Direct Mail Marketers Get Gifts from USPS

The United States Postal Service just experienced what it projected as its busiest day of 2015. Of course in the weeks leading up to Christmas, the post office is on the minds of many as they await the delivery of gifts purchased online and from catalogs. This year, in addition to an ever-growing quantity of mail-order purchases, the USPS is also delivering some interesting gifts to direct mail marketers.

Although it is only available as a pilot in certain New York City ZIP Codes, the USPS has rolled out what it is calling the Informed Delivery app. App users will be able to see images of their mail each day before it arrives in their mailboxes. For now, the app uses the basic black-and-white photos the USPS captures of the front of every letter it handles.

However, according to a recent article in Direct Marketing News, services could be expanded. One of the possibilities mentioned is a value-added service where direct mail marketers can have links placed in the photos of their mail that the recipient can click. In the near term, the article cites the ability for recipients to see the mail that is intended to reach them before someone else in the household disregards it as unimportant. During an earlier, smaller test of the service, response rates to direct mail were said to be nearly twelve times higher among app users compared to non-users.

On broader scale, the USPS has also planned promotions for direct mail marketers in the coming calendar year. Building upon the promotions it offered in 2015, the 2016 plan includes incentives for the use of advanced printing technologies as well as crossovers between print and digital.

In the Tactile, Sensory and Interactive Mailpiece Engagement promotion, the USPS will offer a postage discount for registered marketers employing innovative use of advanced printing techniques. Techniques including specialty inks, sensory elements, textured papers, folds, die cuts and other elements can be interacted with and manipulated by the recipient.

As part of the Emerging and Advanced Technology/Video in Print promotion, mailers incorporating Near Field Communication (NFC), Augmented Reality (AR), or integrated video in their mailpiece can earn an upfront postage discount of 2%. In addition, mailers will be able to receive the same discount for A-B testing of response rates between versions with and without the advanced technologies.

Aside from a nice discount, what does this mean for organizations that rely on direct mail for marketing communication? For one it provides a strong sense of encouragement for marketers, designers and print buyers to think outside of the box. Additionally, it further proves that print is not only adaptable to today’s digital society, but that it actually helps drive it. As the demands and expectations placed on printed marketing communications become more complex, so do the specifications, schedules, files and production needs that bring them to fruition. Managing all of this is no simple task. It requires the flexibility, power and know-how that only specialty training and purpose-built tools can provide. It’s another page in a long history of print leading the way in graphic communication innovation and one that those of us dedicated to it are excited to turn.

Direct Mail Marketers Get Gifts from USPS

Einstein Didn"t Fail Math Either. Sorry.

Does everyone know Einstein’s definition of insanity?

It’s repeating the same misattributed quote over and over again as if Google doesn’t exist.

Page 474 of The Ultimate Quotable Einstein says the insanity quote originates on page 68 of Sudden Death a novel by Rita Mae Brown published in 1983. I checked. You can see it here. One of the characters in the book attributes the quote to a person named Jane Fulton.

But then, on Quora and Wikipedia, I see mention of how the quote may have originated with either Narcotics Anonymous or Alcoholics Anonymous.

Let’s just agree it was said by someone anonymous. But not Einstein.

Anonymous providers are fine when sourcing ornaments for insipid rhetoric, but when it comes to custom print, the buyers eLynxx works with want to know their vendors. Putting aside the overhead associated with buying print through brokers, our clients value direct relationships. Reliable printers, who know their buyer’s business, and keep them up-to-date on relevant technologies, know how mushy some print buyers can sound talking about them. It’s cute.

And because the eLynxx software allows print buyers to “trust but verify,” print buyers cultivate direct relationships while achieving the transparency, control, and superior business results to ward off the print management firms their bosses might meet on a golf course.

They might see us on the golf course too, but we’re #teamprintbuyer. You’re safe with us.

<iframe width=”854″ height=”480″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/nM4uCEzu3nw” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen></iframe>

“Trust but verify.” Who said that? T. Thomas Fortune? Fydor Dostoyevsky? Ada Lovelace?

To Google!

Einstein Didn"t Fail Math Either. Sorry.

Who is Going to Notice Inconsistencies in Your Branding?

The place eLynxx Solutions calls home, like many small cities, has been re-envisioned several times in its existence. Booming industry and the bustling downtown that supported it have given way to new things like technology, historical tourism and a renewed focus on local agriculture, craftsmanship and art. Today, besides being home to a wonderfully innovative software company, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania is also home to an award-winning microbrewery and a newly-opened artists’ collective. Hipsters have even been spotted downtown. I suppose that’s par for the course.

I’m pretty passionate about the place I live and work. So when new things like the artists’ collective open downtown I take notice. I’m also pretty passionate about branding and marketing communications. So when I see quality, consistency and continuity, as well as a lack thereof, I take notice.

Walking downtown from my house a few weekends ago I noticed the artists’ collective was taking up residence on a busy Main Street corner in what is possibly one of the most interesting Victorian-era storefronts in town. I stopped to look at the display windows which were still being setup. There were some truly nice creations, which isn’t surprising considering the talent around these parts. They also had very well-done posters that revealed something that is so often lacking in community-based efforts – branding – actual, honest-to-goodness branding.

These posters featured an attractive, modern logo along with clean photography and a sleek layout. They were very contemporary and high-end looking. The printing of the posters and the stock they were on looked to be of high quality making a nod to traditional methods and quality. They were carefully mounted on boards and placed on wooden easels conveying a sense of handmade craftsmanship. Overall, the posters in the display windows communicated a clear brand message: handmade art that is contemporary but of traditional quality. It seemed to fit well and appeared to be a sign of good things to come.

With the passing of a few weeks I found myself stopped at the traffic light where the collective sits and I noticed something different. The signs from the long-departed business that were on the building had been replaced with new ones for the collective. Unfortunately they just didn’t send me the same message as the window posters. Don’t get me wrong, they’re not horrible. They told me the name of the shop and what it does and they certainly caught my eye because I noticed them. But they did not convey that same sense of contemporary style and quality as the posters.

The intent of this story isn’t to put down a local group that’s no doubt going to do great things in our community. On the contrary, I’m very impressed with everything else I’ve seen and I am excited about it. Rather, the intent is to put into perspective an issue that eLynxx has helped organizations deal with for years. Consistency and quality in the presentation of a brand is crucial regardless of the medium or communication channel. When there’s a bit of a breakdown in consistency or quality between the rather well-done posters and the DIY sign of a local art gallery, a local marketing nerd like me may notice. When the breakdown happens with a major organization, the world notices.

Who is Going to Notice Inconsistencies in Your Branding?

Print - The Unsung Touchpoint of Selling

Selling is not a simple process. It takes a complex skill set that includes the ability to:

• Understand and connect with different personalities


• Identify problems and present solutions


• Use persuasion to form opinions and drive decisions


• Uncover and process detailed prospect and client information


• Manage and track actions and time with precision

Sellers must be great researchers, information processors, producers and also great communicators. Yet there seems to be a lot of emphasis on helping sellers on the first three and not so much on being great communicators. For example, there is much discussion about resources that provide access to data for research and tools for customer relationship management (CRM). However, the tool that helps sellers communicate ideas that impact buying decisions is rarely given emphasis. Sellers can be research pros, information processing dynamos and Johnny-on-the-spot when it comes to taking actions. However, without materials to help them connect, solve, persuade and drive decisions – in other words communicate – success can be hard to come by. As a marketing communications professional who has worked closely with sales teams for a good portion of my career, I find myself asking why communication materials are not managed with the same emphasis as other sales tools?

Perhaps it’s because in many organizations there is a division of power? Marketers are the creators – they make the communication aids. Sellers are the executors – they deliver the communication aids that are available to them. Therefore emphasis in the sales process is placed on execution. Maybe it’s that while research, time and progress are fairly universal commodities, communication aids are highly specific and custom-made? Providing access to data and information can be done on a nearly global scale. The same goes for building solutions to help with time, contact and productivity management. But the organization itself has to make communication aids to fit its own needs and purposes.

