Best Quality, Price and Service - Get All Three: Built for the Job

Unfortunately, none of what is required for an organization to manage pre- and post-pricing details and break the Iron Triangle is handled by the methods and tools commonly used in procurement. They simply are not built for managing and sourcing custom print projects.

That is why eLynxx exists…to do what common procurement solutions can’t.

Only eLynxx cloud software, powered by the multi-patented eLynxx sourcing method, is purpose-built for sourcing and managing direct mail, marketing materials and all things print. No other solution empowers organizations to go beyond the price acquisition and bid-and-buy sourcing needed for off-the-shelf items to properly manage all of the pre- and post-pricing details custom print projects require. It is only with this level of functionality that creation of an environment friendly to contribution pricing and breaking the Iron Triangle become easy.

eLynxx relieves the burdens of vendor management and eliminates the fear, uncertainty and doubt that come with building a vendor pool that truly meets your needs. Your print vendors are invited to participate and are informed they are always free to bid as they wish based on production capacity. They are asked to submit information and samples used to objectively assign product categories and quality levels in the software. This information, from vendors you know and trust, serves as a baseline enabling easy, worry-free evaluation and inclusion of resources as needed.

Templates and a familiar, guided process enable the establishment of objective, consistent and highly detailed specifications that are as easy to create and manage as completing an online form. These precision specifications set the parameters for determining which vendors are capable of producing the job. That is where the real eLynxx magic begins.

The eLynxx sourcing method automatically matches specification criteria with vendor attributes to select vendors to be solicited for the project. With all vendors on equal ground, the quality side of the Iron Triangle is removed. The selected vendors are then automatically sent identical solicitations with complete and detailed information. A reply with a price means that the vendor can meet delivery criteria, removing the service side of the Iron Triangle. With quality and timeliness out of the equation, price remains the final determinant. Choosing the lowest price breaks the Iron Triangle with nothing more than eLynxx software and the people, processes and vendors you already have in place.

eLynxx provides communication that brings everyone involved in the project, from creative through delivery and invoicing, including vendors and outside partners, together. Assignment, direction and tracking of approvals, both before and after the buy, are automated. Tasks, production milestones, assets, file distribution and change orders are all easily managed and tracked through automated workflow assistance. Robust reporting capabilities allow for retrieval and analysis of virtually any detail of any project managed with eLynxx software.

Users of eLynxx regularly achieve per-unit cost reductions of up to 40 percent, and often more, that offset subscription costs. Add in the 50 percent average increase in efficiency enjoyed by clients and it is clear that eLynxx is the smart choice for managing and sourcing your print projects.

There is a lot more to tell you about eLynxx but instead of rambling on and on, We’d rather get to know about you, your organization and your goals and show you exactly how you can benefit from eLynxx. Give us a call, send us an email or fill out the form here, we can’t wait to meet you!

Best Quality, Price and Service - Get All Three: Built for the Job

Happy International Print Day 2016 from eLynxx Solutions! #IPD16 #printsmart

Happy International Print Day!

Under the hashtag #IPD16, eLynxx Solutions is joining the Print and Integrated Marketing community in reminding everyone that print is everywhere and that there are lots of people creating cool stuff with it. This year our theme is #printsmart. Take a bow, you ink-sniffers.

Two years ago, our participation in #IPD14 was a success in terms of finding new life and civilizations in what we now call the “Printerverse.” That event was the first time my @andysolages handle on Twitter rubbed zeroes and ones with thought leaders like Deborah Corn (@printmediacentr) and online communities dedicated to print and integrated marketing (e.g. #PrintChat). I also did some decent sock puppetry on the @eLynxx handle where I did the company promotion thing while being my own straight man. So IPD is special. It’s a good time to connect with new people, learn things, and maybe increase your follower count if your fragile ego is thirsty.

Across social media you’re going to find great content and examples of print under the hashtag #IPD16. Pick your platforms and enjoy. As usual, we’ll be taking this opportunity to get acquainted with more of the great people who make print happen. And since we make software to help print buyers achieve better results (and have better information) as they work with their trusted printers, we’re going to say “hi” first and introduce ourselves with this quick interview I did with our CEO, Mike Jackson.

***

Andy: Tell us a little bit about your background. How long have you been the CEO of eLynxx Solutions?

Mike: I’ve had a variety of leadership roles in my thirty-year career, all working with companies who offer technical products and services.  I joined eLynxx as the COO in 2008 and I became CEO in early 2014. And are you going to link to my bio on the website?

