Muby Tech

Linkedin-in Instagram Twitter Facebook-f
Muby Tech | How to Save Thousands of Dollars in Post-production Cost

How to Save Thousands of Dollars in Post-production Cost: In-House vs Outsourced Retouching Services

By David    July 5, 2024
Home
How to Save Thousands of Dollars in Post-production Cost
Ecommerce Image Retouching Services

Clean and vibrant pictures are essential in an ecommerce business. They quickly help to turn your doubtful clients into loyal and potential ones. Hence, vibrant pictures with good clarity and attractive colors are a must. Photo retouching services hold a massive importance under such circumstances. Such services help you to make your shots look more professional and enhance your sales directly by convincing your customers to buy a product.

Though photo retouching services are vital for an online business, is in-house retouching a wise choice? Well, the answer to it is a clear ‘NO’. In-house retouching services are not an ideal choice for a business compared to outsourcing such services. The queue of other expenses adjoined with in-house retouching services, such as infrastructure, resources, and software, are some of the enormous costs that may change the business budget. 

Also, the procedure is time-consuming and attention-seeking, making the business’s attention concentrated only on photo retouching. It leads to negligence of other aspects of the industry such as collaboration with other clients or paying attention to taking the best shots. The article will reflect on the hidden costs of in-house retouching services and how outsourcing such services significantly helps to manage the business efficiently. 

Muby Tech | How to Save Thousands of Dollars in Post-production Cost

The Visible Costs of In-House Retouching

One of the most significant and visible costs incurred in the case of in-house retouching services is the hiring of professional retouchers. Clients need professional results which need professional employees too. Hiring such professionals may burn a hole in the pocket sometimes. The estimated salary of hiring a professional photo retoucher who doesn’t need constant supervision may range to $60,750 a considerable amount for an organization! The hiring isn’t just limited to providing salaries to some organizations’ employees. The complete package of the employees also involves life insurance, health insurance, paid sick leave, relocation allowances, and many other benefits. 

Another significant cost incurred to set up an in-house photo retouching space is the investments done for hardware and software. Photo editing is not a mere procedure of uploading a picture to an application and using desired filters for professional clients. One must have a proper setup with the required hardware to satisfy that client. General equipment for setting up a space for photo retouching service needs different types of computers and peripherals. The space also needs other forms of software, such as Adobe Creative Cloud subscriptions and CrashPlan Pro for backups of all the projects, networking devices, printers, and mat cutting, which are also required for professional results. 

Setting up a photo retouching studio is not a cakewalk. Professional requirements of the space for precise and perfect results are necessary. Ceiling height, length, and width of the room, and enough space between the subject and camera are some requirements to be observed while looking for a space for setting up an in-house photo retouching office.

The Hidden Costs of In-House Retouching

The hidden costs behind setting up an in-house photo retouching are also equivalent to the visible costs. Such costs, though, may not seem harsh, but they are disturbing for an organization. 

Leaves and Inefficiency– If it is an office setup with employees, then employee inefficiency is one of the most significant back drop. It harshly affects the organization’s productivity and may lead to losing well-reputed clients. Sudden employee leave is another primary concern for the organization, leading to an increasing work backlog. Though these things may not seem directly related to losses of the organization these hidden costs may have a significant impact if not controlled at the right time. 

Another worrying factor for an organization is slow periods. Such days may demotivate the employees and compel a few to look for better opportunities. Managing such conditions efficiently, along with managing the need to overstaff in case of peak season, is what an organization needs for better financial management. 

Management and Overhead– Some other activities that need finances of the organization are hiring and training of employees. An employee needs to be trained per the organization’s requirements, which requires enough attention to the employee in his initial days. The process also involves finance and ample time, which goes in vain if an employee doesn’t perform as per the organization’s needs. Overhead expenses are also the costs to be concerned about in working for a firm. Costs of stationery, utilities, legal insurance, rent, and other expenses are some of the expenses included in overhead costs.  

Muby Tech | How to Save Thousands of Dollars in Post-production Cost

The Cost of Delays and Bottlenecks

Delays in any project are one of an organization’s most significant financial losses. They lead to the loss of reputed clients and the opportunity to work for them. They also lead to the tarnishing of the organization’s image in the market and further loss of opportunities. Project delays can be observed due to reasons such as the unavailability of resources, employee inefficiency, changes in the scope of the project, unrealistic goals, and other similar reasons. Managing such conditions efficiently and delivering timely results may require complete coordination and expenses. 