Regardless of the reason, an organization’s printed collateral material is an important sales tool to persuade and impact the buying decision. Because of the physical nature of graphic communication materials, they’re often the only chance a prospect has to get their hands on the brand. They are the true touchpoint in the sales process. Print is the junction where sales, marketing, branding and the target audience come together physically as one. For this reason printed communications are deserving of the spotlight that they never seem to get.

Organizations readily invest in specialty CRM and research tools for their sales teams. But they manage, source and execute materials that directly impact buying decisions with improvised spreadsheets, notes, email and phone calls. At best, sales collateral purchases are shoehorned into general-purpose procurement and enterprise resource planning solutions. None of these tools are built for the procurement of custom-specified and produced printed materials. Now is the time to start using the right tool for the job of producing printed communication materials that are critical to sales success.

Print - The Unsung Touchpoint of Selling

eLynxx Solutions to Provide Software for U.S. Chamber

eLynxx Solutions, provider of cloud software for sourcing and management of direct mail, point of purchase, marketing, publications and all other print has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. to provide the company’s eLynxx software to help manage and execute projects involving custom printed materials.

Mike Jackson, Chief Executive Officer at eLynxx Solutions said the company looks forward to having the U.S. Chamber as a valued client. “eLynxx software helps print buyers across America work more effectively by facilitating direct relationships with their own trusted vendors” he stated. “It’s a great honor to have our software chosen by an organization that stands up for American enterprise like the U.S. Chamber. We are confident that the U.S. Chamber will benefit from cost savings and gains in efficiency.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

###

View the press release on PRWeb

eLynxx Solutions to Provide Software for U.S. Chamber

Survey Says...Procurement Execs Unhappy with Insight from Data

Here at eLynxx Solutions we’re pretty big on data. After all, eLynxx software captures, records and reports on every task, step, action and transaction that is part of the management and procurement of the client’s print projects. Of course the ability to gain all of the insight that the data provides is one of the many things clients tell us they love about eLynxx.

That sentiment, apparently, is not common outside of the realm of organizations using eLynxx for print procurement.

An article published by our friends over at Supply and Demand Chain Executive Magazine cites a Consero Group survey of chief procurement officers performed in July. According to that survey 84 percent of the respondents claim to be unsatisfied with the level of insight they get from their organizations’ data. Spend visibility was reported as the metric most effective by a majority of the respondents. A larger majority, however, reported that they believe metrics used to evaluate procurement functions drive the wrong behavior.

At least we know that our focus on transparency, data and reporting have paid off!

Check out the article at sdcexec.com.

Survey Says...Procurement Execs Unhappy with Insight from Data

How to Increase Marketing Coverage With the Same or Less Marketing Spend

It’s hard to imagine anyone who would not want to increase marketing coverage. Today, with tightening budgets, it’s even harder to imagine anyone who would not want to increase marketing coverage with the same or less marketing spend. The key is not found in the latest trends in creative, online marketing or social media. It is found in something most people don’t often think about – marketing procurement.

An optimal marketing program requires online marketing, social media, phone solicitation, radio, cable, publication and tertiary advertising, along with all of the other communication techniques which bombard our senses. It also requires the sourcing and managing of direct mail, marketing materials, publications, in-store signage, point of purchase, displays, campaigns, labels and advanced packaging – all of which we shall call “print”.

Print presents a perfect opportunity to increase marketing coverage with the same or less marketing spend. And, it does not require cutting back on anything or sacrificing quality and service. It simply involves paying more attention, making a few adjustments and taking better control of how your organization procures its marketing print.

Believe it or not, you can increase marketing coverage with the same or less marketing spend in eight easy steps.

1. Eliminate Obstacles Between You and Your Vendors

If you are outsourcing any of the management or execution of your print marketing projects to a middleman like a business process outsourcer, you are placing an obstacle in your path. Eliminate the obstacle, and deal directly with the vendors providing the print you procure. This way you eliminate the third party cost, improve coordination between you and your vendors, eliminate mis-communication, speed-up the process and get the exact quality and service you require. Every obstacle you eliminate between you and your vendors equates to savings in cost, increases in efficiency and better results.

2. Be Specific

The procurement of print is no place for being vague or unprepared. You must be very clear and detailed about what you want. Specifications must be precise. Roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined. Quality expectations, project milestones and delivery schedules must be established and followed. When changes need to happen midstream in a project, which they will, all of the details must be in order, approved and documented to keep everything on-time, on-spec and on-budget.

3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

While it may not be readily apparent, there are many individuals who play a role in your organization’s print marketing projects. Often these roles span multiple departments. Bring agencies, freelancers and your vendor’s people into the mix and things begin to get very complicated. Consistent, clear communication between all of these people is crucial. Without it, steps get missed, approvals don’t happen promptly, information gets lost, time is wasted, deadlines pass, costs go up and chaos reigns.

4. Understand There is a Difference Between an Estimate and Final Pricing

A print marketing estimate is not a quote. It is a “rough” or “ballpark” budget price based on still fluid specs to give an idea of cost. Because of all of the variables, vendors can not provide a competitive price until all of the detailed specs, schedules, requirements and dependencies are provided. Thus, a budget price accepted as the final price for a project yields higher than necessary costs, as the difference between a budget price and a competitive price can be shocking. Planning can be achieved when estimates are made on what is known at the time. Cost savings can be achieved when the final competitive price is made on detailed and complete specs and requirements.

5. Insist on Transparency and Full Reporting

There are many details, dependencies and moving parts in a print marketing project. Without full visibility and instant reporting, small issues become big problems, minor changes become expensive change orders, a missed approval becomes days of expensive reruns, and on and on and on. In any print marketing project there are more than a thousand places where something can go wrong. Multiply that by numerous print marketing projects, each with dependent parts, and the possibility of tragedy is exponential. It is imperative to establish and monitor tasks, approvals, schedules, production milestones as well as real-time progress and access reporting to gain process control. Only then can efficiency improve, potential problems be minimized and print marketing costs reduced.

6. Minimize Expensive Change Orders

There are times when you have to make changes to your print marketing project. To minimize expensive change orders it is a good practice to engineer clear specs with everyone involved on the same page, so to speak. Transparency, based on each individual’s needs, requirements, rights and roles, further eliminates potential problems that add to the final price of a project. Make no mistake, when a print vendor does not charge for making changes, or for your errors, that vendor has the cost of potential changes already in the price – if for no other reason than to protect itself.

7. Stop Using Spreadsheets, eMail, ERP and General Procurement Systems to Manage Print Marketing Projects

Using utility software that is already in your office is a fast way to print buying frustration. In fact many organizations already supplement utility software the only way they can – with spreadsheets, email, phone calls and time-consuming meetings. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) and general procurement systems are not built to handle the requirements of custom-made print marketing projects. Turning to spreadsheets, emails, phone calls and long meetings results in a quagmire of files, busywork and post-it notes. At best, this leads to headaches and muddling through projects, while at worst, to confusion, missed deadlines, sacrificed quality, low efficiency, higher costs and possibly failed projects.

8. Use the Right Software Tools

Direct mail, marketing materials, publications, in-store signage, point of purchase, displays, campaigns, labels and advanced packaging – print – operates in a very unique environment with highly specialized processes and requirements. Software tools can be very helpful in managing and executing print. The trick is to use the right tools. Ask yourself if the software you are going to use helps you accomplish all of the steps above. Remember the most powerful software tools help foster an environment of fair competition among vendors, support compliance with diversity and environmental initiatives and ensure that quality and service are not sacrificed all while achieving lower costs.

By following these eight steps you will be able to increase your marketing reach for the same or less marketing spend, allowing you to redirect your budget into more market coverage, other initiatives or in whatever direction best meets your goals.

How to Increase Marketing Coverage With the Same or Less Marketing Spend

How to Increase Marketing Coverage Without Spending More

It’s hard to imagine finding any marketer who would deny wanting to be able to increase coverage of their target market. Given today’s environment of ever-tightening budgets and a growing number of channels, it’s also hard to imagine finding any marketer who wouldn’t love being able to do it without spending more. The key to increasing market coverage isn’t found in the latest trends in creative, online marketing or social media. It’s found in something most people don’t often think about – marketing procurement.