Andy: Yeah. It has a pretty good picture of you. Should bring all the print buyers to the yard.

Mike: OK, then we’ve solved for that.

Andy: Pretend we’ve never met. What is eLynxx and how can it help the people who give us reasons to celebrate International Print Day?

Mike: Well, people that are in any kind of print production role are dealing with a couple of things. One is a deadline-driven environment, often extremely tight deadlines, so they have to react quickly. The second is that there are so many moving parts that they have to keep track of. What eLynxx has done is to create cloud-based software for print professionals that helps them coordinate, track, and optimize procurement of print projects. It’s purpose-built for these professionals to be able to rationalize all of the complex details and deadlines they have to manage. Things like project specs, changes, production schedules, vendor capabilities, vendor performance, etc. So it really makes order out of chaos and allows them to more effectively respond to tight turnaround times that are inherently part of producing custom print.

Andy: OK, so with that order, I would get information, so let’s say my boss asked for a report on…

Mike: The most common thing we see is that all the information associated with these projects is residing in different places. So you have a fragmented collection of data sources. Trying to put reports together with that usually involves analysts, it involves a lot of time, it involves a lot of effort. In eLynxx, everything is in one place so all of the metrics that are time based, that are cost based, that are qualitative based, all the project specifications, vendor performance, everything resides in one place. It’s in one database, and we offer a reporting module within the eLynxx software that allows customers to assemble that information and report on anything they want to.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpEjkqjlpmc

Andy: The King of Pop’s shadow looms large every time you first meet someone. But let’s put “Michael Jackson” to the side for the moment. I understand you grew up in a town called Bel Air. May I call you the Fresh Prince?

Mike: No.

Andy: Fine. Be that way. How can people contact you?

Mike:  I invite anyone who wishes to learn more to visit our website, elynxx.com or call our office at 717-709-0990. I’m a bit of a moving target, but any member of the eLynxx team will be ready to listen and give a sense of how our software can help. And if I can add value to your life with my monthly tweet, follow me at @eLynxxCEO.

To learn more about International Print Day, visit Internationalprintday.org

Happy International Print Day 2016 from eLynxx Solutions! #IPD16 #printsmart

eLynxx Solutions to Provide Print Buying Software to Johns Hopkins University

eLynxx Solutions is pleased to include Johns Hopkins University among the clients using its flagship eLynxx software. eLynxx is cloud software that is built for print buyers to streamline and simplify the specification, sourcing and management of custom printed communications. eLynxx is well suited for higher education where insight to autonomous print buying across many areas is desired.

eLynxx will be used across all colleges and administrative departments at Johns Hopkins. The software will handle marketing, student, faculty and business communications as well as outreach, scholarly and research publications.

Print procurement at most universities, including Johns Hopkins, is spread across the institution. With upwards of 200 vendors, insight into procurement activity, spending, vendor qualification, quality assurance and efficiency is challenging. The range of materials, number of individuals involved and diversity of audiences pose additional challenges to centralized procurement and make the case for departmental print buying.

eLynxx provides a single tool that enables institutional level insight while retaining the autonomy of departmental print buying. Unlike alternative solutions, eLynxx will not replace the people, processes or vendors already in place at Johns Hopkins. Rather, eLynxx empowers those people, strengthens processes and works with the vendors they trust to ultimately achieve better results in quality, service and price.

“Higher education is one of the more complex print buying environments,” said Deborah Snider, executive vice president at eLynxx Solutions. “eLynxx software has proven its value to higher education institutions where print procurement is spread out and insight is desired. Our software allows many different users to work in their familiar capacities while capturing all of the details of each project and providing a centralized source or reporting and analytics. We are excited to be able to bring that value to Johns Hopkins University.”

eLynxx clients achieve cost savings of up to 40 percent per unit and gains in operational efficiency of over 50 percent. More specifically, higher education clients using eLynxx have averaged per-unit cost savings of over 35 percent.

-30-

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 project management 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.

eLynxx Solutions to Provide Print Buying Software to Johns Hopkins University

No Matter How You Slice It…

As a advertising and marcom geek of great magnitude I take an active interest in what others are doing. I yell at commercials like some people yell at sports. I read ads like I’m proofing them and I don’t just look at the direct mail I get; I study and analyze it. I recently received a promo for a credit card. Inside the envelope I saw this:

What initially drew my attention was, of course, the creativity and uniqueness of it. It’s different. It looked like a slice of bread among all of the other usual contents of a credit card pitch. I’m sure that was the intent and it worked! Realizing that this thing must have had one hell of a detailed set of specs was, however, what kept my attention.

