Posted by Gary Reston on November 5th 2010 | 0 comments
One of the challenges of managing business growth is maintaining and achieving operational efficiencies. As a business grows and expands, particularly those with locations in disparate locations that can be a difficult and frustrating aspect of effective operational control. It is not uncommon for an expanding business to spend precious financial resources on redundant printing services, processes and production. The result is lost profitability, compromised quality and diminished brand management.
This was much the case with a DataSource client in the automotive dealership business. Effective management of costs and maximizing efficiencies can mean the difference between profit and loss in many situations.
DataSource was challenged to develop a strategy for streamlining the print supply chain management system of one of the nation’s largest and leading auto dealership networks. The goal was to streamline the print supply chain, maintain production quality and achieve significant cost savings for the client.
The DataSource solution approached the challenge with a two-pronged effort.
The first step was an assessment of our client’s print supply chain and printing needs. Applying DataSource’s extensive experience in the automotive business, we were able to dramatically improve the print supply chain through print management planning, purchasing management, and procurement management.
Next, DataSource applied standardization of forms used across the dealership network. This resulted in dealers being able to access from a single supplier forms on an as-needed basis, and on a pay-upon-use basis. Dealers profited from the efficiency of dealing with a central point of contact that ensured design consistency and production quality. Just as importantly for the dealers, they no longer were faced with purchasing and maintaining large inventories of materials in order to avoid a high cost per piece. In short, they purchased what they needed, when they needed it and paid less for it.
An added benefit of DataSource’s integrated approach to business process improvement is our monitoring of state and federal regulations. Thus, forms comply on a real-time basis with new and changing regulations. This not only ensures product quality and integrity, but is environmentally responsible, too.
In addition to streamlining the production of forms, expensive multi-colored brochures and other marketing materials, having DataSource develop, design and deliver printed materials also ensures brand consistency and brand management.
As a result of DataSource’s successful management of the client’s print supply chain, actual savings in direct print spend were more than four times – 42% — than the original goal – 10%. We have since applied this same approach on behalf of this client to improve operational efficiencies in showrooms, parts and services, finance & insurance and business operations.
This approach has created success for DataSource’s client by helping create a culture focused on centralizing controls to create efficiency of operations resulting in optimal profitability. The key is partnering with a resource that understands your business, comes to the table with proven strategies and is able to manage the process effectively.
How could these integrated solutions help you achieve the same kind of success?
Posted by Becky Bornstein on November 2nd 2010 | 0 comments
DATASOURCE ANNOUNCES NEW ACQUISITON
Leading Print Supply Chain Management Company Acquires RW & Associates CRM
(KANSAS CITY, Mo) November 2, 2010 DataSource, Inc., one of America’s leading print supply chain management companies announced today they have signed an agreement to purchase RW & Associates LLC, an Oregon-based print management firm that provides cost-effective print management and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions, primarily to the automotive market.
DataSource’s latest acquisition will enhance its broad spectrum of offerings including marketing products and CRM services. In addition, the new deal will significantly expand its rapidly growing automotive client base.
“We are so pleased with this new acquisition,” said David Holland, president of DataSource. It aligns with our strategic expansion goals within the automotive market and will enrich the cost-reduction solutions we provide our customers.”
About DataSource
DataSource, based in Kansas City, MO, provides a total solution to document design and distribution services essential to the successful operation of multi-location businesses such as commercial franchises, auto dealerships, retail insurance, branded products, industrial products and restaurant concepts. Services include design, sourcing, warehousing, fulfillment, distribution, print-on-demand and print management of marketing materials business forms and supplies. Products include business forms, marketing supplies, personnel management packets, training materials, menus, point-of-purchase displays and ad specialty items. DataSource manages over 18,000 SKUs for customers in 85,000 locations worldwide. Visit DataSource at www.data-source.com.
Posted by David Holland on October 15th 2010 | 0 comments
Today’s business environment presents more than a few challenges, doesn’t it? And it’s full of seeming contradictions.
We’re told to think globally but act locally. Opportunities are expanding but resources are shrinking. Technology that was cutting edge yesterday may well be obsolete today.
Figuring out how to successfully manage a business enterprise in today’s fluid environment is more challenging than ever. We’re all taking a close look at each decision and in some cases rethinking and retooling business processes altogether. At the same time, those charged with leading and protecting their respective businesses, should maintain a firm grasp on fundamentals that form a solid foundation for any successful business. I would like to share a few that DataSource keeps clearly in view no matter what sort of environment we are in.
What Does Success Look Like?
Our focus at DataSource is to first design integrated solutions that fulfill our client’s strategic business objectives. Unless and until we know what the solution is, we are not in a position to know what strategies and resources will best meet the challenge. Our approach is to understand what the current situation is and measure it against the client’s view of what ”success” would look like.
