Kulture Konnect Blog

Lately, outsourcing is becoming a common trend in the design industry. Perhaps, if you run a graphic design agency, then you must have stumbled across that situation where your designers become overworked, and you are forced to either hire more staff or outsource some of your tasks. Ideally, with the current level of competition and fast-paced technological advancement, you must be having that inner drive to place your business at a competitive edge for accelerated growth and success. There are various alternatives to consider when it comes to graphic design—whether to start your own or outsource it. Running your in-house graphic design department comes with various hurdles. If you already own an in-house graphic design studio, then at a certain point, you must have experienced one or two of these ten challenges.

1. Cost-inefficiencies 

Cost is the primary factor that comes into play in any business venture. Running an in-house graphic design studio requires you to pay your staff, office or benefits costs, and employee insurance among other related costs. It is even more inefficient when the task to be performed is short-term. Take a look at the whole picture of starting an in-house graphic design department; you have to purchase expensive equipment, software and other upgrades which are very costly to get started. Outsourcing can eliminate all these costs as you can find the service at a competitive price rather than carrying that heavy financial weight yourself.

2. Time disadvantage

Starting an in-house department implies you have to advertise, interview, hire and also train your personnel. All these tasks can be time-consuming before you find the right designer staff for your department. The work could have been completed in a quick turnaround time through outsourcing can be delayed in case you resort to starting your own in-house department. 

3. Quality can be easily compromised

Graphic design is a dynamic field that requires highly competent and creative minds. The market trends change day after day, and this means your staff needs to stay on the front lines to meet the ever-changing customer demands. This can be very challenging when running an in-house graphic design department as you have to train and expose your staff on a regular basis. Outsourcing enables you to find latest techniques and trends while enjoying professional quality results at reduced costs. If you fail to train and expose your staff, the overall quality of service will be compromised.

4. Increased risks

One major risk you can always encounter in starting an in-house department is the risk of lost data. This is a major drawback that can be eliminated by outsourcing to a vendor. Most specialized graphic design studios have proper risk management strategies that help ensure no loss.

5. Burdensome

If graphic design is not your principal area of specialization, then adding a department can be burdensome and costly. It also takes away your time you could have used to concentrate in your field. This justifies you to outsource the task.

6. Limited view of the overall perspective

Sometimes it is hard for you to see what you lack but those outside may be seeing. Outsourcing your design tasks can help you realize what you miss in your field. This is great especially when you are doing a company rebrand. 

7. Operation inefficiencies due to disturbances

Office politics is a major drawback that affects productivity in most organizations and running an in-house graphic design department is no exception. When you start your department, everyone may want to enter, chat and interact. This can divert your core task impacting negatively on productivity. 

8. Decreased profit margins of your business

If you can’t focus on what you specialize in, have hired additional personnel for your graphic design department, invested in expensive graphic design equipment and spent your precious time, then your ROI will be negatively affected. 

9. Lack of access to skilled personnel

Running your in-house graphic design at times limits you to old methods and traditions in your business. Outsourcing enables you to access large and diverse pools of expertise.

10. Poor performance can kill your morale

Indulging in non-core task especially when you lack internal know-how and dedication can result in poor performance. This often leads to duplication and overlap of your internal efforts. Outsourcing can help rid duplication and other obstacles involved in running an in-house graphic design department. Again, others outsource to gain flexibility in finance through the selling of equipment and assets.

Conclusion

It is vital to consider whether a graphic design task can be better done in-house or outsourced. If it is short-term projects, then outsourcing will do best. Again, if you are budget conscious, then outsourcing it will be the best move. The above are the disadvantages that come along with doing in-house graphic design.