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

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.

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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 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

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.”

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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 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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

Higher Education Institutions Consistently Save More Than 35% Through eLynxx

The pressure being faced by many colleges and universities to get their messages out while staying within ever decreasing budgets is enormous. To survive many institutions have had to search for ways to increase efficiency without sacrifice of quality and on-time delivery, gain more marketing coverage for the same marketing spend, bring full transparency and instant reporting, substantiate compliance with minority, woman owned, small disadvantaged and other important initiatives, and improve control over their own people, processes and vendors.

This is not easily accomplished in an environment consisting of semi-autonomous operating units – like administrative, educational departments, athletics, alumnae affairs, student and staff recruitment, placement, marketing and communications, foundation, entertainment, student affairs, etc. Each operating unit has its own constituency, processes and trusted vendors. Yet there is also a need for centralized policy making, reporting and shared experiences.

Yet, during the first half of 2014, the higher education sector experienced a 36.11% savings on their print related spend through the deployment and adoption of eLynxx software. And these same institutions were also able to reach their parallel operational goals.

According to Mike Jackson, chief executive officer of eLynxx Solutions, “The eLynxx purpose-built software works well in a decentralized semi-autonomous environment where centralized policy making, reporting and transparency are highly regarded. The eLynxx software readily adapts to the specific needs, requirements and processes of its users.” Jackson continued, “only eLynxx provides centralized reporting, financial insight and sharing of resources at the institutional level without disrupting autonomy, people, processes and vendors at the departmental level.” Combined with an exclusive patented competitive sourcing method, eLynxx users across all business sectors regularly achieve per-unit cost savings of 20% to 40% on all kinds of custom printed materials.

Besides higher education, eLynxx Solutions also helps organizations in the non-profit, financial, manufacturing, heavy equipment, building products, logistics and shipping, grocery, insurance, medical, retail and technology sectors. Helping organizations extend their capabilities to get better results from a traditionally hard-to-control area of operational spending has been the primary focus of eLynxx Solutions since 1975. Other approaches always require 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 project management software for the marketing supply chain. As a software boutique, eLynxx Solutions tailors its cloud software and services 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 project management 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 Solutions, please visit eLynxx.com.

Higher Education Institutions Consistently Save More Than 35% Through eLynxx

eLynxx Solutions Goes Back to School with Hometown Neighbor Wilson College

As the summer winds down and the 2014-2015 academic year begins, eLynxx Solutions will be among the masses heading off to college, but there won’t be any classes to attend or dorms to move into. In fact there won’t even be much of a trip to make. That’s because eLynxx Solutions is pleased to announce that it has been selected to provide marketing supply chain software for Wilson College in its hometown of Chambersburg, PA.

Founded in 1869 as a liberal arts college, Wilson College welcomes undergraduate and graduate degree-seeking students from around the globe to south central Pennsylvania. Wilson—with a long and storied past—is now excited about a bright and promising future. Having recently implemented a wide-ranging plan for improved enrollment, the College is adding academic programs and improving facilities. Coeducational expansion across all programs has widened Wilson’s horizons. Of course along with those widened horizons come additional responsibilities in marketing and communications. Wilson has also increased its marketing and communications program to meet the challenges of covering an ever-increasing number of communication channels while maintaining the budget discipline many marketers face. Wilson College also has some challenges that are unique to its situation.

Although technology has opened new avenues for marketing, printed communications still play a major role in higher education. Wilson College is no different in that respect. What is different at Wilson, however, is that the college has only recently centralized marketing operations and is in the process of rolling out a newly defined brand identity and rebuilding its print program to meet the needs of a greatly expanded prospective student audience. That translates to a lot of new design work to create new materials. It also means increased pressure on the people, processes and vendors that make up an institution’s marketing supply chain to produce quality results within budget. That’s where eLynxx Solutions comes into the picture.

