Media Paper Management says a new service introduced last year to help potential clients sift paper options has already proven to be a success.

The St Albans based paper specialist launched its innovative workshop in December with the needs of a diverse customer base in mind. Managing director, Doug Jessop, explains: “Our customers are end-users who fall into the following categories: consumer and contract publishing, direct mail, tour operating and retail. It’s quite a varied range in terms of industry sectors, but the common theme throughout is the demand for papers which are both cost effective and environmentally sound.”

Jessop is delighted with the interest and enquires that have been generated through the workshop so far. “We put considerable thought into developing an informative and usable site, and we’ve achieved this by providing eight interactive tools supported by a comprehensive glossary of terms and definitions.

One of the interactive tools referred to by Jessop is the Paper Health Check service. Although not a new service to existing Media customers, it has been revamped so that potential clients can now submit details of their publications and in return receive a professional analysis of alternative paper grades that can offer improvements in terms of quality and cost as well as the possibility of adding a valid environmental accreditation.

The Paper Health Check (or PHC) itself is provided in the form of a one page results table which demonstrates a direct comparison of the user’s existing paper grade along with the proposed alternatives. The results are broken down into technical specifications, an environmental assessment and a breakdown of costs.

Media’s sales director, David Norton, explains: “The Paper Health Check was initially developed as a means of volunteering information on viable market alternatives to existing clients. It is our responsibility to continuously update customers with information on relevant paper grades, and the Paper Health Check seemed a concise and formal way of fulfilling this duty.”

Robertson adds: “It is our policy to send existing clients a PHC at least every six months. Should they wish to further investigate any of the alternatives suggested then we can provide printed examples, mock-up dummies and even trial reels to tag onto a forthcoming print run.”

Environmental manager Danny Doogan continues: ”Being environmentally responsible for printing paper can involve the use recycled grades, certified papers from sustainably managed forests – or simply even papers that are of a lower basis weight. We offer a complete selection of recycled papers to suit all long-run print processes, and as both an FSC and PEFC accredited supplier, we can extend the Chain of Custody to our clients who prefer to use grades from sustainable sources.”

The suggestion of reverting to a lower basis weight is a more lateral way of thinking when examining the environmental impact of actual paper usage. “This is particularly where the Paper Health Check can come into its own,” suggests Doogan. “By carefully choosing across the generic paper range it is quite possible to achieve a very similar end product with a reduced paper weight.”

To sum up says Doug Jessop: “The Paper Health Check is an interesting way of introducing paper procurement to the end user, demonstrating how even subtle changes can produce a significant cost advantage whilst achieving a greener solution. Because we’re obliged to volunteer a Paper Health Check every six months, the customer is guaranteed that we can never become complacent about their business – giving them even more added value.”