Any marketing that requires custom goods or services such as direct mail, printed materials, point of sale, signage, displays, packaging, publications and more presents a perfect opportunity to increase coverage or reach without spending more. And, it doesn’t require cutting back on anything or sacrificing quality and service. It simply involves paying more attention, making a few adjustments and taking better control of how your organization procures the goods and services it uses for marketing. Believe it or not, it can be accomplished in three steps.

Step 1: Eliminate Obstacles Between You and Your Vendors

If you are outsourcing any of the management or execution of your marketing material projects to a middleman like a business process outsourcer you are placing an obstacle in your path. Eliminate the obstacle and deal direct with the vendors providing the marketing goods and services you procure. Every extra step you eliminate from the path between you and your vendors will equate to savings in cost, increases in efficiency and better results.

Step 2: Be Specific

The procurement of goods and services your organization relies on for marketing is no place for being vague or unprepared. You must be very clear and detailed about what you want. Specifications must be precise. Roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined. Quality expectations, project milestones and delivery schedules must be established and followed. When changes need to happen midstream in a project, which they will, all of the details must be in order, approved and documented to keep everything on-time, on-spec and on-budget.

Step 3: Use the Right Software Tools

Custom printing, which plays a role in most of the goods marketers procure, operates in a very unique environment with highly specialized processes and requirements. While it might be tempting to try to procure it using enterprise resource planning or general procurement tools, they simply are not built to handle the details and requirements of the strictly custom nature marketing goods and services. That often leaves organizations turning to spreadsheets, emails, phone calls, meetings that result in a quagmire of files, notes and paperwork. At the best this leads to muddling through projects with frustration and headaches. At the worst it leads to confusion, missed deadlines, sacrificed quality, low efficiency, higher costs and possibly failed projects.

Software tools are helpful in properly managing and executing the custom printing you use for marketing. The trick is finding and using the right tools for the job. Before you begin using any software tools for marketing procurement, ask yourself the following questions. Does it automate communication between everyone who plays a role in the project – both internal and external? Does it enable transparency into all aspects of marketing procurement? Does it facilitate establishment and monitoring of project milestones with instant reporting? Does it support compliance with diversity and environmental initiatives? Does it foster an environment of fair competition among your trusted vendors? Does it ensure that quality and service will not be sacrificed for price, while assuring the best possible price? Unless the answer to all of these questions is yes, it is not a powerful enough tool built for marketing procurement’s unique requirements.

Following these three steps you will be able to increase your marketing reach for the same amount, or even less, by simply reassigning the money you would normally spend on outside services, middlemen and inefficiencies to actual marketing projects. You can keep doing it the same old way as before and settle for less. Or you can make a few adjustments, take better control and settle for more. Here at eLynxx Solutions we know which option we’d pick.

How to Increase Marketing Coverage Without Spending More

6 Reasons Why Business Process Outsourcing is Dead

A decade and a half ago business pundits in the marketing procurement area hailed it as a savior. Business process outsourcing – or contracting the operations and responsibilities of marketing procurement to third-party service providers – promised cost savings that would increase a company’s flexibility. According to these pundits, business process outsourcing provides some advantages that can increase flexibility. It helps transform fixed costs into variable costs. It allows more focus on core competencies. It increases speed in certain processes by removing them from within the organization’s bureaucracy.

Business process outsourcing is not, however, without its downside. As the business environment has changed over the past fifteen years so have many organizations’ views and values of flexibility. This has brought to light issues that work against the advantages of business process outsourcing. Even Wikipedia notes that service issues, unclear contracts, changing requirements and unforeseen charges, coupled with dependance on the business process outsourcer (BPO), actually reduces flexibility.

With that in mind, the only conclusion is BPO is dead and here are six reasons why.

1. It’s Too Expensive

BPOs charge fees for their services and markup what they procure to make a profit. As organizations demand more from their BPOs, those fees and markups increase negating the promise of flexibility-enabling cost savings. As an example, a review of InnerWorkings’ 2014 financials indicate revenue of $1,000,133,000 and gross profit of $229,459,000. This surplus accounts for a 22.9% excess companies paid beyond the actual cost of the printed marketing materials.

Businesses seeking more than the ability to off-load work to someone else can save more without the BPO interfering as a middleman.

2. It Takes Control Away

At first the idea of making supporting operations someone else’s problem sounds inviting. Then something goes wrong that makes an impact on core functions and the control that was given away is sorely missed.

When an organization has control over all of its operations potential issues can be caught before they impact core functions. Just ask any marketing department.

3. It Blocks Transparency

Giving up control also means giving up transparency into details that are critical to planning and budgeting for resources, projects and strategies. Without transparency, efficiency stagnates, reliance on outsiders is compounded and flexibility suffers.

With the help of software built for the operation at hand, organizations ensure transparency, achieve efficiency and become more flexible on their own.

4. It Impacts Quality and Service

While a BPO may not set out to reduce quality, its idea of what constitutes the best quality and level of service probably differs from yours. Giving up control also means giving up your definition of quality and service levels.

Operations responsible for the production of marketing materials critical to an organization’s image are better served when control remains within the organization. Creative cannot communicate clearly its ideas to the marketing manufacturer through a middleman. Its like the children’s game of whisper in my ear and I’ll whisper into someone else’s ear, and guess what was originally said.

5. It Stands Between the Organization and Its Vendors

When an organization uses a middleman like a BPO there is no direct relationship with vendors, resulting in goods and services produced with little interest or knowledge in who will use them or how they will be used.

While vendor relationships require careful monitoring and management, the synergy between organization and vendor is often valuable to the outcome of a project.

6. It Puts the Organization at the Mercy of Another

By using tools built for automated communication, process optimization, establishing accountability, gaining full transparency and instant reporting, an organization can gain flexibility while not being beholden to a third party for results.

Business Process Outsourcing is Dead – Software Tools are Alive

Some think that business process outsourcing is a way to minimize marketing procurement operations in order to focus more resources on core operations. Unfortunately, experience can prove otherwise.

Marketing initiatives can only be optimized when marketing procurement remains in charge, gains full transparency into projects, works with trusted and proven vendors, and has control over the dollars that would better be spent on improved marketing initiatives. By obtaining powerful software tools to support marketing procurement, efficiency improves, costs go down and more market reach can be obtained for the same or less market spend.

Marketing procurement has one goal and that is to produce the best marketing possible within budget. BPOs also have a goal which is to maximize their brokerage fees.

6 Reasons Why Business Process Outsourcing is Dead

Printers And The Art of Seduction

When making a cold call, there is something to be said for knowing who you are calling.

That something to be said is “always know who you are calling.”

Every few weeks, the eLynxx client services team will receive calls from printers that wish to join our vendor pool. Printers, we love you, but don’t do this.

eLynxx provides software and services to enable better results and experiences as print buyers buy directly from their own print vendors. We don’t have any vendors. Our clients (the print buying organizations) have vendors. We don’t. We do not have a vendor pool for you to join. Say it with me: eLynxx Solutions does not have any print vendors.

And we can’t simply add you to a client’s vendor pool either. We don’t get between buyers and vendors. Contact the prospect directly and sell them on doing business with you. If they agree, you’re good. If not, we can’t help you. We’re not involved.

But when you call them, have some sense of what they do and what you offer that could help them. Because when you cold called us without even reading the first page of elynxx.com, you made the suitor in gray look like a master of seduction. Prepare. Don’t be the plaything of the goddess in blue.

 

Oh, pumpkin. You tried.

Printers And The Art of Seduction

Our "Thing"

So, Google’s new algorithm has come back with some interesting results. It turns out that if you post continuously about the same thing, it will negatively impact the SEO rating for the website. Basically, Google told us that all of our blog posts are about the same thing. It’s not that we’re surprised by this, because as it turns out a lot of you do read our posts about our ‘thing,’ so thank you for that! We’re very proud of our ‘thing’ here at eLynxx which is why we love to talk about it so much.

We’ve racked our brains on how to deliver this next article, and should probably buy stock in energy drinks and bagels for the amount of time this has taken. So now without further delay, please enjoy our latest blog post, lovingly titled: “Our ‘Thing.’”

