Cerqa

From the Blog

Feb

Thinking About Outsourcing Your Order Fulfillment?

Posted by Cerqa Blogger at 1:10 pm

Outsourcing order fulfillment is a major operational decision that affects your business drastically. Having a clear understanding of the pros and cons and how it can affect your business is a must when making the decision of whether or not to outsource. Clients come to us for various reasons whether they are trying to save money, grow their business, or are unsatisfied with the current fulfillment services they are receiving. We have found that the problem that most clients have is that they don’t have the proper systems in place that creates the visibility necessary for effective order fulfillment analysis. This post takes a look at that tools needed in order for companies to fully understand and analyze the costs associated with this part of their business and to help determine whether outsourcing is the right decision for your business.

When making operational decisions with regards to order fulfillment and debating whether or not to outsource there are many things to take into consideration but the bottom line is whether or not outsourcing is going to help your business grow. If right now your order fulfillment is taking up so much time where you cannot focus on sales and your core competencies then it is very likely that your fulfillment is holding your business back significantly.

Why Outsource?

Visibility
It is important that a company has systems in place that create visibility where they have the ability to analyze their cost of fulfillment, cost of inventory, freight costs, kitting and assembly costs, among other things. Systems that can keep track of order trends and inventory levels are important when being able to forecast demand and making informed businesses decisions based on that. If the visibility is not there, then your business is most likely making decisions based on blind assumptions.

Cost savings
When looking for an order fulfillment center it is important to pay close attention to their cost structure. Many clients have come to us expressing frustrations with their current order fulfillment centers. Confusion about what they are actually being charged for and hidden fees are not uncommon. When looking at outsourcing your order fulfillment it is important to know what to expect. Some common costs that you may see include: storage fees, order charges, line item charges, receiving charges, kitting and assembly charges, and monthly minimums. It is extremely important to have a clear understanding of what you are being charged for before entering an agreement.

Pricing can look overwhelming when looking at quote sheets, but there are in fact several advantages to outsourcing your order fulfillment. In most cases, companies can save a significant amount of money even for small companies. The cost of the systems necessary to handle inventory and order fulfillment effectively can be extremely expensive. For that reason alone, many companies come to us looking for a solution. Other cost savings can be seen with freight and personnel. Since order fulfillment centers are constantly shipping, they often have negotiated rates with freight companies that give them large discounts that they can pass on to their clients. When it comes to personnel, paying a salary for one person to handle your order fulfillment is probably costing you over $30,000 conservatively. That $30,000 can go a long way when using outsourced fulfillment services. Order fulfillment centers normally have the ability to scale up and down with temporary employees which gives your company more flexibility to focus on growing business without the worry of hiring and firing personnel.

Value added services
Using an order fulfillment center that can provide more services than just fulfillment can be a big plus when it comes to convenience and quicker turn times that can be passed to your customers. Look to see if the fulfillment center you are using or looking at using can offer you services such as kitting and assemble, custom packaging, and any other services that could be valuable to your company.

Using order fulfillment centers that offer a complete solution meaning they have a solid warehouse management and inventory management systems in place, kitting and assembly capabilities, freight discounts, and good customer service is extremely important. Order fulfillment centers should want a good partnership with your company because when done right, the more successful the company is and the more orders coming in, the more money the order fulfillment center will be making. Have a clear understanding of not only the fulfillment center’s cost structure, but also their additional services that can bring value to your business.

Feb

Large Format Printing Gets You Noticed

Posted by Cerqa Blogger at 9:17 am

Large format printing is an effective way to create visibility for your company. Most consumers are visually driven and whether a company is trying to increase brand recognition or increase sales, large format printing may be the answer. Using a commercial printing company allows organizations to take advantage of their expertise that gives them the opportunity to have unique cost effective advertising opportunities. Highlighted below are some of things that can be accomplished with large-format printing, the benefits of doing so, and what should be considered when planning your large format printing projects.

