and will be confident that you are ready to meet all the demands of your organization.
Help with an Estimate
If you’d like some help with making a detailed estimate of your printing needs, please get in touch with us. We’ve helped thousands of companies, in many industries. Our experts can help you make an educated estimate completely free of charge.
Just give us a call at 800-798-3343, or send us a message thru the Contact Form!