Solve, Don’t Sell
The lifeblood of any successful business is its sales organization, right? Indeed, sales are important, but the heart of any successful business is helping make clients successful. And you don’t do that by merely throwing down a menu of services and saying “Here’s what we have. Hope you need it.” There are any number of people out there trying to sell this product or that. Our objective is to solve client problems and challenges first, not sell our products. If we solve first, sales will take care of themselves.
Ask “Why Not Do This?”
With our focus on innovation and integrated solutions, we have to be prepared to advocate for and even justify business process improvement recommendations, a marketing campaign, brand management strategies, or document design. Frankly, we enjoy that because it means that our recommendations may not be what clients expected to hear, or are different than what our competitors may offer.
Yet, we also must be prepared to think through our recommendations from the perspective of “Why not do this?” Why would a client reject a recommendation? Is it too innovative from their viewpoint? Is the cost (not to be confused with the “value”) higher than what they are used to seeing (or maybe even lower to the point where it appears too low)? Has the approach succeeded for anyone else?
Addressing these sorts of questions helps us identify and articulate the benefits to the client so that we can assure them they are making sound business decisions rather than taking leaps of faith.
These are three concepts DataSource puts into practice day-in and day-out on behalf of our clients and our business. Perhaps they can contribute to your business success as well.
What about you? Do you have any rock solid principles that have proven themselves in good times and challenging times? I’d love to hear them.
Posted by Becky Bornstein on October 12th 2010 | 0 comments
Leading Print Supply Chain Management Company Signs Agreement With National Retail Real Estate Company
(KANSAS CITY, Mo) October 12, 2010 DataSource, Inc., one of America’s leading print supply chain management companies announced today they have signed an agreement with Phillips Edison & Company, a fully-integrated retail real estate company with a portfolio of more than 25 million square feet of neighborhood shopping centers across the country.
The terms of the new agreement includes a complete supply chain management of printed goods; design and creative services as well as integrating web-based fulfillment and distribution. Phillips Edison owns and manages 240 shopping centers with national retailers in 35 states and said they selected DataSource for their efficient, systemized capabilities.
“We look forward to providing Phillips Edison a high quality product and an effective, overall cost-reduction solution,” said David Holland, president of DataSource. “It‟s part of our signature, client-first‟ approach toward meeting or exceeding every client’s goals and objectives.”
About DataSource
DataSource, based in Kansas City, MO, provides a total solution to document design and distribution services essential to the successful operation of multi-location businesses such as commercial franchises, auto dealerships, retail insurance, branded products, industrial products and restaurant concepts. Services include design, sourcing, warehousing, fulfillment, distribution, print-on-demand and print management of marketing materials business forms and supplies. Products include business forms, marketing supplies, personnel management packets, training materials, menus, point-of-purchase displays and ad specialty items. DataSource manages over 18,000 SKUs for customers in 85,000 locations worldwide. Visit DataSource at www.datasource.com.
About Phillips Edison
Phillips Edison & Company is a fully integrated retail real estate company which owns and manages more than 240 neighborhood and community shopping centers totaling over 26 million square feet in 35 states. The company has headquarters in Cincinnati and Salt Lake City, as well as regional offices across the country. For more information, visit www.phillipsedison.com.
Posted by Becky Bornstein on October 4th 2010 | 0 comments
Are your company’s print supply chain management efforts producing “so-so” results when you expected spectacular? Don’t give up; don’t reduce your expectations. Look at these five areas:
EXPERTISE
It takes true and wide-ranging expertise to manage a print supply chain management program. While you might-might- be able to assemble a team with adequate knowledge and perhaps even a good resource network, it is often far too expensive for most companies. Print supply chain management service companies use experts more efficiently and therefore more economically. Outside experts, in constant touch with a wide range of manufacturers, have their fingers on the pulse of a constantly changing market and know how to leverage underused manufacturing capacity.
HIDDEN AGENDAS
If your print supply chain management partner is also a manufacturer, there’s a strong likelihood that their agenda is different from yours. They need to keep their machines running. It’s only natural. That works against your objective which is cost savings. Make sure your partner shares your objectives-fully.
FULL ATTENTION
Make sure you have top-level management attention. Without it, your program could languish, achieving just enough to stay alive, but never delivering quite the results it could, with management’s full attention and backing.
TECHNOLOGY
How good is your technology? Is it sophisticated enough to automate creation, ordering, fulfillment, as well as administrative functions like real-time reporting and billing? A good print supply chain management system will do all of this and more. And every step is automated reduces costs and improves accountability.