This is a complex little piece. Since I am only a recipient of it and have no connection to its creation or production, I can only speculate that it was well specified. Given its inclusion in a prospecting mailing for a credit card, it was certainly distributed in healthy quantities. However, there is a reference date on the flipside of it, so has a use-by date of sorts and probably was not printed by the trainload for use over the course of a decade. A full-color job, printed on both sides on a hefty cover stock with a very smooth matte finish, it’s quality is more than respectable. None of these characteristics are particularly uncommon. But, without the right planning and specifications, quality, price and ultimately impact, could have suffered.

Knowing the nature of this piece’s use, I can’t imagine that ‘pricey’ was a characteristic its producers were seeking. With that being said, uniqueness was obviously being sought. Incidentally, uniqueness, especially in terms of shape, is what could have driven the cost of this piece through the roof!

Not too long ago, die-cutting with custom-fabricated dies,would have been the only means for attaining this unique shape and it would not have been cheap. Today there are alternatives to die-cutting that have the potential to be far more economical. Unless this piece was reverse engineered to utilize a bread-shaped die that was already existing, it’s specs would have needed to be detailed and clear as to both the shape and the process used to achieve it.

No matter how you slice it specifications are the heart and soul of successful marketing material production. It goes without saying that you need killer creative. And, of course, you want the finished product to look as awesome in real life as it did in the creative meetings. Kickass specs, however, ensure that your killer creative becomes awesome output without blowing the budget.

People who realize that specifications play a direct role they play in successfully connecting the message with the audience realize that precision specs, and the ability to create them with without worry or hassle, are truly, to borrow a phrase, the greatest things since sliced bread!

No Matter How You Slice It…

Change We Can Embrace

Once we feel we have a process in place that accommodates the unique complexities of one of our marketing operations, the next step is to figure out how to make it work. It’s one thing to know what roles, steps, assets and decisions an operation requires. It’s another to make all of the connections, enable the collaboration and retain some level of control over making it happen. Much of the time we are forced to turn to what we have at hand – spreadsheets, email, phone calls and general-use project and resource planning platforms – to try to make the process work. Suddenly the process that seemed so masterfully tailored becomes a pain to put into action.

Understandably, we don’t want to change a process that has been created around the specifics of our operation. Unfortunately, when we go looking for ways to make carrying out our process less of a pain, we are faced with options that would alter, if not scrap, the process or even hand complete control over to a third party. That’s the point at which acceptance of pain that’s familiar wins out over the pain of starting from scratch. It’s also when marketers become reluctant to change the way we do what we do.

That’s not to say that such resistance to change is right, wrong or indifferent. It does, however, answer the question, posed two days ago, of why marketers are reluctant to change when it comes to the way we do what we do. It also brings to mind the rationale that we should not universally avoid changing the way we make our processes work.

While it may not seem as such, there are solutions for marketers, purpose-built for specific jobs, that adapt to the processes we already have in place. Change does not have to mean starting over. Change can simply be an exchange of one tool for another that is more efficient; for one that enhances the process and makes it work like we know it can and should. Change in the way we do what we do as marketers is not always something to resist, fear or avoid. When it’s right, when it works with us and for us in the way we want it to, internal change is something for marketers to embrace as much as we hope we can effect change in the marketplace!

Change We Can Embrace

Do We Fear Change...Or Something Else?

Some may say the reason that we as marketers and marketing operations professionals are reluctant to change in the way we do what we do is fear of the unknown. That’s a cop-out. Marketers aren’t afraid of the unknown. We regularly charge forward, damned near blindly, into the unknown. If we fall flat on our face we’ll try something different and call it A/B testing! Well, okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but still there is almost always some element of the unknown in marketing and it doesn’t hold us back.

It’s not fear of the unknown that gives us the cold sweats when we think about making some internal change to the way we do what we do. I’ll tell you what it is, because after many years, I can finally and freely admit it.

It’s fear of the ‘pain in the ass.’ Or, perhaps more accurately, fear of a different ‘pain in the ass.’

Let’s face it, marketing is a complex machine and operations within it are bound to be equally intricate. There are many different people, in nearly as many different roles, all with different concerns. There is a seemingly endless stream of details, deadlines and moving parts; all requiring decisions. Even when an organization recognizes the unique parts, connections and flow it needs, making the process actually happen is a pain. But it becomes a familiar pain. Unfortunately, as long as it results in some level of organization and effectiveness, the pain becomes not only familiar but also accepted.

