By Melissa Donovan
Part 3 of 4
When a company is able to successfully manage data, variable printing becomes simplified. Sophisticated workflow software is designed to automate processes throughout a shop’s production floor and beyond to ensure everything matches to generate exactly what the customer requested.
This third part in our four-article series profiles another print provider who offers direct mail capabilities, in this case very much thanks to its automated workflow solution.
Lean Manufacturing
Drummond Press is a print powerhouse operating in the realm of education, retail, consumer packaged goods, utilities, insurance, healthcare, and government. Started in 1938, the company began by providing forms and labels. Today it offers personalized marketing, direct mail and fulfillment, point of sale products, signs and packaging, and mixed marketing campaigns.
Based in Jacksonville, FL, it processes around 90 million pieces of mail annually. To manage all of those pieces and the data that corresponds with them, the shop utilizes a variety of printing equipment including a Xerox iGen 4, Xerox 800, Konica Minolta 8000, Konica Minolta 6050, Ricoh 901, and Konica Minolta 1050. “It was not our intention to have a platform, but due to our aggressive acquisition strategy, we have developed this current state,” says John Falconetti, chairman/CEO, Drummond Press. He says that by the end of 2016, it plans to consolidate with almost exclusively one provider. “Our needs are for production rated digital equipment that can produce data-driven programs, with high-quality imaging at a competitive cost of operation,” he adds.
Of course, hardware is only part of the equation. For workflow, it turned to EFI Pace and adapted the system in 2005. The solution met the Drummond Press philosophy.
“We use a four-step process to help us achieve lean manufacturing—analysis, strategy, implementation, and measurement,” shares Falconetti. EFI Pace factored into this, offering scalability well into the future.
Ten years later, the company continues to use the solution and has since added on several modules to enhance productivity, including EFI PrintFlow and EFI Auto-Count. In total it relies on the system for estimating, job planning, job order entry, scheduling, shop floor data collection, accounting, and invoicing.
One of the biggest benefits is how Drummond Press’ staff interfaces with its clients. “Our sales team can access EFI Pace from a client’s office and run through various pricing options, do various what-if scenarios, retrieve old data, and win the order. Sales team members can even help the customer submit the files right there on the spot,” explains Drummond.
He adds that the solution’s ability to streamline and estimate every aspect of the business is critical. “Our ability to capture all relevant costs is a sophisticated, but easy to manage estimating module, along with a job order entry process that allows us to document all custom aspects of a mailing is significant. The data collection features, along with integrated shipping, allows us to more easily track internal costs and the progress of mail that is being shipped to its point of entry.
Multi-Media Campaign
A recent achievement in the direct mail space as highlighted on its website is when Drummond Press was tasked with creating a multi-media campaign to increase emergency room visits at a major regional hospital. The campaign included direct mail, outdoor advertising, and radio spots.
For the direct mail portion, Drummond Press selected data and provided fulfillment services to distribute a free First Aid kit to respondents. 40,000 self-mailers that included a personalized URL were shipped through the United States Postal Service in three waves. The first mailing was to addresses within a ten mile radius of the hospital, and then the rest were sent to residential areas to the East and West. Drummond Press printed the mail in addition to creating the online landing page that would capture addressees’ information.
The first wave of mail was a success. Response was so high the inventory of First Aid kits was depleted. The hospital reported that it doubled their campaign goal and in addition, surveys showed that over 95 percent of those asked reported hearing about the program through the direct mail campaign.
Falconetti says about 15 percent of its business is currently considered direct mail.
Correct Data
Data management is an important aspect to consider when gaining traction in direct mail. Many customers look for a personalized aspect to include in a campaign and that means data. Drummond Press relies on its system from EFI to ensure everything correctly matches up the first time.
The last article in our four-part series profiles BFC of Batavia, IL, offering mailing services since 1998. dps
Feb2016, DPS Magazine
