0/0 Fulfillment: Why Insight Matters by Jeremy Suratt

Have you ever lost your glasses amid the piles of paper on a messy desktop? The irony is rich: If you could see through all of this material, you could find what you need to see more clearly. Such is also the case with obsolescence and waste in fulfillment programs-the topic of a recent blog post by my colleague Scott Perry.

Consider the crux of the problem: inaccurate or missing information. When you don't have access to insight on your marketing collateral program (inventory turns, activity reports, expiration and compliance status), it can be like trying to find those glasses-you need to see clearly in order to generate prompt and accurate fulfillment.

What Does Insight Buy?

The best way to illustrate the value of insight is to look at an example. Imagine you're refreshing a campaign or relaunching collateral for one of your key products. How do you decide how much collateral to order? Given the choice, you might be drawn to the low price point for the largest quantity. After all, it's a key product.

Now imagine knowing these details before making a printing decision:

How much of this collateral you've used before

How often you've been using it

How much previous collateral you're about to destroy-and how much it cost to print and store

Armed with the right information, you'd have a clear picture of the inefficiencies in your programs and be able to make more precise decisions about low-volume pieces. For example, you might opt to convert them to a print-on-demand program.

It's All in the Data Details

Unfortunately, most organizations don't have access to the right information in real time. Why? Well, most print and fulfillment vendors piece together their IT systems using standard warehouse management programs and storefront programs. And because these applications are wholly separate from each other, you never really have an accurate view of inventory in either system.

However, if your fulfillment partner had a built-for-purpose fulfillment system-one that let you access data on collateral content, ordering, usage, shipping and inventory, and gave you the control you need to measure, analyze and apply improvements-you'd have the tools to make a smarter purchasing decision.

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So What does Insight Buy?

Access to the right information allows you to systematically audit your program and continuously improve it by reducing waste and boosting efficiency. It also helps you make better decisions about your print programs, the technologies you use and how much you print. Insight also reduces storage costs, putting more money back in your budget so you can invest in that next campaign.

When you actually do find those glasses on the desk and take control of your fulfillment tools, you'll wonder how you ever tolerated fuzzy vision in the first place.

To learn more about Iron Mountain's Communication Optimization solution and the ways you can increase efficiency and cut your costs, contact us at 866-563-4637, or visit our website at www.ironmountain.com/fulfillment.

LINK:	http://blogs.ironmountain.com/2014/service-lines/marketing-production-...
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