When change promises to alleviate the familiar and accepted pain, we see it as merely swapping one pain that we already live with for another, the pain of starting over. Why would we want to do that? In cases where change impacts the actual process – the parts, the connections and the flow – fear of trading one pain for another might have some validity. But what about change that impacts the tools used to make the process happen and not the process itself? What about change that actually makes the process work better and easier, like it’s intended to work? Perhaps there is a worthy trade-off?

We’ll explore that more, stay tuned.

Do We Fear Change...Or Something Else?

Do We Fear Change...Or Something Else?

Some may say the reason that we as marketers and marketing operations professionals are reluctant to change in the way we do what we do is fear of the unknown. That’s a cop-out. Marketers aren’t afraid of the unknown. We regularly charge forward, damned near blindly, into the unknown. If we fall flat on our face we’ll try something different and call it A/B testing! Well, okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but still there is almost always some element of the unknown in marketing and it doesn’t hold us back.

It’s not fear of the unknown that gives us the cold sweats when we think about making some internal change to the way we do what we do. I’ll tell you what it is, because after many years, I can finally and freely admit it.

It’s fear of the ‘pain in the ass.’ Or, perhaps more accurately, fear of a different ‘pain in the ass.’

Let’s face it, marketing is a complex machine and operations within it are bound to be equally intricate. There are many different people, in nearly as many different roles, all with different concerns. There is a seemingly endless stream of details, deadlines and moving parts; all requiring decisions. Even when an organization recognizes the unique parts, connections and flow it needs, making the process actually happen is a pain. But it becomes a familiar pain. Unfortunately, as long as it results in some level of organization and effectiveness, the pain becomes not only familiar but also accepted.

When change promises to alleviate the familiar and accepted pain, we see it as merely swapping one pain that we already live with for another, the pain of starting over. Why would we want to do that? In cases where change impacts the actual process – the parts, the connections and the flow – fear of trading one pain for another might have some validity. But what about change that impacts the tools used to make the process happen and not the process itself? What about change that actually makes the process work better and easier, like it’s intended to work? Perhaps there is a worthy trade-off?

We’ll explore that more, stay tuned.

Do We Fear Change...Or Something Else?

Change is Good, Except...

Some might say that marketing is all about change. After all, as marketers and marketing operations professionals, we’re always faced with change. A new product to bring to market? That’s change. New target audience for that product? That’s change too. New messaging and channels to communicate with that audience? Yep, that’s also change. Change is so commonplace that it not only becomes part of our routine; it becomes something that we expect and welcome. Because without a steady flow of new products, targets and campaigns, there wouldn’t be a demand for what we do!

And speaking of doing what we do, when you boil it down, one of the primary goals of marketing is to effect change in the marketplace. We want to change the way our audience looks at its needs and wants. We want to change the way they think about that new product they’ve never seen before. We want to change their buying and consumption habits. We want them to change their minds and decide that what they already have isn’t enough so that they’ll keep buying more.

Change drives why we do what we do. Getting others to change is the goal of doing what we do. So why are we so reluctant to change the way we do what we do? Why is the thought of replacing the inefficient, ad-hoc drudgery that we’ve been forced to rely upon with new software so cringe-worthy? Why do we resist adapting to new things that make doing what we do faster, easier and even better that before?

Think about that and stay tuned…

Change is Good, Except...

Change is Good, Except...

Some might say that marketing is all about change. After all, as marketers and marketing operations professionals, we’re always faced with change. A new product to bring to market? That’s change. New target audience for that product? That’s change too. New messaging and channels to communicate with that audience? Yep, that’s also change. Change is so commonplace that it not only becomes part of our routine; it becomes something that we expect and welcome. Because without a steady flow of new products, targets and campaigns, there wouldn’t be a demand for what we do!

And speaking of doing what we do, when you boil it down, one of the primary goals of marketing is to effect change in the marketplace. We want to change the way our audience looks at its needs and wants. We want to change the way they think about that new product they’ve never seen before. We want to change their buying and consumption habits. We want them to change their minds and decide that what they already have isn’t enough so that they’ll keep buying more.

