Promo - January 2008 - (Page 46)

THE RESOURCE CENTER fulfillment FULFILLMENT Fulfillment Susan Morgan BACK-END FOUNDATION • Fulfillment houses placing more emphasis on technology Simply Put, the fulfillment industry is comprised of companies that provide services such as receiving, warehousing, repackaging and sending requested product, premium or literature to a client’s consumers or sales force. Most companies also offer other services like database management, mail processing or telemarketing. How many companies are in the industry? No one knows for sure. In fact, Tom Quinn, director of fulfillment services for Mailing & Fulfillment Services Association (MFSA), says it’s getting muddier by the day. “In addition to the unknown number of strictly fulfillment companies, we can now add a high percentage of the 33,000 printers in the country who have at least one fulfillment-type service,” he says. “Add about 7,000 mailers who dabble in fulfillment, as well as some of the 3PLs (thirdparty logistics providers), and you’re almost there. Even the catalog fulfillment providers are branching out.” While it may be an industry that’s difficult to define, identifying the challenges faced by its increasing membership isn’t. Today’s biggest concern is very likely the same as it was years ago: maintaining profit margins while meeting and exceeding client expectations. “We have many challenges, but most are minor compared to the three we’ve always had from our clients: adhere to their budgets, deliver the level of service they expect and meet their deadlines,” says Chris Probst, vice president of sales for Aero Fulfillment Services. What’s new is how we’re meeting client demands while seeking efficient ways to ‘do more with less.’ Like others in our industry, we’ve invested millions in technology in the last five years. It hasn’t been an easy transition—for us or our clients—but it has proven to be the right thing to do.” Technology has changed the fulfillment industry in two ways. First, for organizations able to afford the investment (millions of dollars for a medium to large company is not unusual), technology has allowed them to deliver previously unheard of levels of service and accuracy to clients along with valuable data. However, fulfillment companies have quickly discovered Cincinnati, Ohio • Product, Premium & Collateral Distribution • E-Commerce/Integrated Web-Enabled Business Solutions • Assembly/Packaging/Kitting • • • • • Database Management Mail Processing Call Center Services Variable Digital Printing Freight Management Call Aero today 800/225 7145 www.aerofulfillment.com Maximizing the Marketing Supply Chain™ • • See PROMO: Sourcebook for detailed information about this company. 46 Contact Alan Steen • (203) 358-4191 Advertise in the Resource Center. PROMOTE YOUR BRAND! January 2008 / WWW.PROMOMAGAZINE.COM / Promo http://www.pss-inc.net http://www.pss-inc.net http://www.aerofulfillment.com http://www.aerofulfillment.com http://www.a-three.com http://www.a-three.com http://www.promomagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Promo - January 2008

Promo - January 2008 Contents Editor's Note Viral But Virtuous Slap Shot Power Chords Tuning In Auto Play Trekkies Unite Commentary Retail Report: Get In Here! Generating Store Traffic Yankee Candle Shopper Marketing What Seniors Want Cyber Stumping Party Hearty Q & A: Paper Trail Ambush Marketing The Agency Center Resource Center Back-End Foundation Index of Advertisers

Promo - January 2008

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