Our ‘Thing’

We have this ‘thing’ that you can use,

To cure your print procurement blues.

This ‘thing’ resides up in the sky,

We’d love if you’d give it a try.

If clarity is what you seek

We’ll set you on a winning streak.

It helps keep everything in check,

It’s nowhere near a pain in the neck.

It’s very simple to get started,

We know you won’t be broken hearted.

Use our ‘thing’, and we’ll assist,

Your company and eLynxx can coexist!

Our "Thing"

Our "Thing"

So, Google’s new algorithm has come back with some interesting results. It turns out that if you post continuously about the same thing, it will negatively impact the SEO rating for the website. Basically, Google told us that all of our blog posts are about the same thing. It’s not that we’re surprised by this, because as it turns out a lot of you do read our posts about our ‘thing,’ so thank you for that! We’re very proud of our ‘thing’ here at eLynxx which is why we love to talk about it so much.

We’ve racked our brains on how to deliver this next article, and should probably buy stock in energy drinks and bagels for the amount of time this has taken. So now without further delay, please enjoy our latest blog post, lovingly titled: “Our ‘Thing."”

Our ‘Thing’

We have this ‘thing’ that you can use,

To cure your print procurement blues.

This ‘thing’ resides up in the sky,

We’d love if you’d give it a try.

If clarity is what you seek

We’ll set you on a winning streak.

It helps keep everything in check,

It’s nowhere near a pain in the neck.

It’s very simple to get started,

We know you won’t be broken hearted.

Use our ‘thing’, and we’ll assist,

Your company and eLynxx can coexist!

Our "Thing"

What Do Golf and Print Buying Have in Common? It"s Not Funny Plaid Pants!

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I started playing golf at the age of 8 when my uncle gave me a set of junior clubs that my cousins had outgrown. They were right handed clubs which presented my first of many challenges to come with this game. You see, I was left handed. But I was determined to play with my older cousins so I learned to swing from the opposite side of the ball with those four old clubs.

Not everyone had to go to the extreme of learning to play from the opposite side but in those days but we did all share one challenge when it came to golf equipment. Our choice of club manufacturers then was quite limited but the bigger challenge was that regardless of one’s height, strength, or swing characteristics, most everyone was forced to play with the same clubs – clubs designed to fit the average player’s characteristics were sold off the shelf in the sporting goods section of your local department stores. Since no one is exactly average, that meant that we all had to compensate for the differences between our one-of-a-kind swing and the general purpose equipment that was available.

Today golfers of all skill levels have more equipment choices than ever. Between manufacturer, head design, lie and loft angle, shaft type and length, and grip options, there are literally thousands of combinations available to players. And thanks to modern club fitting technology, golfers have the ability to get custom clubs that are purpose built to fit their needs and swing characteristics. This allows golfers to get better results using their own unique swing rather than compensating their swing to accommodate Ill-fitted equipment. It’s truly revolutionized the game for amateurs and pros alike.

When it comes to buying custom printed marketing materials, the scenario that organizations face is a lot like my introduction to golf. They’re forced to use general purpose procurement tools that were designed to fit any organization’s average procurement needs, namely applying to buying inventoried, off the shelf goods rather than custom printed materials. And just as I had to make manual adjustments – first learning to swing right handed and later having to play with one size fits all clubs, these organizations have to compensate for the shortcomings of general purpose tools. This usually means developing a collection of spreadsheets to manage project specifications and schedules, and loosely tying all the stakeholders together with a maze of emails and phone calls.

If only there were purpose-built software made for print buying that could be custom fit to meet each organization’s unique characteristics and needs.

Well, fortunately for print buyers, there is. eLynxx software is purpose-built to deal with all the complexities associated with print buying. Our software enables collaboration across all your stakeholders on one platform. And just like custom fit golf clubs, eLynxx software is configured to specifically fit your organization’s unique characteristics and combination of people, process and vendors.

Stop compensating for the ill-fit of your print buying tools with spreadsheets and email. Whether you’re a print buying pro or amateur, you’ll benefit from eLynxx software. Give us a call to find out more about how purpose-built, custom configured eLynxx software can help you get better results and lower your print buying handicap.

What Do Golf and Print Buying Have in Common? It"s Not Funny Plaid Pants!

eLynxx Solutions Named to Supply and Demand Chain Executive’s 100 Great Supply Chain Projects List for 2015

eLynxx Solutions has been named to the 2015 SDCE 100, Supply and Demand Chain Executive’s annual listing of top supply chain solution and service provider projects. eLynxx Solutions was recognized for its on-going relationship with a leading manufacturer of alternative decking products, producing gains in ROI, efficiency and savings in the client’s marketing supply chain.

eLynxx Solutions, provider of cloud software for end-to-end management and sourcing of direct mail, marketing materials, publications and all things print has once again been named to the SDCE 100. Recognized throughout the supply chain management community, the SDCE 100 is Supply and Demand Chain Executive magazine’s annual listing of 100 great supply chain projects. The SDCE 100 is comprised of supply chain solution and service providers focused on helping their customers and clients achieve supply chain excellence.

Criteria for nomination and award to the 2015 SDCE 100 included the production of measurable gains in ROI through cost-cutting and increased efficiency in any category in the end-to-end supply chain. eLynxx Solutions was recognized for its on-going partnership with a leading manufacturer of alternative decking products providing the software, methods, guidance and support for streamlining the end-to-end planning, sourcing and production management of a specialized, international marketing supply chain. To date, the client has realized average per-unit cost savings in excess of 24% and an ROI of 300%.

“When eLynxx Solutions began its relationship with this client in 2009 their primary goal was to expand competition and diversity among suppliers of sales and marketing communication materials” states Mike Jackson, CEO of eLynxx Solutions. “Through rigorous objective qualification of vendors based on the client’s needs and standards, their vendor pool was increased from 21 to 48, meeting their initial goal” Jackson added. In addition, improvement of specification development, management and control, coupled with the eLynxx sourcing method and purpose-built cloud software allowed the client to automate the vendor selection, award, production management and better track each project from start to finish.

“By connecting all of their people, processes and vendors, eLynxx Solutions helped the client achieve better results without the need to either outsource operations or increase headcount,” Jackson said. “Speed to market of key promotional and sales communications across several channels and countries was improved while quality and consistency across a variety of projects was assured.” Additionally, the client also gained unprecedented accountability and transparency in their marketing supply chain thanks to the robust data capture and reporting features of eLynxx cloud software.

Submissions to the SDCE 100 were evaluated by the magazine’s editorial staff, weighted on: ambitiousness and scope of the project (30%); creative application of technologies, solutions or services used (20%); extent of business results and impact (40%), and clarity of submission (10%).

More information regarding the SDCE 100 may be found in the current issue of Supply and Demand Chain Executive magazine or on the web at SDCExec.com.

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eLynxx Solutions Named to Supply and Demand Chain Executive’s 100 Great Supply Chain Projects List for 2015

We Prefer Laser Focus Thank You Very Much

Our friends over at Capterra created a spoof commercial parodying software that tries to be everything to everyone. Everyone here at eLynxx Solutions had a good laugh at “…why be laser-focused on just one thing when you can be regular focused on 216?” because, sadly, we see so much of that in real life and its the opposite of our own philosophy.

Check out the video and while you’re at it, stop by out our listing on Capterra.

We Prefer Laser Focus Thank You Very Much

When Cyborgs Buy Print

If you need me in your life at around 4pm EST on a Wednesday, your best bet is to dive into #PrintChat on Twitter.  #PrintChat is a weekly discussion about integrated marketing and all things print. Look around and you’ll find me rubbing zeroes and ones with influential members of the online print community.

Towards the end of a recent chat, Deborah Corn of PrintMediaCentr (our host) asked about the books on our summer reading lists. I named a few including a new favorite that has started to seep into how I introduce eLynxx to select print buyers.

 

Smarter Than You Think is Clive Thompson’s thoughtful consideration of how technology enhances our cognitive abilities and an exploration of the anxieties that emerge with every innovation.

Socrates feared writing would destroy the capacity to memorize information and ruin Greek traditions of debate and dialectic.