Change drives why we do what we do. Getting others to change is the goal of doing what we do. So why are we so reluctant to change the way we do what we do? Why is the thought of replacing the inefficient, ad-hoc drudgery that we’ve been forced to rely upon with new software so cringe-worthy? Why do we resist adapting to new things that make doing what we do faster, easier and even better that before?

Think about that and stay tuned…

Change is Good, Except...

eLynxx Solutions Recognized with Two SDCE Magazine Pros to Know Awards

eLynxx Solutions founder Bill Gindlesperger and CEO Mike Jackson have each been honored with Supply and Demand Chain Executive Magazine Pros to Know Awards for 2016. Individuals at eLynxx Solutions have been recognized numerous times since the inception of the award 16 years ago. 2016 marks the first time two eLynxx team members have received the Pros to Know Award that recognizes supply chain practitioners as well as providers of software, services, information and education that have made an impact within the supply chain community.

eLynxx is cloud software for sourcing and managing direct mail, marketing and print. As founder and chairman of eLynxx Solutions, Gindlesperger is also inventor of the exclusive patented method that empowers eLynxx users to save up to 40% on the print they buy while ensuring maximum quality and service. “It is an absolute honor to be recognized once again as a Pro to Know,” Gindlesperger said. “It is also an honor to know that others at eLynxx, who are continuing the dedication I’ve put forth in improving procurement efficiency and effectiveness while increasing savings, are also being recognized.”

A client centered CEO, Jackson helps organizations achieve better results in the planning, sourcing and managing of materials and services used in direct mail, point of purchase, and other printed marketing materials. Working personally with prospects and clients to understand their needs and provide solutions for the print and marketing supply chains. “What I see so often are cases where management and sourcing of print involves lots of people, a bunch of moving parts and tools that weren’t built specifically for the job,” Jackson said. “Knowing that I have helped an organization recognize the importance of managing a specialized marketing supply chain with the right tools, being able to give them those tools, and witnessing the better results they achieve is exciting in and of itself. Being recognized as a Pro to Know is very gratifying.”

Winners of the 16th Annual Pros to Know Awards have been announced at Supply & Demand Chain Executive magazine’s website. Full coverage of the awards will be published in the forthcoming March 2016 issue.

###

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 project management 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.

eLynxx Solutions Recognized with Two SDCE Magazine Pros to Know Awards

eLynxx Software Selected by Green Dot Corporation for Management of Print and Direct Mail

eLynxx cloud software has been selected by Green Dot Corporation (NYSE: GDOT) for executing print and direct mail projects. A pro-consumer financial technology innovator, Green Dot is the inventor and largest provider of prepaid debit cards and cash reload processing services in the United States. Following what it calls a branchless bank model of distribution for its products, direct mail is a vital link between Green Dot and its millions of customers. eLynxx is the only cloud software purpose-built for managing direct mail, marketing and print. With eLynxx, Green Dot will be able to strengthen its direct mail and custom print procurement process while working with vendors they know and trust. eLynxx clients in the same business sector as Green Dot achieved an average per-unit cost savings of over 30 percent in 2015. In addition to hard-dollar savings, these users also enjoy increases in efficiency of up to 53 percent.

As a customer-focused financial organization; integrity, accountability and trust are important to Green Dot. As a publicly-held corporation, bottom line performance and ROI are critical. Because eLynxx provides the right tools for maximizing quality and service while assuring the best possible prices from the vendors they already trust, Green Dot found the software to be a natural fit.

“In the past we managed and sourced printed collateral and direct mail with everything from email and phone calls to enterprise resource planning and procurement systems” said Scott Bass, Director of Supply Chain at Green Dot. “It always turned out to be a labor-intensive situation where timeliness, cost and accountability became headaches,” Bass added. “Not only will eLynxx provide us with the opportunity to achieve a greater return on our marketing investment with the quality, timing and accuracy we require; the software will also allow us to retain in-house control and accountability over our programs,” Bass continued. “We’re excited to put our trust and confidence in eLynxx Solutions.”

eLynxx Solutions’ history of success includes more than 3.2 million print and direct mail projects valued at over $9 billion. This success is driven by placing the needs and goals of its clients at the forefront. “We are committed to building software that helps organizations achieve better results from the management and sourcing of their direct mail and custom print projects,” said Nathan Rotz, COO at eLynxx Solutions. “We are proud that Green Dot has chosen and entrusted eLynxx to help them maximize their investment in critical marketing communications.”

###

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 project management 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.

eLynxx Software Selected by Green Dot Corporation for Management of Print and Direct Mail

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