For example- If an in-house photo retouching studio is working on bulk photo retouching for a client and is facing delays in the project, then the organization may lose the client and its reputation in the market as well. The photo retouchers working on the project for longer hours to avoid delays will charge higher labor charges to do the extra work. Overhead expenses are also increased under such circumstances, such as extended rent, maintenance and utility charges, and other similar costs. Hence, project delays also have a substantial financial impact on an organization’s work. 

Delays by an organization lead to a tarnished image in the market, causing a loss of trust among clients. Hence, the organization also loses the opportunity to work with the finest people of the fraternity. In such cases, the organization faces face time during peak sales with no projects and clients to work for. Hence, maintaining deadlines and working as per the projected timelines is essential for an organization’s financial and goodwill needs.  

The True Cost Comparison

The image above clearly defines the pros and cons of in-house vs outsourcing the services. 

In-services house leads an organization to incur enormous costs for setting up a separate department, hardware, and software equipment for employees to work and deliver professional results, and other overhead expenses. Finances to train the employees are also required to ensure timely projects and retain essential clients. Skill gaps are also one of the most significant drawbacks of an organization if an employee needs to be adequately trained or deliver the desired results. In the case of in-house services, the people working for the same may not be able to see the vast perspective; hence, they may not feel the need to change. 

WhatsApp, One of the most popular messaging apps, spread in more than 180 countries, shows a clear sign of the benefits of outsourcing services rather than in-house setup. The company started in 2012 with 35 employees with a capital of$250,000. The company expanded well in 2022, with over 2.44 billion users. Mr. Jan Koum, the co-founder of WhatsApp, realized the engineering talent of Russian developers and outsourced them to allow the company’s other employees to focus on other core areas. WhatsApp’s offshore outsourcing also helped the company lower direct and indirect costs for building a successful product. 

Outsourcing of services helps an organization save time and costs. Outsourcing eliminates costs compared to in-house costs, such as setting up a working space, hiring and training employees, and expenses incurred for software and hardware equipment. Outsourcing also helps one be assured of the quality and expertise in skills that are needed to improve in an in-house setup. Outsourced professionals have a diverse look towards the work, which helps them bring more creativity to the job assigned to them, which needs to improve the in-house setup. 

The Benefits of Outsourcing

Outsourcing has multiple benefits compared to in-house retouching services. An outsourced team has a team of professional employees with skilled people. Hence, they promise to deliver quality and timely results. They use the best photo retouching software to give quality results to clients. An outsourced team works systematically to provide professional and timely client results. Outsourced teams are constantly updated with the latest technology about retouching software and tools, which need to be improved or are lacking in an in-house setup. 

One of the most significant advantages of outsourcing is the scalability of resources. An outsourced professional team is trained to work well even under high pressure. Hence, they are well-trained to manage multiple clients simultaneously and easily handle work pressure. Outsourcing also allows businesses to focus on their core areas, such as creative direction and client management. Outsourcing helps to manage retouching services efficiently and professionally.

Overcoming Common Outsourcing Challenges

Finding the right outsourcing partner for photo retouching services is essential for quality results. Qualities such as years of experience, positive testimonials, affordable prices, use of updated technology, and turnaround time are some aspects to be looked for before selecting the right partner for outsourcing. Clear communication with outsourced partners helps maintain a smooth and seamless workflow. Communicating clear expectations while maintaining communication guidelines allows the organization and outsourcing partners to work harmoniously. 

Outsourcing partners can deliver quality results with the help of set guidelines by the organization. Smooth and clear communication, with realistic goals and prior discussion of prices, helps one get timely and desired results. Keeping the communication clear and goals prior to the project helps to get professional results without any troubles. 

Conclusion

The article emphasizes the benefits of outsourcing photo retouching services rather than an in-house setup. Outsourcing such services helps to save time and costs incurred on various processes in case of an in-house setup. Outsourcing also helps ensure the quality delivered because of the team’s expertise and their constant connection with the updated technology. An in-house setup leads to multiple costs, which are seamlessly eliminated by outsourcing photo retouching services. It helps the organization not only save money but also pay attention to the core areas of the company. 

By MubyTech
Global Image Editing Partner

Secured By miniOrange