Ye Mengde of 10th century China worried that the wider availability of written records made possible by China’s advanced printing technology would weaken memories and cause errors to be repeated without end.

Tools and palaver across 15th century European coffee shop conversations, 19th century novels and periodicals, 20th century telephone calls, and 21st century social media were all supposed to render us into frivolous blockheads and/or anti-social narcissists.

Take a breath. As Thompson documents in each of these instances, our species adapts.

As we adapt, we offload, enhance, and extend memory and cognition to and through our tools. The memory of thoughts and information captured in writing, audio, video, and photos is of significantly greater volume and fidelity than individual human memory.

The external memories captured through our arts are then available to us for deeper analysis, consideration, sharing, and collaboration. We see trends and patterns. We access stories, facts, templates, and instructions. Machines become what Thompson calls “transactive memory buddies” throughout our daily lives.

Our connected tools have increased our capacity to quickly and effectively use external memory while also providing us with new capabilities and opportunities for play.  Through blogging and social media, we engage in public thinking and experience “ambient awareness” of the thoughts, activities, and locations of others. We leverage “multiples.” We google the terms I’ve placed in quotes. Regular people have resources to coordinate unprecedented collaboration for games, problem-solving, art, exegesis, education, advocacy, “sousveillance”, and all types of activities including buying print.

If you are reading this, you are a mythic beast (or a cyborg)

Thompson introduces readers to a new meaning for “centaur” that emerged among chess players who play in concert with specialized chess software. In this context, “centaurs” are people who engage challenges and the world itself as composite beings: part human and part information technology.

Centaurs are common, and if you are reading this, you probably are one. Google is your co-pilot. Your ambient awareness tells you which hoaxes are frightening your Facebook friends and whoever you stalk on Twitter. You hire rides with Uber to get to restaurants you found with Yelp or OpenTable. You got escorted out of the restaurant, but you did it for the Vine.

If you’re one of those special print buyers who for some reason elicits full-frontal geekitude, here is where the book might creep into our conversation. While we’re chatting about your current print procurement process and the eLynxx platform, I might switch out “centaurs” for “cyborgs” and say eLynxx is in the business of helping print buyers become better cyborgs. At that point, either hang up or strap in for the ride we’re going on together.

Chess players have software to complement their human skill and judgment while choosing game strategies and moves. Project managers, accountants, nurses, and salespeople all have purpose-built software for their professions.

eLynxx is software purpose-built to empower and support print buyers. It is the “transactive memory buddy” with templates and guidance to enable robust specification writing. Through dashboards and custom reporting, it tracks open tasks, records every event and activity, and provides the capability to easily see metrics, patterns, and opportunities that would otherwise be invisible. eLynxx remembers the verified capabilities of vendors and how they have performed on each job. It links every actor in the print buyer’s supply chain together for collaboration, communication, and compliance.

Better cyborgs equal better processes and better results. And, yes, there is someone who has heard eLynxx described as her “transactive memory buddy” for print.

Sometimes those conversations spin out of control. Hopefully the fun won’t deny me the presence of mind to invite my new friend to a software demo. But we could go on. There is so much more to learn, discuss, and enjoy in Smarter Than You Think. Check it out for yourself. Also, Printerverse citizens will likely be inspired to go deeper into subjects like the history of libraries and Paul Otlet’s Mundaneum.

What’s on your reading list?

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Connect to get ambient awareness of Andy Solages on LinkedIn and Twitter (@andysolages)

Explore eLynxx.com or call 717-709-0990 to learn how eLynxx empowers print buyers and producers to achieve better results with fewer hassles.

Female centaurs flanking Venus (Mosaic from Roman Tunisia, 2nd century AD) by Giorces (Own work) [CC BY 2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons

When Cyborgs Buy Print

Print More Efficient Than TV? One Study Says So!

When I began my career in marketing communications, back in the mid-1990s, television was the Holy Grail of marketing channels. A decade and a half or so later, when I was managing communications at what was then a prominent online printer, nothing much had changed. Our ultimate goal was to have an ad air during the Super Bowl. That never happened.

In all honesty, maybe because of the industries in which I have worked , I’ve never been too enamored with big time TV. If you’re a major brand, with billions of dollars to put toward marketing, television campaigns might make sense; the audience is there, it’s targetable and with that kind of budget you can afford it. But, even if you have the budget to support TV, is it as efficient in building brand awareness as other channels like print media and mobile? A 2014 study say no.

With the intent of discovering the impact of mobile marketing as a channel in an overall campaign, the Mobile Marketing Association conducted the Smart Mobile Cross Marketing Effectiveness Study (SMoX). In one case study, SMoX looked at a 2013 AT&T campaign for Moto X smartphones. National television, print media, online desktop and mobile channels were used. Of course TV had the largest share, 93%, of the budget. Online desktop had the next largest share, a whopping 5%, leaving print media and mobile each with a mere 1% of the budget. The 18-year-old demographic was the target for this campaign conducted over a six-week period.

The study looked at the efficiency of each channel used in the campaign as a factor of individuals reached per dollar spent. The results are rather surprising. Consuming the overwhelming majority of the budget, national TV reached the most people. In terms of efficiency, however, it reached 1.5 people per dollar spent, edging out online desktop by a half a person per dollar. Mobile doubled TV’s efficiency at 3 people reached per dollar spent. Print media, however, showed the most efficiency at 6 people reached per dollar spent.

The study goes on to suggest, based on efficiency and other factors related to the campaign, an optimum mix of spending across the four channels. With a reduction from 93% to 72%, TV takes a hit but still gobbles up most of the budget because of its cost. Out of the rest of the channels, mobile, naturally, tops the list at a suggested increase to 16%. Print media, however, comes in

second with a suggested increase to 8% and online desktop remains constant at 5%. Long story short, the message here is that for a big brand that can afford national television, the next two most efficient communication channels are mobile and print media.

While print in this circumstance is referring to paid advertising space in printed magazines, the fact that it was the most efficient of all channels with an 18-year-old audience is significant. This audience is native to all things digital. This audience is thought to shun anything that’s not on a screen and preferably a screen that can be put in a pocket. But this study indicates otherwise. It indicates that physical, printed graphic communication has not only not lost its power, but its power is enough for it to be suggested as an excellent companion to the channel of preference among this demographic.

Although direct mail, direct marketing and other forms of physically printed communication were not in the scope of this study there are relationships and similarities that can be drawn between the them and magazine advertising. If old fashioned print mass media can efficiently reach 18-year-old smartphone buyers as part of an integrated campaign, well-targeted direct marketing with a great design can too, as long as the production quality, timing and price are optimized. If you are relying on paid channels like online, mobile and certainly TV, optimization is an area of obvious concern. But are you optimizing your printed marketing communications? Are you getting the best combination of quality, service and price with no compromises? You could be, you should be and eLynxx software can help you do it with the people, processes and vendors you already have in place.

Print More Efficient Than TV? One Study Says So!

eLynxx Solutions CEO Mike Jackson Featured in Xplor International Interview

Xplor International, a not-for-profit association focused on technology for, and production of, high volume printing for consumer communications, featured an interview with eLynxx Solutions own Mike Jackson in the most recent issue of their E-Document News. In the interview Jackson discusses workflow technology, the impact of the cloud and software as a service, compliance, efficiency and options for custom tailored software.

Read the interview: http://goo.gl/u4X6H2

Visit Xplor International: http://xplor.org

eLynxx Solutions CEO Mike Jackson Featured in Xplor International Interview

The Catalog Comeback

As a kid, back in the 1970s and early 1980s, I would spend almost as many lazy hours engrossed in catalogs – the Christmas toy and wish books especially – as comic books and Mad Magazine. I can even trace my interest in graphic design and marketing communication to a time when I would combine my affinity for catalogs, comic book fantasy and satire to create parody catalogs with ridiculous themes like discount gadgets for aspiring superheroes and evil underworld masterminds. Although I never achieved my goal of hijacking the grade school mimeograph machine to actually produce my early work; my career eventually led to a critical role in the catalogs of a major giftware and collectables wholesaler. To this day, I still enjoy picking up and flipping through a catalog. That’s why I’m excited to see that they seem to be making a comeback of sorts.