“Wilson is growing and moving through change, and the marketing and communications department plays a central role in reaching our audiences. We’ve put a comprehensive marketing program in place that is very bottom line oriented—cost and results,” said Brian Speer, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Wilson College. “Given our new position and expanded market, we have a lot of work in front of us. eLynxx allows us to enhance our capabilities, expand our print marketplace, ensure product quality, meet tight deadlines and extend our budget as far as possible. With the work eLynxx has done with other educational institutions in helping to improve results, they were a good fit for Wilson.” Because eLynxx is cloud software, there are no additional requirements placed on the college’s IT infrastructure. After the eLynxx Solutions team gathered the required information, Wilson College was up, running and ready to take advantage of increased efficiency and savings.

“We are extremely proud that Wilson College has selected eLynxx to provide its marketing supply chain software,” said Mike Jackson, Chief Executive Officer at eLynxx Solutions. “eLynxx has been helping higher education institutions achieve the best possible price, quality and service on printed marketing and communications materials for years. Being able to do the same with Wilson College, an institution with which we share so many ties in the community, is especially rewarding.”

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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 project management software for the marketing supply chain. As a software boutique, eLynxx Solutions tailors its cloud software and services 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 project management 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 Solutions, please visit http://elynxx.com.

eLynxx Solutions Goes Back to School with Hometown Neighbor Wilson College

Maintaining Control vs. Brokers and BPOs: What’s Right for You?

Printed materials in some form or another are integral to the branding and marketing of most organizations. When it comes to the organization, acquisition, production management, implementation and distribution of these materials; there is a decision to make. Organizations usually choose to either manage the entire process on their own, keeping control of the process in their own hands, or they can hand control over to a third party. The third party is often a print broker, who is a middleman between the organization and one or more print vendors, or a BPO (Business Process Outsourcer), who takes over management of all aspects of the process.

When making this decision an organization needs to consider what is best for its particular needs. Here are some key considerations of maintaining and relinquishing control.

The Pros of Maintaining Control over Your Own Print Marketing Materials

Some of the pros that people consider when managing production of their own marketing materials include:

Control over the Process

As mentioned above, handling the process on their own provides organizations with the freedom to make sure everything fits according to their requirements. They use their own trusted employees and vendors to manage and produce a finished product in a way that is completely integrated with the way the organization does business.

Integrated Management

When any part of your company is being outsourced, you lose a certain amount of visibility into what is going on. Most third party outsourcers don’t provide you with continuous updates of the project. You may not have any information until it is complete. Critical decisions on unforeseen issues that could impact operations beyond marketing will be made by an outsider. You cannot be certain if your specifications and requirements are being followed to the letter, or if corners are being cut, when someone else is in control.

Hence, retaining control within your organization not only ensures that responsibility lies with trusted individuals, but also that every piece of every process is handled in an approved manner. When it comes to coordinating marketing with other operational areas like finance and legal, there’s no better means for success than retaining control.

Vendor Choice

Managing printed marketing material production in-house also allows you full control over vendor selection. Choosing a vendor is not a one-step decision. Capabilities, equipment, quality level, service history and speed are among the variables to be considered. Each variable can mean success or failure in a marketing material project. While it’s near impossible to have total control over the success or failure of a project; you can get much closer if you retail control over vendor selection.

The Pros of Hiring a Third Party to Produce Your Print Marketing Materials

To most organizations there is an undeniable benefit in maintaining control over their marketing material projects. There are some who make the choice, as scary as it may sound, to outsource control of their marketing materials to a third party. The number one reason organizations opt to give control of their marketing material projects to a print broker or BPO is because they don’t feel they have, or want to take on, the capacity to do it themselves. They are looking to simplify and possibly reduce head count. Admittedly, managing printed material projects is complex; it requires a lot of collaboration and communication. To organizations that choose to outsource operations to a third party, sacrificing control is seen as a trade-off for avoiding complexities. It may even be perceived to be a way to save money through cuts in resources.

Isn’t There Another Choice?

