Pricing jobs w/split billing & shipping

[jdr999]

Hi All,

I'm currently facing a challenge in determining the pricing for large orders with split billing and shipping. While I intend to be fair and reasonable, I also want to ensure we don't miss out on potential revenue.

The orders we receive vary in terms of artwork. Some have identical artwork, while others have unique designs based on their locations. Additionally, we encounter orders that contain a mix of both. Furthermore, some orders are billed to a single central location but require split shipping, whereas others are billed and shipped to multiple locations.

I would appreciate your input on how to approach the pricing for the following jobs:

Job A:

Quantity: 50,000 brochures (with identical artwork)
Billing: One central location
Shipping: 50 different locations

Job B:

Quantity: 50,000 brochures (with identical artwork)
Billing: 50 separate locations
Shipping: 50 separate locations

Job C:

Quantity: 50,000 brochures (with identical artwork)
Quantity: 50,000 flyers (with different artwork - 50 files, 1,000 each)
Billing: 50 separate locations
Shipping: 50 separate locations

In the past, I priced Job A based on the total quantity ordered, factoring in sorting/bundling and shipping costs. However, Job B and Job C have introduced additional complexities that require a different pricing strategy.

Thank you for your assistance!

Best regards,
Joe

 

[Ynot_UK]

Where billing is to 50 separate locations, are these 50 invoices to different cost centres for the same company, but will be settled by a single centralised finance department? Or are the 50 locations responsible for their own accounts payable?

This is really the key point as if anything is going to create you additional work (apart from raising the invoices) it is chasing overdue invoices at 50 locations as opposed to one.

We've found the most commonplace (and best) process is for a single invoice to head office, with the finance dept. recharging the individual cost centres internally.

 

[jdr999]

You are correct. The bills will be sent to a central location, each showing different addresses and cost centers.

How would they know how much to charge each cost center from only one invoice? The quantities are not always standard between locations.

 

[Ynot_UK]

How would they know how much to charge each cost center from only one invoice? The quantities are not always standard between locations.

We send an excel sheet showing the breakdown by cost centre

 

[jdr999]

What pricing strategy would typically be used for these three orders?

Should these be billed as individual orders at full retail, discounted individual orders, or total quantity ordered? Job A is fairly straightforward, Job B is 50 Cost centers vs. 1, and Job C is a mix of the same and unique artwork plus 50 Cost centers.

These are just examples. I'm currently working on a much more complex version of C with a dozen items and 200 cost centers. This is the one I'm most stumped on.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[Ynot_UK]

The only tangible difference in A vs B is fulfilment to multiple locations versus delivery to one.
The price of the goods shouldn't change IMO, as you'll be charging separately for fulfilment.
We wouldn't charge extra for invoicing separate sites if we had to do it that way - once the SKU codes and sites are created, it would add no more than 15 minutes.

Where the artwork is unique to the sites (I'm guessing there's much commonality but it's personalised with say the store's address and manager's name/photo, that kind of thing...) the job is completely different as it may be fully digital, or part digital / litho shells / digi front & back covers, etc.... so many variables.

'Full retail' wouldn't come into it (again IMO) as these are the sort of orders you want to look after.