PRIORITIZING
Pay attention to prioritizing. Move projects that can show quick and significant results to the front burner. Early wins accomplish several big things:
▪ They draw positive attention to the program.
▪ They encourage further prioritization-let’s get the low-hanging fruit early on.
▪ The savings can be reinvested in additional projects or enabling technology.
If you want to know more about print supply chain management success, download our white paper, Best Practices for Achieving Savings Targets with Print Supply Chain Management, by David Holland, DataSource, Inc. President and industry leader.
Posted by Becky Bornstein on October 3rd 2010 | 0 comments
Commercial Services / Finance Services
“DataSource brought the entire solution. We needed an experienced group that could meet our small — but quickly growing — needs, with a reasonable budget. DataSource delivered, and helped us manage our growth as we opened new branches.”
- Financial Services Client
Posted by Becky Bornstein on October 1st 2010 | 0 comments
Industry experts estimate that for every dollar in direct print spend, there are $6 spent on support.
How is this possible? There are dozens of sneaky little ways print support costs build up- wages, benefits and overhead costs for the people who buy printing. Add on shipping (in and out) storage; inventory; accounting and end-user billing; taxes, obsolescence and just plain waste. The list could go on and on.
All in all, these costs consume two to three percent of a company’s annual budget, enough to get-and deserve-senior management attention.
Are there ways to reduce these costs? Of course! Some are obvious; some are not.
A first step is to take a look at current direct costs. Review contracts-especially those that have been in place for years. Nothing is sacred here. Consider replacing traditional print with digital print on demand for items that have short lives or are produced in small quantities. Also think about consolidating purchasing activities.
Too much to get your arms around? Then consider an outside vendor who specializes in print supply chain management. Improving print costs and print efficiency is what they’re all about.
If you want a recommendation, here it is: Us. DataSource, Inc. We’ve been cutting the costs of print management for print-intensive clients like restaurant chains, financial institutions and automotive retailers for years. Click here to ask us to take a look at your situation.
What other areas are impacted by print supply chain costs? How will you keep your costs in line this year?
Posted by Becky Bornstein on September 15th 2010 | 0 comments
Automotive Retailing Services
“For us, it’s all about service. We find DataSource to be a great combination of reasonable pricing and in-depth knowledge of dealerships, so they deliver what we need, when we need it. They know our market, and why document management is such an important part of our processes.”
- National Automotive Dealership
Posted by Becky Bornstein on August 19th 2010 | 0 comments
Leading Print Supply Chain Management Company Named America’s Third Fastest Growing Supplier and Ranks Seventh Among The Top 100 in US
(KANSAS CITY, Mo) August 18, 2010 – DataSource, Inc., one of America‟s leading print supply chain management companies has been named by Print Solutions magazine as the third fastest growing supplier with more than 10 million in sales and has also earned national honors for ranking seventh among the Top 100 suppliers. Print Solutions magazine is an award-winning industry publication that has been in circulation for nearly 50 years and is read by more than thirty thousand printing industry professionals.
“We are pleased to be recognized for the total commitment we make to our diverse list of clients. It‟s the additional steps in the long-term process that we apply to each account in order to meet and often times exceed our client‟s business objectives,” said David Holland, president of DataSource.
The Kansas City-based company attributes the national honors to their customized network that drives an overall cost reduction for its clients by outsourcing 100% of its traditional printing. Holland adds that their solid working relationships with suppliers allows them to competitively bid each project, match the right vendor based on client needs and provide a high quality, cost-effective product. The international print management supplier is also committed to assisting clients meet their “green‟ program standards and corporate initiatives.
About DataSource
DataSource, based in Kansas City, MO, provides a total solution to document design and distribution services essential to the successful operation of multi-location businesses such as commercial franchises, auto dealerships, retail insurance, branded products, industrial products and restaurant concepts. Services include design, sourcing, warehousing, fulfillment, distribution, print-on-demand and print management of marketing materials business forms and supplies. Products include business forms, marketing supplies, personnel management packets, training materials, menus, point-of-purchase displays and ad specialty items. DataSource manages over 18,000 SKUs for customers in 85,000 locations worldwide. Visit DataSource at www.data-source.com.
Posted by Becky Bornstein on August 15th 2010 | 0 comments
Enterprise Services Testimonial
“DataSource brings a fresh, unbiased perspective to our challenges and opportunities. We trust them to help us think through solutions, and put our objectives first. It’s a nice change from older-style document management contracts, where we always felt maneuvered to a particular outcome. We’re saving money, both internally and on our product costs.”
-Enterprise Program Client
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This was much the case with a DataSource client in the automotive dealership business. Effective management of costs and maximizing efficiencies can mean the difference between profit and loss in many situations.