Perhaps by now you find yourself asking “but what happens when I really don’t want to give up control, but I need something to stretch my resources and make these complicated operations more manageable?” If so, you are not alone. Many organizations have faced the same question. In fact, just about every organization that manages its own marketing material projects seems to have tried some method of making the job easier. Spreadsheets, files, adapting generalized project management and procurement systems, or combinations thereof are common attempts. While these may seem like viable solutions, complexity and the need for collaboration and communication eventually rear their ugly heads again.

The real solution isn’t to try to avoid the complexities and challenges of managing one’s own marketing supply chain and the projects within it. Rather it’s to embrace with purpose-built tools that extend an organization’s capabilities, enable collaboration, foster communication and help it achieve better results in managing its marketing material projects. Providing organizations with those tools is the force that drives us here at eLynxx Solutions.

Ultimately an organization has to be comfortable with the choices it makes. Those that choose to trade control for the promise of simplicity have their reasons just as those who choose to retain control have theirs. It’s your choice and we understand either way, but if you choose to retain control over your marketing supply chain and the projects it produces, we at eLynxx Solutions are always here to help you do it even better.

Maintaining Control vs. Brokers and BPOs: What’s Right for You?

Change Management - Knocking Down Barriers to Benefit

A company is very much like a complex organism. The workers serve as different organs, each with a specialized function, and the organism as a whole thrives and exudes energy if each organ is healthy. Like every other organism, an organization is part of a great race, competing and fighting to survive and be the best. When it comes to survival, it can only be achieved through adaptation.

There are species that don’t exist anymore because they couldn’t adapt to the change going on around them. We understand that change can be uncomfortable and terrifying at times, but for companies that refuse to adapt, the metaphorical extinction becomes all too real.

Why Companies Fear Change

One of the reasons that companies choose not to risk change is that they are threatened by it. The general mentality is why fix something that’s not broken, and a common denial of the need to oil something that would go rusty and eventually become obsolete if not tended to enough. We cannot stress enough how dangerous it can be to have such a mindset.

Even if you’re the best, the unfortunate fact (or fortunate beauty) of the capitalist world is that you can lose your status in a heartbeat. If companies stay too rigid in their ways, they’re bound to lose out in the long run. Globalization and technological reform require slight adjustments in short term goals or comfortable routines. Renovation is imperative for progress and staying afloat in this fast paced world. Progress is the best gauge of success and progress comes from change.

Sometimes the change needs to be on a foundational level. But not all changes have to be dramatic. Sometimes the change could be minute. After all – less often means more.

Change Often Brings Welcome Results

Since we’ve established how important change is, we understand that this may mean slight adjustments are required on many levels. But what most companies need to understand is that such change isn’t a colossal risk if it’s made through intelligent strategy and research. For example, a minor change made through the adoption of cloud software is a cost friendly, minimally disruptive and efficient change that can provide tremendous benefit to an organization.

Take for instance an organization that already has people and a process in place for the coordination, acquisition and management of custom-printed marketing materials. They know there must be a better way to get the job done; one that causes fewer headaches is more efficient and maybe even saves money.

When this organization looks at their options, they’ll see that most require a fairly extreme level of change, which may very well make them take a step back. However, cloud based software that simply augments their own people, processes and vendors with the tools, mechanisms and insight to achieve better results isn’t actually much of a change to make.

Since that is the business we are in here at eLynxx Solutions we see this day in and day out. In all honesty overcoming an organization’s reluctance to change is often one of the biggest barriers we face in helping them get the results they deserve. But, once they open up to the slight changes required in the adoption of eLynxx software and begin reaping the rewards, they wonder why they ever feared making the change in the first place.

Being Open to Change is Being Open to Success

Whether we’re talking about getting better results from your marketing supply chain or any other area of an organization, making a change to a crucial area of operations can be scary, we understand that. In fact we’ve experienced it. You don’t stay in the business we’re in for nearly 40 years without making some changes over the course of time. Successful organizations know when the time for change is right and when it is wrong; but they must first be open to change. Are you open to change and the success it can bring? If you are, we’d like to hear from you.

