Promo - January 2008 - (Page 47)

TacticS FULFILLMENT THE RESOURCE CENTER fulfillment the systems require more than money. In the case of Aero, it was a difficult adjustment. “We needed to transition from a culture of providing high-cost, customized solutions to one of delivering solutions dictated by the system,” says John Gimpel, president of Aero. “Some of our employees couldn’t make the transition—they kept trying to circumvent the system. Some of our clients had difficulty adjusting as well,” he says. “They loved the system’s benefits—online, real-time access to their program’s inventory and shipments, for example—but they still wanted the flexibility to go around the system. We’ve learned it was unrealistic to adhere 100% to the system and still meet our clients’ needs. We know now how to leverage the technology to get the efficiencies, information and accuracy and still provide flexibility to the clients.” Make Budco Your Complete Marketing Fulﬁllment Solution www.budco.com • 888-283-2640 • Payment processing Web-based program tracking Product, premium and literature fulﬁllment Promotions distribution and bounceback communication 336.631.2616 www.PromotionsLogistics.com Today’s biggest concern is very likely the same as it was years ago: maintaining profit margins while meeting and exceeding client expectations. Secondly, technology has divided the fulfillment industry into two groups—the “haves” and the “have-nots.” Certainly there is no guarantee the “haves” will prosper just because they have technology, but there is no doubt the “have-nots” face limited growth. Fortune 500 companies won’t consider a fulfillment provider without the technology to back up their accuracy, service and quality claims. It’s a minimum RFP requirement, like having sufficient warehouse capacity, as the fulfillment P industry’s challenge of doing more with less intensifies. l Susan Morgan is president and founder of Solutions Unlimited, a virtual marketing and sales promotion agency providing services to a variety of B-to-B and B-to-C clients such as Cincinnati Bell, Fujitec America and Drees Homes. She can be reached at smorgan@solutionsunl.com. What We’ve All Been Looking For “Where Marketing Support Meets Technological Innovation” Literature Fulﬁllment Product Sampling Kit Assembly Internet Services Database Management Custom Packaging Consumer Promotion Refund / Rebate Tele-Services Data Entry Digital Printing Print On Demand DEA & FDA Approved Environmentally Controlled Warehouses W For more articles on fulfillment, go to http://promomagazine.com Newsletter Web RSS Webinar Conference Podcast 5681 West Cleveland Road South Bend, IN 46628 574-271-2055 574-271-2045(fax) E-Mail: Sales@corporatesvcs.net • See PROMO: Sourcebook for detailed information about this company. Promo / WWW.PROMOMAGAZINE.COM / January 2008 47 http://www.budco.com http://www.budco.com http://www.PromotionsLogistics.com http://www.PromotionsLogistics.com http://promomagazine.com http://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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