According to The Wall Street Journal and the Direct Marketing Association, the peak of catalog distribution didn’t actually occur until 2007 when retailers mailed 19.6 billion in the U.S. By the time 2007 had rolled around, Sears, the granddaddy of all catalog retailers, was long out of the large-scale catalog scene. Other retailers had obviously picked up the slack and then some. Unfortunately, the years following 2007 showed a constant, and often steep, trend of decline. In the very midst of that slump, J.C. Penney, the last remaining big gun of the catalog world, had phased out their so-called Big Book and all of their specialty catalogs.Finally, in 2013 catalog distribution was up, for the first time in six years, to 11.9 billion. Far shy of the 2007 peak but up nonetheless.

Earlier this year Penney’s made several big announcements. One, of course, was that they were planning to close underperforming stores. Another was that they were bringing back the catalog. The two announcements were an interesting juxtaposition since the start of many of the company’s financial woes coincided with the time it decided to dump the printed catalog and make mail order a strictly online operation. Far from the thousand page, soup-to-nuts behemoth of old, the company’s first catalog in five years was to be mailed in March. In the month since it was supposed to be distributed, I have not seen a new J.C. Penney catalog in the wild, although I understand that it was planned to be 120 pages focused on home goods. More akin to their old specialty catalogs than their Big Book.

Penney’s, it seems, is on-board with the realization of many other retailers; printed direct mail catalogs are effective in leading lifestyle-driven consumers to make in-store and online purchases. The key is to also realize that catalog marketing is highly adaptable and, given today’s design, printing and mailing technology, even nimble. When it comes to presenting a massive amount of products and related information as a point of reference, as was the main role of the huge old full-line print catalogs, the web is a worthy successor. In instances where many variations or options exist for products, the web can even be superior. However, when it comes to appealing to the senses, presenting shoppers with ideas, forming opinions and helping them make a buying decision on an emotional level, print can’t be beat.

There is nothing like moving through the thick, glossy full-color pages of a targeted, specialty catalog and turning to a beauty, or hero, page to see the products staged in a way that makes the reader want to replicate that scene in their own life. They see what could be the answer to their needs or desires, they get to understand about each of the products and they may even gain some insight from a designer or an expert in an article, separate from the product detail copy, that relates to the scene that has been set. With a quick look around to superimpose the beauty shot over their own surroundings, the reader is off to the website, catalog and credit card in hand, typing item numbers and filling a cart. In this way, print catalogs are not simply listings of what a retailer has for sale, they are a connection to the audience’s lifestyle.

Sure, you can put beauty shots and inspirational copy on a website. But the audience has to know it is there. Yes, you can let them know the website is there through email, but email is easy to ignore. You can have a web catalog site highly optimized for search, but the audience still has to be searching for what the site is selling to find it. When a person pulls a catalog out of the mailbox and they hold it in their hands, they have connected with it that’s harder to ignore.

In addition, marketers have much more control over graphic communication in print than they have online. No one knows the size, quality or settings of every screen in a given audience. Responsive web design can account for many of the challenges with screen size, but nothing can prevent low-quality hardware or out-of-whack settings from destroying the impact of otherwise stunning photography and design. If you are in full control of correctly managing your specifications, color standards, proofing and production, you can ensure that what the audience sees is what you want it to see in print.

Today’s printed catalogs may not look anything like the ones that inspired me as a kid. They are, however, still doing what those old catalogs were designed to do – sell to contemporary audiences – and do it well. For that reason I still find inspiration, and sense of satisfaction, when I pick up a printed catalog. Let’s keep ‘em coming!

The Catalog Comeback

Printing is Different and Different is Good

This morning I finally got around to reading the print and communication industry articles that have been piling up in my feed for a few days. Of all of the headlines and synopses, this one in particular caught my eye; US Commercial Printing Shipments Have Strong February, +5.2%, by WhatTheyThink.com’s Dr. Joe Webb. As a marketing communications guy who leans more toward the creative and problem solving side of things, economics isn’t normally shiny enough to get my attention. That being said, even though I am not what you would call a number cruncher, I do have a knack for identifying trends based on observations out in the wild. This particular article seemed to be aligned to one of those observations. Plus, Dr. Joe’s analysis is generally straightforward, concise and often entertaining; so I clicked.

I’m not going to restate everything in the article here, you should check it out yourself, but I will summarize one key point. U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that after a good January, February’s printing shipments were up over $300 million year-to-year. This means different things to different people. For printers who, as Dr. Joe notes, may still be facing reduced profits, it could mean some wiggle room as they adapt to a changing marketplace. For the people and organizations that put commercial printing to use, it supports the observation that print is not dead, it is alive and viable, but it is different.

Creative impact and efficiency – in terms of production and distribution – along with convenience and visibility – in terms of audience consumption – often drive tactical and media choices in marketing communication. What we print today is different from what we printed in the past. Many of the more pedestrian or throwaway items of the past have shifted to digital formats. It’s efficient and convenient. We can crank those out and reach the audience wherever they are at any time by doing it this way. But what is being printed today, and the people who are behind it, is impressive and surprising. We are printing on surfaces that, when I began my career two decades ago, were unheard of. We are combining print with technology that didn’t even exist ten years ago using processes that seem to be right out of mid-20th century science fiction. Organizations that you normally wouldn’t think to use in the same sentence as printing; companies like Google, eBay and Amazon, have successfully combined big data and high levels of personalization with extremely creative printing.

We may not be printing as much as we used to. What we are printing is more complex, more unique and more strategic than ever before. Organizations that are pouring their hearts, souls, dollars and trust into these projects need access to printers that are adopting new efficiencies and investing in new technologies to meet the needs of today’s print buyer. Print projects, and all of the people who play a role in them, need to be given the recognition and support they deserve. The numbers don’t lie. We are seeing a rebound in commercial printing and it’s not because we’ve given up digital communication and reverted back to ink and paper. It’s because we’re using print in wonderful new ways that, now more than ever, demand stronger marketing supply chains with purpose-built tools and methods for achieving the best possible results.

Printing is Different and Different is Good

Five Reasons Why Printed Marketing Materials are Still Important

Despite the fact that we seem to live so much of our lives online, we are still physical beings living in a physical world. Regardless of how attached are to social media we still crave physical communication. For that reason alone, printed marketing materials are still important in today’s digitally saturated environment. Let’s take a look at some of the many reasons that even the simplest of printed marketing communications like direct mail are highly effective in an organization’s outreach strategy.

Exposure

Printed marketing communications offer a great magnitude of exposure and create lasting impact. Their physical form has staying power that allows the audience to interact with them anytime. A publication or even a brochure left on a table has reach well beyond the individual to whom it was sent. This kind of pass-along can be very effective as it occurs in a natural and casual manner driven by genuine interest on the part of the individual.

Targeting

Because of its maturity as a strategy and the vast amount of data that is collected on people and organizations in their physical environments, printed marketing communications can be directed to highly targeted audiences. Variable printing, personalization and mail automation technologies enable even massive direct mail campaigns to be customized and targeted with pinpoint accuracy. This allows outreach and engagement with an audience at a highly effective, personal level without the often creepy feeling that highly personal social media outreach can have.

Branding

Printed marketing communications strengthen a brand by bringing a unified image used across other channels into direct physical contact with the audience. Because print is physical and able to be placed into the hands of prospects and customers it allows for outside of the box creativity such as the inclusion of samples and even multimedia. Printed marketing communication’s physical nature lend it a premium characteristic that can be used to convey quality and luxury. This physical nature can be used to appeal to the senses, like touch, smell, and with some creativity, taste that can not be accessed via other channels. For brands that exist strictly online, print is the perfect way to gain local presence without the need for brick and mortar facilities.

Measurability

Everyone knows that, thanks to tracking codes, online marketing communication is easy to measure. Print communication is the granddaddy of measurability. Coupons, redemption vouchers and other forms of tracking have proven the effectiveness of printed marketing for generations. Tracking and measurability of print campaigns can be done with automated technology or it can be as simple and low-tech as counting coupons or the number of enquiries made.The effectiveness of a print marketing campaign can be easily measured using simple techniques.