Change Management - Knocking Down Barriers to Benefit

Happy 180th Birthday - and Thank You - to John Venn!

If you’ve been out to Google today you might have noticed an interesting, if not slightly obscure, interactive commemorative Google Doodle gracing the page. It is commemorating the 180th birthday of John Venn. Unless you are the kind of person who gets at least somewhat nerdy over philosophy, math or statistics; you might be asking yourself who in the world John Venn is and why you should care that, if he had not passed away in 1923, he would be 180 years old today. Well, besides the fact that a man born in 1834 managed to live 89 years – a feat unto itself, John Venn is the man whom you may thank for the wonderfully visual way of representing complex concepts like set theory and relationships in areas such as probability, logic and statistics known as the Venn Diagram.

Great, so other than the fact that there are obviously some nerds on staff, why does eLynxx Solutions care about John Venn, his diagrams and his birthday? Glad you asked! Simply put, without John Venn and his Venn Diagram it would be a lot harder for us to explain our concept of bringing your people, your processes and your vendors together with eLynxx project management software to achieve better results in your marketing supply chain. You see, at its simplest – and trust me there are much more complex ways of using one than we have, a Venn Diagram shows a relational overlap between two or more distinct sets, areas or concepts. With each area represented as a ring or circle, the intersecting portions of each illustrate the point where everything comes together so to speak. It’s a truly elegant way to present data.

From our standpoint, an organization already has a set of people doing various jobs, a set of processes that are integral to the way it operates and a set of vendors with whom it has already built a level of trust and understanding in place. When it comes to managing its marketing material projects from concept to reality, an organization already has has a lot of what it needs to get the job done in these three areas. All that are really needed are some tools and additional knowledge to bring everything together and achieve better results. Sometimes, rather than bringing these areas together, organizations try highly disruptive methods that instead drive the people, processes and vendors already in place further apart. We have found that the more disruptive the method is the less likely it is to actually achieve marketing supply chain efficiency and savings for an organization. That’s why the tools and knowledge eLynxx Solutions provides are purpose-built and tailored specifically to an organization’s needs and resources. By being as non disruptive as possible, eLynxx simply fills in what’s missing so your organization can manage, source and organize its marketing material projects better than ever. Organizations that use eLynxx think it is an elegant solution. Since we can show how eLynxx works in one of his diagrams, we like to think that John Venn would agree.

Happy 180th Birthday - and Thank You - to John Venn!

The Marketing Supply Chain Field Guide: Conclusion

If the concept of a supply chain dedicated to the production of marketing materials never crossed your mind before you began following along, don’t worry, you’re not alone. That is exactly why we began The Marketing Supply Chain Field Guide. Now, after twelve installments, it’s time to put the wraps on our exploration of one of the most complex, yet underappreciated, areas of marketing operations.

Will you be able to walk away knowing everything there is to know about the marketing supply chain? Probably not. And, in all honesty, that was never the goal of this series. The goal was to give you the insight to be able to identify the existance, and components, of your organization’s own marketing supply chain. Hopefully you are now able to do just that.

Knowing that the marketing supply chain is made of familiar elements whose connections may not always be clear; you now also know that coordination, acquisition, production and analysis are four areas commonly encompassed by the concept. Because every marketing supply chain is as unique as the the organzation it serves, you know that flexibility is a must for successful and strong project and digital asset management.

All of the critical roles – from marketing to finance, procurement and even legal – required to bring your organization’s marketing materials from concept to reality should now be easier to identify. Identification the graphic communication materials your organization relies upon, from the common marketing and sales items to packaging, displays and large-format visuals, should also be easier. All of the vendors who are crucial to the production, implementation and success of these materials – even those you may not have thought about before – should be easier to identify as well.