Large format printing capabilities:
Banners
Signage
Posters
Wall graphics
Building wraps
Window graphics
Vehicle wraps
Back lit signs
Point-of-Purchase displays
Tradeshow graphics
Flags

Benefits of large format printing:
Makes a statement- One of the great things about large format is its size and flexibility that has the ability to make a statement. Whether it’s a building wrap, window graphics, or point of purchase displays, large format print is hard to miss.

Cost effective- Companies are constantly trying to figure the best way to reach customers. Often times they take on various strategies that can be expensive. For example when taking on direct mail campaigns, companies have to include the cost of printing the marketing materials, buying a mailing a list, and paying for postage and other expenses. By using large format printing services, companies have the ability to reach a large audience by doing things, such as wrapping a vehicle, which can turn out to be just as effective as other methods and much less expensive.

Things to consider when planning your large format printing with a commercial printing company:
File resolution- It’s important to send your files in a high resolution in order to ensure that the image is a sharp image when blown up.

Indoor vs. Outdoor- A banner or poster that is going outdoors requires extra consideration. When going outside you have to take in several external factors including the sun, rain, and wind. UV inks, laminates as well as heavier hanging devices may be required.

Durability/lifespan of the material- How long are you expecting the print to last? This needs to be conveyed in the initial conversation. The material used and the way it is produced can vary greatly. Typically, the longer you need it to last, the more expensive it will be.

Cost- Make sure you ask exactly how your printing company will produce your project. Often times some sort of laminate or other finishing will need to be put on. When producing large format print such as banner printing, there are many finishing options including sewing the edges, taping the edges, and using Velcro. Be clear with what you are looking for.

Turnaround time- When doing last minute projects be sure to ask what the turnaround time is. When needing it the next day, some of your options may be limited.

Tips on what to look for when choosing a commercial printing company with large format printing services:
Quality- Does the printing company that you are using for your large format printing have a reputation for top quality? Consumers will look at your large format printing and associate your business with it. It’s important to have a professional high quality look.

Equipment- A commercial printing company needs to have printers that can meet customer’s diverse needs when it comes to size, quality, substrates, and flexibility. Ask the printing company what kind of equipment they have and how they would run your particular project.

Flexibility- Commercial printing companies should be able to offer flexibility by offering a variety of substrates including: gatorboard, vinyl, coroplast, styrene, fabric and much more. The more options available, the more ways a customer can play around with creativity and cost.

Experience- Choose a commercial printing company that has enough experience to be able to give you recommendations that can balance cost and quality as well as provide solutions or alternatives to some of your unique projects that go outside the standard realm of large format printing.

Value added services- Does the printing company that you use have other services that you can take advantage of such as print on demand? Value added services is sometimes overlooked but can be extremely beneficial and can provide convenience and faster turnaround times.

When considering how to develop the most effective large format printing for your company, consider the cost, the method of production, the flexibility that your printing company has to work with. Contact Cerqa today to learn more about our large format printing capabilities.

Jan

Print Management Helps Maintain Brand Identity

Posted by Cerqa Blogger at 9:10 am

Using print management services allows businesses to maintain consistency throughout all of their printed materials. Being able to establish and maintain a corporate identity is extremely important when it comes to brand recognition and brand loyalty. In an article recently published by allBusiness, the value of branding and what affects branding is thoroughly explained. The article touches on the importance of consistency, repetition, and focus. Using print management services is a simple way to monitor and maintain the exact points highlighted in the article.

So how does print management work?
Many commercial printing companies provide clients with an online print management tool that enables them to control what can be changed and not changed. As a result inconsistencies are eliminated. These tools generally have the ability personalize and change portions of the print while keeping the rest static. This can be especially useful for materials such as business cards where information including the name, telephone number, and email address can all be changed and the logo and font color remain unchangeable. Tools like this have proven to be extremely beneficial for companies that have multiple divisions and branches. Each division has the capability to change information on their marketing materials to fit their location, while at the same time maintaining corporate requirements.

The fact is that brands are everywhere whether they are on business cards, letterhead, or marketing materials. Using print management services eliminates the inconsistencies that make your brand vulnerable. Contact Cerqa today to learn more about how our print management services can make your brand more memorable.