Flexibility

The best thing about print marketing is that it can easily be used in a combination with online tools. Not only is it perfect for reaching audiences not engaged with social media, it can be used to connect the physical and online worlds. Scanning technologies and augmented reality make a direct connection between print and digital. Even simple codes can be used to drive customers and prospects to a website. Print can actually be one of the most effective ways to convert offline customers to online and drive repeat or increased online engagement. Believe it or not, printed marketing communication is used frequently and very effectively by online giants like Google, eBay and Amazon.

While advances in media and marketing technology get all of the glory, classic approaches like print are still going strong. It gives access to audience segments, creates impact and builds awareness that will bring new life into any marketing strategy.

Five Reasons Why Printed Marketing Materials are Still Important

Healthcare Insurance Sector Averages Savings of Over 32% in the Past Two Quarters Using eLynxx Software

eLynxx Solutions, provider of software for sourcing and managing print has released data showing marketing and communication material savings of over 32% among its clients in the healthcare insurance sector over the past two quarters. This savings continues a trend for this sector.

Staying connected with both customers and service providers is critical to organizations in the healthcare insurance sector. Because of the highly regulated, personal and official nature of information in the healthcare insurance space, print remains a primary channel of communication. At the same time, especially in such a dynamic and competitive industry, there is always pressure to control cost and achieve better results that often leads to decisions that impact critical operations and materials. For 40 years, companies have turned to eLynxx Solutions to maximize efficiency, reduce costs and achieve better results from their marketing and communication materials.

“Healthcare insurance companies rely heavily on printed communication such as direct mail,” said Mike Jackson, chief executive officer of eLynxx Solutions. “These communications are often quite complex, involving not only personalization but requiring a high measure of security because of sensitive personally identifiable information. Such needs can add substantially to the cost of a campaign. Reducing the per-unit cost of printed communication materials and increasing the efficiency with which they are managed makes a positive impact on a healthcare insurer’s bottom line.” That is why leaders in the healthcare insurance sector turn to eLynxx Solutions. Purpose-built for the sourcing and management of direct mail, marketing and print communication materials, eLynxx software provides the highest possible level of efficiency and coordination. Combined with an exclusive patented sourcing method, eLynxx users from across all business sectors regularly achieve per-unit cost savings of up to 40% on all kinds of custom printed materials while increasing efficiency by an average of 53%.

“eLynxx Solutions is pleased to have been able to save its healthcare insurance clients an average of 32.15% in the past two quarters. This level of savings continues a trend of eLynxx Solutions clients in this sector achieving average annual savings of over 31%.” Jackson noted. Naturally, the efficiency and savings achieved through eLynxx is not limited to those in the healthcare insurance industry.

eLynxx Solutions helps organizations in the education, financial, manufacturing, heavy equipment, building products, technology, non-profit association and shipping and logistics sectors as well. eLynxx Solutions takes an approach of helping organizations extend their capabilities to get better results from a traditionally hard-to-control area of operational spending. With other approaches there is always some level of sacrifice. With the eLynxx approach organizations achieve the best possible price, quality and service on custom-printed materials while retaining control through their own people, processes and vendors.

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eLynxx Solutions has been providing innovative products and services for helping organizations manage projects and connect with vendors of custom-produced graphic communication, direct mail, marketing materials, publications, labeling, packaging and all things print since 1975. Born, raised and still located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania along the east coast’s graphic communications corridor connecting Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New York City, today’s eLynxx Solutions is a leading innovator and provider of cloud software for the marketing supply chain. As a software boutique, eLynxx Solutions tailors its cloud software to fit the needs and requirements of its customers, providing the functionality of custom software with the economy of out-of-the-box solutions. eLynxx print procurement software empowers an organization’s people to work with their own vendors and strengthen their own processes to achieve better results. For more information regarding eLynxx software, please visit eLynxx.com.

Healthcare Insurance Sector Averages Savings of Over 32% in the Past Two Quarters Using eLynxx Software

How to Make Money in Today"s Printing Business

In case you haven’t noticed, the printing business isn’t what it used to be. But before you begin to think this is another of those ‘print is dying’ articles, let’s clear the air, it’s not. The printing business is far from dead but it certainly has changed. The days of constant incremental growth and an influx of new clients have gone the way of the buggy whip. There is still success to be had in today’s printing business but the model for making money is contrarian to familiar practices. And, believe it or not, the latest breakthrough in production technology plays no role in it.

Peaks and valleys are part of the business cycle in any industry. There are times when customers buy and times when they don’t. Many products can be manufactured in advance, stockpiled and sold on demand. For example, if you were in the toothbrush business, you would know how many toothbrushes you could sell in a year and when the peaks and valleys were. You would equip, supply and staff your factory to manufacture evenly throughout the year. You would stockpile production during valleys so there was enough to sell during peaks. But you are in the printing business and printing is different. Printing is custom. Every print job is unique. You can’t produce printing in advance, stockpile it and sell it on demand because your clients have to have something for you to print before you produce it.

Printers, for hundreds of years, have followed a different model. This model is based on being prepared for anything that could come through the door and then waiting for it to happen. Like the toothbrush manufacturer, you know in general when your peaks and valleys are, but unlike the toothbrush manufacturer, you can’t produce in advance and stockpile. And, at the same time, you wouldn’t want to turn away a client at any time, peak or valley. So the classic model for printing is to staff and equip for the highest of peaks and have a lot of downtime where both machines and hands are idle while overhead adds up waiting for clients to need your services.

Simply stated, in today’s business environment, printing success doesn’t come through increased business or new clients. If you continue to follow a model built around downtime waiting to be filled, the money you earn during the peaks will disappear during the valleys. To make money in today’s printing business you need to do the opposite of what the industry has considered logical for centuries.

Success in today’s printing business comes from efficiency and partnerships. To make money printers need to staff and equip for the valleys, not the peaks. You need to take inventory of actual production and eliminate operations that are not being fully utilized. If you are not readily selling non-core services like prepress or bindery, why bother when you can turn to partners who do them as their core operation? Ultimately, if a printer can trim fringe operations and focus on core services so that 80 to 90 percent of capacity is consistently being used, that printer can make money in today’s business environment.

But what about offering full service or being capable of taking work when the plant is running at capacity? That’s where having a variety of partners close at hand comes into play. Outsourcing among printers is far from new. But to achieve success in today’s environment, it is critical. That is one of the keys behind the success of the major, multi-plant and conglomerate printers like Donnelly, Cenveo and Quad. They operate at valley levels and then shift work among their facilities according to capacity or capability. Printers of any size can do the same thing without mergers and acquisitions.

Like most business strategies relying on partners for out-of-scope and beyond-capacity work is not without its risks. Can the partner live up to your standards of quality? Will the partner provide great on-schedule, on-service at a price that can be marked-up? Can the partner be trusted in terms of confidentiality and non-compete? These concerns are real, complex and difficult to overcome, but, with the right insight, preparation and tools, they can certainly be mastered.

Aside from the obvious legal agreements, printers, wishing to leave the past behind and follow today’s path to success, need software specifically built for the job – software that is powered by a method created for custom-produced goods and services like direct mail, marketing materials, publications, packaging, digital and all things print. They need software that empowers them to establish crystal clear, bullet-proof specs for the work they are outsourcing to partners. They need a way to qualify, manage and score their partners objectively based on capability and output. They need to automate the time-consuming process of sourcing and awarding the work. They need to be able to track outsourced jobs with precision and know that, on each and every job they outsource to a partner, they will receive the best possible combination of quality, timeliness and price. Simply stated, they need to be able to guarantee quality and service while buying the project for less than they can afford to make the project.

There aren’t fifty different alternatives to meet these needs. Spreadsheets won’t do it. General procurement, enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management and production workflow software can’t do it. There is only one solution – eLynxx cloud software and the eLynxx exclusive sourcing method that’s so powerful it’s been awarded five United States Patents to date.

eLynxx Solutions knows the printing business, because it has been part of the business since 1975. Through 40 years of revolution in the printing industry, eLynxx Solutions has provided the experience, expertise, innovation and technology that has allowed printers and print buyers alike the opportunity to mutually profit from an ever-changing marketplace. Having processed over 3.2 million print projects valued at well over $9.1 billion dollars, there is no question that eLynxx Solutions has helped a lot of people. The only question is when can eLynxx Solutions start helping you make money in today’s printing business?