Armed with your newfound knowledge, identifying all of the elements of your organization’s own marketing supply chain should be fairly simple. Unfortunately, once you have it all mapped out, you will likely discover that coordinating, connecting and managing all of the elements, resources and people within it to be a challenge. This is not uncommon. So now you know what the marketing supply chain is and have identified yours, the next step is to manage it and the projects that flow through it.

While many orgaizations have tried either broad-scope ERP, procurement and other entreprise management software; others have looked toward outsourcing or building thier own solutions using complex systems of spreadsheets, email, and files. Each of these methods, while partially successful in some instances, tend to come up short because they don’t take the individuality, complexity and custom-specified nature of a given organization’s marketing supply into consideration. Organizations that have turned to a project management solution that is not only purpose-built for the marketing supply chain, but also tailored precisely to the organization’s people, processes and vendors, have found much greater success.

As this concludes The Marketing Supply Chain Field Guide series, it certainly does not conclude the information we have to share here on the eLynxx Blog! Be sure to check back frequenly as well as connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter for continued insight into the marketing supply chain, marketing materials and marketing operations in general.

The Marketing Supply Chain Field Guide: Conclusion

The Marketing Supply Chain Field Guide: Part 10 – Materials in the Chain (continued)

Last week we began dissecting the catch-all term “marketing materials” to discover just what kinds of items may be flowing through your marketing supply chain. Even as we began our exploration with some of the more common, old-standby sort of marketing communication tools, we saw that there was much more complexity than the simple and bland-sounding description of “marketing materials” would lead us to believe.

This week we’ll explore unique items that may not commonly be thought of as marketing materials, but certainly are flowing through your marketing supply chain right now.

So Unforgettable We Forget It’s a Marketing Material

They’re pretty hard to escape in your daily routine, and if they’re done well, they’re hard to forget. Interestingly enough, many of us get so wrapped up in their function we forget that at their core, signage, point of purchase and merchandising displays are indeed marketing materials. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve spoken with fellow marketers and when the subject of printed marketing materials comes up they say something like “we really don’t do too many printed pieces anymore, most of our brochures and literature are digital now. Then I say “well what about your point of sale and merchandising materials?” and they get the “oh…yeah” expression on their faces. The whole point of these materials is to get attention, build brand presence and make customers buy. If that’s not a marketing material I don’t know what is.

So why don’t people think point of sale, display, merchandising and signage materials at their core level? One possible explanation is because marketing has become so fragmented and specialized based on function. There may be a team for displays and a team for collateral and a team for this, that and the other thing. Another explanation is simply that some forms of marketing communication tools are elevated in importance because the function they serve is seen as more important or their creation and management is considered more complex than others. Everything from copy to artwork to construction of display materials tends to be project specific. Often times multiple versions are required. More than one vendor or service provider may be involved and specifications are certainly crucial. On the surface a POS display may look more imposing than a product flier and there may be more people involved with it. While both are highly specific, target-focused marketing communication tools can be complex to coordinate, source, produce and manage.

So Important It Often Outshines the Product Itself

Every year around the holidays you are bound to hear stories about how someone’s child tore open a toy, took it out of the package, and then proceeded to be more enamored with the box than what was in it. It’s funny when you think of your friend being mad that they dropped 50 bucks on something their kid found less interesting than its packaging, but it also makes a point about how important packaging can be to attracting consumers to, making them want to buy, and then buy a product. Packaging has always been important to branding and marketing, but in today’s cluttered world, packaging is more complex and important than ever. To a marketer, the product really is the package and the package is more important than what’s inside it. Because of this close tie to the product, the packaging dictates how a product is shipped and stored or is designed around how it will be shipped and stored. Packaging may be considered more in the realm of product development. But let’s make no mistake about it, packaging is physical, graphic communication. It is intended to gain attention, make clear brand identification, encourage purchase and communicate usage and other important information. Packaging is a marketing material.

