Over the past decade or two, it has become increasingly common for marketing organizations to outsource the bulk of their writing, design, and fulfillment services to outside vendors.
From a business perspective, it makes a lot of sense. It’s typically more cost-effective to bring in outside help only when needed rather than hire—and pay for—full-time staff. It’s largely a transactional relationship that lasts only as long as the project in question, and it works well for both sides.
Managing those relationships so that they continue to benefit both sides, however, requires some work. It’s natural to grow comfortable with the vendors you’ve carefully groomed over the years, steeping them in your corporate culture. They know you; you trust them. It’s comfortable. It’s…easy.
That’s when it’s time to take a close and critical look at the relationship.
Time for an Audit
When a vendor relationship gets too comfortable, it’s easy to overlook any deficiencies in their service. Maybe they’re not up on the latest technology or tools. Perhaps their level of service hasn’t evolved much since your initial project. They haven’t kept pace with the competition or invested in improving their offerings. Instead, prices have crept up while the quality of their work and the amount of time they devote to you have peaked.
It’s an uncomfortable reality, but that’s when it’s time for an audit. Any experienced businessperson knows that, after a few years, it’s best practice to revisit vendor relationships to make sure you’re getting what you pay for, or at least receiving the best services available to keep pace with the competition.
If nothing else, regular audits keep vendors honest and put them on notice that they need to keep improving and evolving if they want to continue doing business with you. It’s a mutually beneficial exercise that ensures a healthy and productive relationship moving forward.
11 Questions to Ask Your Fulfillment Partner
As a marketing and event fulfillment provider, OnFulfillment can’t really speak to what an audit for, say, a design agency might look like. But we can offer advice on how to ensure you are getting the most from your own fulfillment partner.
Below are 11 questions you should ask your marketing fulfillment vendor the next time you meet to make sure they are delivering the latest and greatest services available. In our opinion, these services are table stakes; if your vendor is not offering these capabilities—but still charging you the same or more—it might be time to consider cutting ties and explore other options. Remember, it’s a business decision, and you need to do what’s best for your company.
1. Do they offer a real-time software portal that allows you to see, manage, and order materials online?
Very little fulfillment work is conducted by phone or e-mail. Everything is online now. Does your partner offer a portal that integrates with your internal warehouse management system (WMS) to provide real-time visibility into your existing inventory, including collateral, branded merchandise, and event materials? Does the system also allow you to order, reserve, track, and manage these materials with 100% accuracy? If not, they are lacking a critical piece of a comprehensive marketing fulfillment solution.
2. Do they offer you the ability to add users and products in real time?
When you need to do something, you need to do it now. Waiting for the vendor to manually make changes and updates is not acceptable. Real-time access empowers individuals and businesses to respond swiftly to changing market dynamics, resulting in better decision making, greater operational efficiency, and improved performance across various sectors. If your vendor doesn’t offer this, it might be time to look for another partner.
3. Can your fulfillment vendor integrate with your CRM system?
CRM (customer relationship management) is a technology that businesses use to manage and analyze interactions with customers and prospects. This technology is integral to improving customer relationships and driving business growth, so the ability to integrate your marketing and event fulfillment content with the CRM system is critical. Can your vendor do that?
4. Can your fulfillment vendor handle print, branded merchandise, kit assembly, software portal changes, pick-and-pack projects, and storage?
“Marketing fulfillment” encompasses a number of services: on-demand printing, shipping, storage, corporate-branded swag, pick-and-pack and assembly projects, customer and employee recognition programs, event support, and more. Using a single supplier to deliver all of these services helps reduce your workload and ensure a consistent and high-quality experience for your users. Are these all services your current fulfillment partner can deliver?
5. Does your fulfillment vendor allow you to generate real-time freight quotes or estimates from established shipping companies?
You don’t have time to wait for your fulfillment partner to provide a shipping quote. In fact, the whole process would be a lot more efficient if you could get those quotes yourself and make a quick decision. Does your fulfillment vendor connect your WMS to freight vendors so you can calculate and solicit real-time freight quotes without their help or interference? If not, you’re missing out on an extremely valuable service.
6. Does your fulfillment vendor provide you with order, shipping, and delivery notifications?
When you have a lot going on, it’s hard to keep track of it all. E-mail notifications for orders, shipping, and deliveries keep you informed, helping you maintain your sanity and get a good night’s sleep. Do you currently get this level of service?
7. Can you see where all your event materials are located and who is using them?
Event support is a key aspect of marketing fulfillment, allowing you to reserve materials, schedule deliveries and returns, order collateral and branded merchandise, and more. A key aspect of this feature is the ability to see exactly where event materials are at any given time, whether in inventory or currently in use, and when they are available. Does your current vendor allow you to review orders, track items in transit to and from events, see what is in use at events and when it is due back, and—most importantly—who has not returned items?
8. Does your current fulfillment vendor manage the quality of your event materials, including proactively repairing damaged items or sending table drapes to cleaners?
Reusable event materials such as pop-up signage, banners, and table drapes are put through the wringer. Does your vendor inspect all materials returning from a show for quality, making necessary repairs and sending dirty for dry cleaning to ensure they are ready for the next event?
9. Can they handle global requirements?
Events aren’t confined to a single country; they’re happening all around the world. Supporting these global events can be incredibly expensive and time consuming. Does your vendor have any experience managing global events?
10. Do you have a dedicated customer service rep?
When you need help from your fulfillment vendor, do you have the name and personal number of an individual who is dedicated to helping you solve your problems? Or do send an e-mail to a community inbox, or call a toll-free number and wait for a return call? If you don’t have a dedicated customer service representative, you might consider changing partners.
11. Do you feel like they are pushing their capabilities?
You want a partner who is a leader, always looking for new and better ways to support you. Does that describe your current fulfillment vendor? Or is “We don’t do that” a common response to your requests? If so, that’s not good.
Consider a Change
OnFulfillment has spent the last 20 years growing, evolving, and constantly improving to deliver the industry’s leading marketing and event fulfillment services. If your current vendor doesn’t measure up, we’d be happy to show what we can do for you.