How to Make Money in Today"s Printing Business

Who Eats the Last Slice of Your Print Spend Pie?

We’ve been hearing the print buying community ask “does outsourcing really save any money and where do the dollars go compared to in-house print buying?”

When you’ve been helping print buyers at many different levels for four decades you gain a lot of insight into a lot of areas. Through analysis of data, first-hand experience and knowledge gained from the trial and tribulations of people we help, this topic is one of those areas.

Because we like calculating the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter as much as the next guy – and we also enjoy fruit-filled baked goods – we thought we’d start celebrating “Pi Day,” a day early with a look at Who Eats the Last Slice of Your Print Spend Pie?

Click the Image to Open – Click Again to Enlarge to Full Size

Who Eats the Last Slice of Your Print Spend Pie?

The Real Cost of Traditional Software

One of the fundamental decisions an organization has to make is to whether they should use locally hosted or cloud software.

Historically, companies reserved large portions of IT budgets for management software hosted in-house. But with more options, budget-savvy organizations are looking for more efficient and cost-effective alternatives to hosting their own software.

Moving to the Cloud

Traditional software has acquisition, maintenance, management and upgrade costs. Cloud software is hosted remotely and accessed, on-demand, via the Internet. Many enterprise-grade cloud applications are configurable and nearly all require minimal client involvement in terms of management.

Cloud-based software often eliminates a high percentage of the maintenance, management and upgrade costs. Choosing cloud software enables organizations to shift resources normally applied to management and maintenance of locally-installed, self-hosted and hard copy software to other more critical areas of operation. In addition, cloud software frequently offers a level of flexibility – in terms of accessibility, choice and dynamics – that traditional software has trouble keeping up with.

Hardware and Infrastructure Cost

The infrastructure required for locally installed or hosted software can require significant capital. If the software is server-based, as many powerful enterprise-grade applications are, the hardware and operating systems required to run an application can be tens of thousands of dollars. Even in the case of simple software that is locally installed on employees’ computers, larger hard drives, additional memory and more powerful processors may be required. Aside from the infrastructure required for reliable, high-speed internet access – which is a given for most organizations today – cloud software requires no special hardware or operating systems.

Staff and Overhead Impact

The costs of physical resources such as servers, network equipment, operating system licenses and workstation upgrades required for traditional, locally hosted or installed software are easy to see, the costs of staff and overhead required to keep everything running are not always as visible. If an organization has network or workstation resources dedicated to the hosting of traditional software, it also has highly-skilled, technical staff and overhead costs like electricity, security, climate control and crisis prevention dedicated to it.

Hindrance to Growth

As organizations grow and needs evolve, expensive traditional software and the costly infrastructure and overhead it requires, can be like dragging an anchor around. Deep investments often keep organizations tied to software and technology that no longer provides all of the capabilities they need. The thought of becoming even more deeply entrenched with additional costs and assets make organizations think twice about adding new capability or capacity.

Of course none of this is to say that there is no place at all for traditional software or that cloud software exists to answer every need. It should, however, bring to light the fact that there is more costs than just the purchase price to consider when choosing traditional software. Cloud software in addition to being a cost effective alternative, can eliminate the hindrance to growth as it constantly improved without additional upgrades. This keeps your company up-to-date with the latest software possible.

The Real Cost of Traditional Software

Not-for-Profit and Association Sector Saved over 25% in 2014 with eLynxx

eLynxx Solutions, a leading provider of software for the marketing supply chain has released data showing marketing material savings of over 25% among its clients in the not-for-profit and association sector during 2014. This savings continues a multi-year savings trend for this sector.

Increasing efficiency and reducing costs is a key factor in the way organizations in many sectors, including not-for-profits and associations, do business today. Faced with a highly competitive marketplace, the use of custom-printed marketing communication materials has become crucial to the fundraising, membership and special initiative efforts of not-for-profit organizations and associations. Organizations must sometimes make decisions that impact critical operations and materials. For nearly 40 years, companies have turned to eLynxx Solutions to maximize efficiency, reduce costs and achieve better results from their marketing and communication materials.

“Printed communication materials are critical to this sector,” said Mike Jackson, chief executive officer of eLynxx Solutions. “Not-for-profits and associations rely on these materials to attract new members, communicate with existing members, raise non-dues revenue and promote events. Cutting per-unit cost of the printing used in not-for-profit outreach campaigns means a greater return on marketing investment. However, there is generally no room for sacrifice in quality or timeliness.” That is exactly why leaders in the association and not-for-profit sector turn to eLynxx Solutions. Purpose-built for the sourcing and management of direct mail, marketing and print communication materials, eLynxx provides the highest possible level of efficiency and coordination. Combined with an exclusive patented sourcing method, eLynxx users across all business sectors regularly achieve per-unit cost savings of up to 40% on all kinds of custom printed materials while increasing efficiency by an average of 53%.

“Considering the scope of many of the outreach campaigns in this sector, any amount of savings makes a positive impact. eLynxx Solutions is pleased to have been able to save its not-for-profit and association clients an average of 25.54% in 2014. This level of savings continues a multi-year trend of eLynxx Solutions clients in this sector achieving average annual savings of over 23%. Naturally, the efficiency and savings achieved through eLynxx is not limited to associations and not-for-profits.

eLynxx Solutions helps organizations in the education, financial, manufacturing, heavy equipment, building products, shipping and logistics and technology sectors as well. eLynxx Solutions takes an approach of helping organizations extend their capabilities to get better results from a traditionally hard-to-control area of operational spending. With other approaches there is always some level of sacrifice. With the eLynxx approach organizations achieve the best possible price, quality and service on custom-printed materials while retaining control through their own people, processes and vendors.

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eLynxx Solutions has been providing innovative products and services for helping organizations manage projects and connect with vendors of custom-produced graphic communication, direct mail, marketing materials, publications, labeling, packaging and all things print since 1975. Born, raised and still located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania along the east coast’s graphic communications corridor connecting Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and New York City, today’s eLynxx Solutions is a leading innovator and provider of cloud software for the marketing supply chain. As a software boutique, eLynxx Solutions tailors its cloud software to fit the needs and requirements of its customers, providing the functionality of custom software with the economy of out-of-the-box solutions. eLynxx print procurement software empowers an organization’s people to work with their own vendors and strengthen their own processes to achieve better results. For more information regarding eLynxx software, please visit eLynxx.com.

Not-for-Profit and Association Sector Saved over 25% in 2014 with eLynxx

The Price of Relationship-Based Print Buying

I regularly meet with procurement and marketing people responsible for buying custom print projects. They all seem to share a knack for dealing with details and working under tight deadlines. Where they often differ, however, is in favoring varied vendor sourcing strategies. Many prefer working with a single or limited number of vendors while others support a multiple-vendor strategy.

No doubt the level of vendor collaboration involved in procurement of custom print is greater than when buying inventoried goods. For this reason, print buying often becomes a largely relationship-based transaction. The buyer trusts in the vendor’s capabilities, has come to expect responsive service and feels that their prices are fair. It’s an age old peace-of-mind scenario.

But peace-of-mind can come at a high price. This recent article in the Chicago Tribune deals largely with the ethical factors in relationship-based print buying. But those issues aside, it clearly illustrates the financial risk of not exposing preferred vendors to a competitive scenario. In this case, a vendor that produced a newsletter for over 10 years without competition reduced their price by nearly 50% when forced to bid against competitors.

At eLynxx Solutions, we agree that organizations should only do business with vendors they know, trust and approve. We offer a means to objectively manage vendor capabilities and pre-qualify the vendor pool – no matter the size. And our cloud software allows print buyers to easily compete work among their own trusted vendors as frequently as they choose. The result – print buyers maintain peace-of-mind regarding quality and service while ensuring that they’re always getting the most competitive price available from their preferred vendors.

The Price of Relationship-Based Print Buying