Perhaps even more than display materials, packaging is extremely complex and often highly customized. There may be multiple layers of packaging – like a bottle with a label on it, placed inside of a box with an informative insert included and a branded outer wrapper around the whole thing. Each element may come from a different manufacturer. Packaging may have to adhere to government regulations for labeling or notices. There are often multiple variations on size, shape or method merchandising in a retail environment, and packaging is often required to change because of new promotions or product evolution. With all of this information in mind, it’s easy to understand why packaging is part of the marketing supply chain mix and why it is important to manage packaging projects with tools built for the job.

So Much Fun We Forget Their Real Purpose

Let’s pretend that we’re walking through a trade-show and there are two different companies pitching the same basic thing. Both have nice looking professional displays and friendly looking staff. Company A has some really cool giveaways and novelties. Company B does not. Which booth do you go in first? Be honest! Chances are you’ll go to the booth that has the swag first. Chances also are that even after going into both companies’ booths, you’ll remember Company A down the road because that knick-knack they gave you is still sitting on your desk. Promotional giveaways, or advertising specialties as they are often called, are definitely marketing materials. They may not tell a big story or convey lots of benefits, but they say something about the personality of the organization. They make a personal connection and they’re memorable. But when many of us think about marketing materials we often forget about promotional materials. Why is that? Perhaps because once again we don’t connect with the term; giveaways are fun, the term seems boring.

If your organization is designing and sourcing branded tchotchkes for the purposes of connecting with and influencing prospects and customers, then they are items in your marketing supply chain. Granted, some promotional giveaways are fairly simple and are more personalized than fully custom-made. However some giveaways, especially those intended to stand out and make a big impact, can be rather involved and truly custom-built. But even in the case of simpler items, managing the project like any other in the marketing supply chain makes sense to control brand assets, track progress and get the job done on-time and on-budget.

So Big We Get Lost in Their Size

It was not all that long ago that large-format graphic communication required either custom painting or many individually-printed sheets assembled as one large installation. While both sign painters and traditional multi-sheet billboards still exist today, modern printing technology and new developments in printable substrates have made large-format graphic communication more accessible, adaptable and affordable than ever. Depending upon where the large-format item is being installed, it might be easy to forget that it is first and foremost a marketing communication tool and therefore a marketing material. For instance, your organization may be ordering a new fleet of delivery vans. The plan is to have these new vans covered in branded vehicle wraps. You certainly wouldn’t make such an investment without ensuring that the colors, logos or messaging was correct, would you?

Large-format communication makes a big impact at a big price. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the scale and scope of producing such projects. At the same time it’s also imperative that such projects are handled as marketing communication projects and that all parties involved with them are on the same page. The scale, cost, complexity, specifications and the people involved in large-format specialty projects are often unique to the project. One missed step or lost detail can be enough to take the project from colossal impact to colossal disaster. Managing large-format printing and graphic communication projects requires tools that can adapt to their scope and needs to ensure desired results are achieved.

While this installment wraps up our look at the kinds of materials that may be flowing through your marketing supply chain, it is by no means exhaustive. Just as we have said in the other marketing supply chain areas we have explored, there is no one across-the-board model to follow. The best that can be done is to go deeper than the surface, pull back the cover and expose a broad sampling of the many elements that comprise a simple term like marketing materials. You may never consider some of the materials we have discussed in this and the previous installment. You might use some that we didn’t discuss and certainly your organization’s mix of materials is going to vary from that of your competition. That’s why, over the past four decades, we have come to believe in the use of tools that are not only purpose-built for the job, but also tailored to the organization using them.

Join us next week as we explore the variety of vendors and partners you might encounter when managing projects in your marketing supply chain.

The Marketing Supply Chain Field Guide: Part 10 – Materials in the Chain (continued)

The Marketing Supply Chain Field Guide: Part 7 – Procurement Roles

Any organization that produces materials used in marketing is going to have marketers. There is also always some level of executive and financial management. There are some roles that, depending upon the organization, may not be so simply defined.

