Philip Mann, Scope’s production controller, has worked in publishing, the IT industry and broad­casting and has been involved in print buying at various levels for more than two decades.

In his current role, Mann controls an annual print spend of around £150,000, which is split between eight printers, most of whom are based in or close to London. However, Mann says: “Location is not significant. We gain from working with a small number of suppliers.”

Working for a charity, Mann has to keep a close eye on costs and he cites price, quality and consistency as the key drivers in his print buying.

He adds that the best suppliers “offer advice on the best use of materials and a frank appraisal of production turnaround. We also appreciate suppliers who understand our accessibility requirements for print work”.

That accessibility is key to everything that Mann and his employer do. He argues Scope needs to make its information as accessible as possible, whatever medium that requires. As well as large-format print and Braille documents, the charity also provides extensive online and audio material such as podcasts.

But that doesn’t mean the end of print for the charity. Mann says: “Scope will continue to produce material in print because it remains a great way of getting information to the people who need it. For many disabled people, print – both standard and large print – remains their first and most accessible choice.”

Mann places both digital and litho work, but says that he appreciated the growing trend for printers to offer a range of processes. “This is the kind of print-run and cost flexibility that is increasingly important,” he says.

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SCOPE FACTFILE
Founded 1952
Annual turnover around £95m
Staff 3,500
Volunteers >10,000
Annual print spend around £150,000
Printers used Newnorth Print, Fraser Hamilton, PFC  Group, Dalton Printers, Lexon Group, Advance Digital Print, Orange Advertising, Colourset Graphics
Source: Scope