Internal team or outsourcing: who should handle POSM

This question arises in most companies with an in-house marketing team: should we keep designers in-house or outsource? There is no one-size-fits-all answer. The decision depends on three very specific factors: the actual workload, the skills currently available in the team, and the level of seasonal demand fluctuations.

Which factor determines which model is suitable?

Before comparing costs, you need to answer these four practical questions:

• Is the volume of POSM consistent throughout the year, or concentrated in a few large batches?
• What skills does the team need: basic layout design, or creating dielines (material specifications) for large format printing, 3D rendering, print shop supervision?
• What is the true cost of the internal team when considering salaries, insurance, benefits, and downtime outside of peak seasons?
• Does the internal team have someone who can serve as the point of contact for brand consistency?

If you cannot answer these four questions, any comparisons of "in-house being cheaper" or "outsourcing being more flexible" lack a solid basis.

When internal advantages exist

The internal team performs best when two conditions are met: a steady volume of design work that fully occupies the time of an experienced person, and a stable brand identity with minimal major changes.

The internal person deeply understands the brand voice, knows which file is using which version, and responds quickly to daily requests without needing a lengthy brief. This is something outsourced teams find hard to match if they have to explain everything from scratch each time.

A rule of thumb mentioned in some creative operations documents: the internal team starts to break even when the design workload reaches about 80 to 100 useful hours per month, consistently. Sinh Vũ notes that this figure comes from a commercially beneficial source and has not been confirmed by independent research, so you should use it as a directional reference, not a hard threshold.

When is outsourcing more reasonable

Outsourcing is suitable when needs are irregular, or when the task requires skills that the internal team lacks and does not need to use frequently enough to justify hiring someone full-time.

• Seasonal needs: Tet holiday, festivals, product launches concentrated over a few weeks, followed by silence for many months.
• Advanced skills: creating dieline files for standees or large backdrops according to printer requirements, color proofing, 3D booth rendering.
• A large campaign, run once: brand launch, nationwide event, requiring many hands at the same time in a short period.

Common mistakes when making the wrong direction decision

• Maintaining an internal team large enough for peak seasons, only to have them idle for most of the rest of the year. The real cost is much higher than just monthly salaries.
• Outsourcing everything to the point where no one internally understands the identity system, can check the files, or notice when the supplier makes mistakes with fonts or colors. At that point, brand consistency gradually deteriorates without realizing it.
• Choose a model based on nominal costs rather than actual costs. The salary of an in-house designer is just one part. Adding insurance, equipment, software, management time, and downtime gives a complete figure for comparison.

The viewpoint of Sinh Vũ

Sinh Vũ often addresses the internal team’s challenging tasks: preparing large format print files according to the materials and technical requirements of the printer, color proofing samples before running large quantities, and supervising on-site for one-time events.

For daily recurring POSM, such as weekly banners, monthly price lists, or posters for ongoing programs, the internal team becomes more proactive and efficient. Sinh Vũ is well-suited for art direction and projects that require high technical standards or many hands at once in a short time.

The decision to keep it in-house or outsource is not a one-time choice. Work volume changes, the brand evolves, and personnel fluctuate. Reviewing the model once a year is a good practice.

Sinh Vũ, from experience working with various businesses at different stages

Sinh Vũ does not conclude which model is optimal for every business. The decision depends on the actual workload, budget, and specific personnel structure of each party. What you need to do first is measure the actual design workload needed, categorize it by skill type, and then compare options.