So Who Does the Procurement in the Marketing Supply Chain?

In many organizations the function of procurement within the marketing supply chain is considered so specialized that it is placed in the hands of the marketing department. The department may either have units for print and media buying or it may place the responsibilities with broader units such as creative or advertising. At the other end of the spectrum, all of the specifications and details for marketing material projects are given to the procurement or purchasing department. They identify vendors, request pricing and award the project. In between is any number of combinations where marketing and procurement work together; often with marketing identifying vendors and procurement handling RFPs, awards and follow through. These last two scenarios are the focus of this exploration.

A Wrench in the Purchasing Machine

Because of the nature of the work, procurement or purchasing departments tend to be very hands-on and process oriented. Requisitions come in, prices are sought and the award is made. It’s a tried and true system for procuring inventoried supplies, raw materials and commodities. Marketing materials are nothing like those items. Supplies, raw materials and commodities are not 100% custom produced. Some, like vehicles and computers, may be custom configured from an available range of options. Few items in those categories are manufactured entirely on specification from the ground up as marketing materials are. Every marketing material project is unique.

At a quick glance, two random four-color tri-fold brochures may appear to be made the same way, aside from their content. Looking at their specs is likely to tell you something different in terms of the combination of materials and processes used. Even quantity can have a drastic impact on how a project needs to be produced for optimum quality and efficiency. Not every printer is capable of producing every combination of material and process at every quantity at the same level of quality. That can throw a monkey wrench into the smooth-running machinery of a purchasing operation.

How – and Where – Do Procurement Roles Fit?

Some organizations, especially larger ones with robust marketing and procurement operations, have specialist buyers for each purchasing category. An effective specialist buyer understands the purpose of the items they source, knows the terminology of its specifications, and understands the methods of its production. Traditionally, marketing materials were sourced by print buyers since printing has always been the primary means of production.

In today’s marketing supply chain, the dependency on print processes is still huge, but emphasis has shifted from the means of production to the product being produced. While print buyers still exist, if a type of marketing material is of high importance to an organization, it may have buyers with expertise in more refined specialties such as packaging, point of purchase displays or direct marketing.

It’s also not uncommon to find a centralized, general purchasing department with managers and buyers who source everything across the board. In such a case the buyers or purchasing agents may work very closely with the project’s subject matter experts to understand the specifications, needs and purposes of the project being sourced. In such an instance a purchasing agent or even a manager would be wise to involve project subject matter experts in certain critical decisions such as vendor selection.

Taking a step further, there are instances where a purchasing or procurement department’s role in the marketing supply chain is more about administration and compliance. An example of this would be where the project’s subject matter experts provide not only the specifications and needs for the project, but also perform the research to identify vendors who can meet all of its requirements. From that point forward, purchasing agents, buyers and their managers would obtain pricing, award the project to a vendor and follow up with any additional administration.

Making the Right Connections

Regardless of where an organization falls within this continuum, a strong and free-flowing connection between procurement roles and the rest of the marketing supply chain is critical. Even in cases where marketing is responsible for sourcing its own materials; bulletproof specifications are imperative to getting the project done as planned. Tracking of tasks, actions, decisions and results ensures compliance with budgets and deadlines, as well as with procurement and marketing procedures. It’s a lot to try to make happen in an organization of any size but it’s not impossible especially with the help of project management software built especially for the marketing supply chain.

The next installment in the Marketing Supply Field Guide will wrap up our look at common roles in the marketing supply chain. See you next week.

The Marketing Supply Chain Field Guide: Part 7 – Procurement Roles

The Marketing Supply Chain Field Guide: Part 6 – Finance Roles

Some combinations just go together well as polar opposites. They are distinctly different from, yet often attract, one another. North and south, fire and ice, good and evil are all classic examples. Marketing and finance is another. Marketing is driven by passion and human nature. Its output equals its success. Its results are born of ideas. At the other end of the spectrum is finance; driven by calculation and procedure, with success measured against forecasts. Organizational and operational success; however, require both and therefore a relationship exists. Unfortunately that relationship is often thought to be one of dysfunction.

