Joining IPN
IPN Global highly values our membership, thus the application process follows a strict procedure to maintain our established standards and code of practice.
Before applying you should read and our membership rules to ensure that you meet the criteria listed.
-
- The Membership Chairman, whose responsibility is to ensure the process is completed in a timely matter. After ensuring the application is complete, it is distributed to the members on the IPN web site to provide all members the opportunity of giving their input to the membership committee on the suitability of the applicant and whether or not the applicant is a competitor of one or more IPN Members.
- Any objections are reviewed by the Membership Committee. It is possible that an applicant will be contacted by the membership committee to clarify any issues that come up during the process. Any applicants who are confirmed by the membership committee as being unsuitable and/or to be competitors of other IPN Members will not be accepted as Associate Members.
A member company must have someone in executive authority within the company who is willing to make a personal commitment to IPN and attend two meetings per year. This executive authority may be the Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director or majority shareholder.
Corporate membership is not permitted – it is the individual with executive authority within the company who is the member of the IPN on behalf of his company which, during his membership, will be a member company.
After the associate member attends three meetings, the member companies present vote on whether or not to take the associate member into full membership. If the associate member declines the accepting votes and elects not to take up full membership, no fees will be refunded.
IPN does require a joining fee and with the first year’s membership, which totals £5200 and is payable upon entry into associate membership. The annual cost thereafter is £4200 per year and is payable in two equal half yearly installments. In addition, all fees are subject to UK Value Added Tax at the applicable rate in force at the date of invoicing.
Being a global organization dealing with varying custom and practices across the world, IPN Global believes all members must strive to work with the same standards. A cornerstone of this is the Code of Practice and Rules, which exemplifies how members work together and what obligations they have to one another.
The two members exchanging work must do so on an arm’s length basis. However, any breach of the code of practice by the member accepting work from another IPN member leaves them liable to expulsion from the group. Members can be confident that sub-contracted work will be produced to the same standards of quality and reliability they would achieve in their own plant.
IPN members cannot sub-contract work to members or non-members unless all parties are in agreement.
IPN global encourages members to work together, but in the final event it is the company placing the work that makes the final decision on commercial grounds. However, every consideration should be made to provide work to IPN members before subcontracting to any non-member companies, including any subsidiaries in a parent company network.
Working Together
Being a global organization dealing with varying custom and practices across the world, IPN Global believes all members must strive to work with the same standards. A cornerstone of this is the Code of Practice and Rules, which exemplifies how members work together and what obligations they have to one another.
The two members exchanging work must do so on an arm’s length basis. However, any breach of the code of practice by the member accepting work from another IPN member leaves them liable to expulsion from the group. Members can be confident that sub-contracted work will be produced to the same standards of quality and reliability they would achieve in their own plant.
IPN global encourages members to work together, but in the final event it is the company placing the work that makes the final decision on commercial grounds. However, every consideration should be made to provide work to IPN members before subcontracting to any non-member companies, including any subsidiaries in a parent company network.
Changes at Member Companies
A replacement member would need to be nominated by the company. The nominated new member would be asked to confirm their understanding of the code of practice and rules. If they accept the terms of membership, they must then make a commitment to the IPN. Membership will continue normally for the new person being entered as the primary contact for that member company.
If there is no existing IPN representation in the new location, the IPN member can trade in the new area for the old, but it does not have any exclusivity in that new location unless it applies for separate membership.
If a member company expands to a new location where there is already an existing IPN member, the IPN member can operate in that area but has no exclusivity. It is expected that before commencing new operations, the incoming member should communicate with the existing IPN member to minimise any competitive issues. In addition, they must understand and accept that the existing member would normally handle any IPN work required in that area. Additionally, it must be accepted that the company placing the work makes the final decision on commercial grounds.
IPN members cannot sub-contract work to members or non-members unless all parties are in agreement.
If the member remains the same, the member would be asked to confirm that the new owners accept and understand their obligations entailed in IPN Global membership and re-confirm commitment to the code of practice and rules. A senior director of the new owners can re-confirm commitment by attending the meeting to participate as a representative. Membership can then continue unchanged under the new ownership.
If the member remains the same, the member would be asked to confirm that the new owners accept and understand their obligations entailed in IPN Global membership and re-confirm commitment to the code of practice and rules. A senior director of the new owners can re-confirm commitment by attending the meeting to participate as a representative. Membership can then continue unchanged under the new ownership.
a. Can he continue in membership? If the existing member company has been acquired by a larger company with multiple printing operations, there could be competitive issues to resolve and the new company must re-apply for membership. Their application will be assessed by the normal membership sub-committee procedures, which should include participation from a senior board member of the parent company as the representative. IPN will seriously consider the degree of independence given to the CEO of the member company since the parent company could impose policies onto the IPN member company that would be in conflict with the IPN code of practice. Providing that the member and the parent company guarantee that they can and will uphold the code of practice and rules of the IPN, the company can continue membership without a joining fee. However, if they cannot give that guarantee the membership will be terminated.
b. Can he subcontract to or from non-member subsidiaries? Consideration should always be given to place work through an IPN member(s) first.
c. Can a non-member subsidiary use the IPN Network? IPN Global strives to maximise new opportunities for member companies, but a non-member subsidiary may not access the full benefits of the IPN network or imply membership in any way. If a non-member has a requirement for distributed print, this should be an arm’s length transaction with individual IPN members, which the non-member can locate via recommendation or the IPN portal. Members accepting work in this way should ensure that by so doing they recognise their obligations to other members and their regional exclusivities and do not alienate them by any breach the IPN code of Practice.
Confidentiality
No. Under the Code of Practice and rules no member or any of their subsidiaries may contact another member’s customer or staff during or after a job without their immediate permission. Any such breach of the Code of Practice would render the member liable for immediate cancellation of membership.
Disputes
Eligibility for Membership
A potential member’s application form will be reviewed by the membership subcommittee to ensure that they meet all listed criteria. Any possible conflict, as to a geographical location that may be in a competitive territory of another existing IPN member, will be discussed with the lay member before the sub-committee authorises associate membership.
Since membership is vested in an individual within a company, membership is granted for a single location and that is normally where the member is located. IPN does not grant membership for the other locations. If there are pre-existing IPN members in some of the applicant’s other locations, the scale of any potential conflict of interest will first be discussed between the existing member and the membership sub-committee and then discussed with the applicant before granting associate membership, then re-assessed before granting full membership.
Exclusivity
As a global organization, this will vary according to the geographic location; sometimes it can be as big as a town or city, a county or state, and even an entire country. In certain specialised instances the market served by companies will also be considered. The IPN Global membership sub-committee individually assesses each application to minimise any risk of conflict from the outset. Any possible geographical location that may pose a potential problem for an existing member in that region or locale, due to competitive issues, will be discussed between that member and the sub-committee before the approval of any applicant. A member is entitled to have his location listed once on the IPN web site. This will normally be the main production site where the member is based. Multiple listings for a single company are not permitted.
