CASE STUDIES
Discover how Only Imaging provides professional TTR solutions to global partners.
Distributor Success: Winning a National 3PL Contract with TCO Analysis
The logistics industry is notoriously sensitive to pricing. When a national Third-Party Logistics (3PL) provider issues a tender for thermal transfer ribbons, the bidding war is often brutal, with distributors shaving pennies off their margins just to stay in the conversation.
However, competing solely on the price per roll is a losing strategy. One of our premier European distribution partners recently proved that the smartest way to win a high-volume contract is to completely change the math.
Here is how they used the Only Imaging Print Audit strategy to secure a massive 3PL account against cheaper competitors.
The Situation: The Cheap Ink Trap
The 3PL facility operated over 150 industrial label printers, generating millions of shipping labels every month. Their primary objective was cost reduction, so their procurement team had sourced an ultra-low-cost wax ribbon from a budget supplier.
Our distribution partner walked into the facility to conduct a free Print Audit. They did not bring a price list; they brought a technical checklist.
The Findings: Hardware Destruction
During the audit on the warehouse floor, our partner immediately identified a critical failure in the 3PL’s printing operation.
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High Friction: The budget ribbons lacked a proper silicone back-coating. The friction was causing the thermal printheads to burn out prematurely.
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Heat Settings: To compensate for the poor ink quality, operators had turned the printer darkness settings up to 85% of maximum capacity.
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The True Cost: The 3PL was replacing printheads every three months. At an average cost of $400 per printhead across 150 printers, their hardware replacement costs were astronomical.
The Winning Pitch
Our partner compiled these findings into a Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) report. They pitched the Only Imaging SW-Series (Standard Wax) ribbon.
The SW-Series was priced slightly higher per roll than the budget ink. However, our partner proved that the advanced anti-static back-coating and high-sensitivity ink release of the SW-Series would allow the facility to lower their heat settings by 30%.
The data was clear: By upgrading their ribbons, the 3PL would extend their printhead lifespan from three months to over nine months. The massive savings in hardware replacement and maintenance downtime far exceeded the slight increase in consumable costs.
Conclusion: Consulting Wins Contracts
The procurement director awarded the entire annual contract to our partner.
When you partner with Only Imaging, you gain the technical data required to stop selling on price and start selling on operational efficiency.
ONLY IMAGING is a leading supplier of labels, printing equipment and associate consumables, including TTR products in various widths and lengths. Please take the opportunity to learn more about our range of high-quality thermal transfer ribbons and explore our other products for any further questions you may have click Here.