A Great Place for Opposites to Attract

When marketing and financial operations work more closely together, they are more understanding of each other’s purposes and needs. When they work in an integrated environment, at a point where their paths naturally cross, agility and results are improved. The marketing supply chain is that point. It is where budgets go from forecasts on paper to tangible marketing materials that drive the revenue that translates into bottom line results.

Much like marketing, finance and accounting means something different to every organization. Sometimes even more so as laws and regulations often dictate the financial and accounting functions and roles that must be present. Because every organization varies, we will explore finance roles in the marketing supply chain from a broad perspective.

Finance Executives

The chief financial officers, chief accounting officers and chief auditors of the world – are not likely to be interested in the day-to-day functions of the marketing supply chain. They will be interested in the big picture and the overall results. Return on marketing investment is an area that seems to be getting more interest from today’s finance executives. Interest and visibility at this level are important as they demonstrate recognition of marketing’s move from cost center to driver of revenue. Metrics and KPIs that show outcomes directly tying marketing materials to increases in audience share and revenue are important points to communicate to finance executives.

Finance and Accounting Managers and Staff

There are many potential roles within finance and accounting beyond those considered to be in the C-suite. These are the people interested in the day-to-day touch points between finance and the marketing supply chain. Comptrollers, controllers, certified public and managerial accountants, auditors and bookkeepers all potentially interact with and contribute to an organization’s marketing supply chain. Because marketing supply chain spending is done with the intent of eventually driving revenue, the marketing supply chain actually impacts finance and accounting at both ends. Everything from accounts payable and tax accounting for freelancers to budget planning and annual audits are points of interface with the marketing supply chain for finance managers and their staff.

So Why Is There Often Such a Rift?

Even to the most analytic or strategic of marketers, the world of finance and accounting is likely to seem alien. An accountant and a brand manager may both understand the importance of, and even respect, each other’s work. However, dealing with the mechanics outside of one’s own zone of operations will almost always seem to be a hassle. Paying the bills, cutting the checks and keeping budgets in perpetual motion is pretty important to keeping the marketing supply chain machine up to speed. Without finance everything could grind to a halt. Organizations seeking to improve impact and results are wise to keep finance involved as part of the marketing supply chain.

The Right Involvement in the Right Amount at the Right Place

We already understand that an organization’s marketing supply chain can stretch far. It can also call for involvement from various roles at erratic times. One-size-fits-all solutions don’t work for keeping finance roles involved when and where they need to be. Project management software, purpose built for the marketing supply chain, provides what is needed to keep finance and accounting people involved in precisely the right amount and place.

Communication is vital. The more marketing and finance roles are connected, talking and sharing information; the more they come to understand each other. The more they understand each other, the less generalized interaction will be, leading to a more productive relationship.

Data is one of the ways that the gap between these roles can be bridged within the marketing supply chain. Remember the mention of finance execs looking at marketing efforts as the revenue drivers they are as opposed to the cost centers they have been? Data is the driving force behind it.

When the people involved in the marketing supply chain can see what is going on within it, the unfamiliar becomes less imposing and more understandable. Transparency leads to an understanding of all of the different processes, sharing of successes, shared accountability and increased efficiency in the future.

There is often no better way for any marketing operation to win hearts and minds within the organization than through efficiency and cost savings. If cuts need to be made and there is a choice of an operation that can demonstrate its level of voluntary efficiency and cost savings and one that can’t, which operation do you think will see the cuts?

The Marketing Supply Chain Field Guide continues in the next installment with a look at the sourcing roles found in many organizations’ marketing supply chains. Join us then and check back regularly for more.

The Marketing Supply Chain Field Guide: Part 6 – Finance Roles