Users also can search for vendors by printing method
and specific product and equipment categories to view an extensive listing of manufacturers. Listings include contact names and capabilities. Users can communicate with potential vendors immediately by sending email, including ones with RFQs.
It's beneficial for manufacturers to be listed in the Source Hotline Online database, says Roger D. Buck, CDC, national sales manager of Forms Division at manufacturer Ward/Kraft, Fort Scott, Kan. "Our diverse product line allows us to be listed in many categories, and our new-product development program ensures that those listings will grow in time," he says.
Some Vendors Miss Orders for the Taking
The typical Source Hotline Online user has a customer order in hand and simply needs to find a source, Rush says. Manufacturers' ability to respond quickly often dictates who gets the order--firms that wait (or never respond) are missing out on potential business.
The RFQ function of the Source Hotline Online is easy to use, allowing up to five manufacturers to bid on job specifications based on users' online requests. Users can track live print orders from beginning to end, as well as archive their searches for future reference or to follow up.
Problem is, manufacturers aren't checking email frequently enough, Rush says. Source Hotline staff members who field toll-free calls are receiving feedback from distributors who have tried using the online version. Those callers have been concerned that their online RFQs weren't transmitted properly because they never received responses from manufacturers.
Recently, the Source Hotline staff tested manufacturer response times to both email and faxed RFQs. Companies tested included providers of promotional products, forms, labels and envelopes. "The response rate for the emailed RFQ was terrible--about 30 percent," Rush says. Faxed RFQs rendered a 90-percent response rate. It appears that manufacturers still prefer receiving orders via fax and phone, but distributors increasingly are using email. The disconnect has a negative effect on business and communication between distributors and vendors.
"Response time will always be quicker with a phone call," says Jessica Fairchild of Trade Envelopes Inc., a manufacturer based in Carol Stream, Ill. "A customer who needs an immediate response [to an RFQ] should not use email." She says email is best for purchase orders, artwork, and requests for general information such as a capabilities list and product samples.
Improving Response Times
Trade Envelopes averages 40-60 total RFQs weekly, Fairchild says. The company's customer service reps generally respond in less than two hours to those requests. Buck at Ward/Kraft adds that it's sometimes difficult to track where RFQs originate. "Many times, a search results in a phone call, and we don't know the referral was from the Source Hotline Online," he says.
Buck says Ward/Kraft's target response time is the same for email and faxed RFQs: four hours. Email RFQs go to a central mailbox at the company and are forwarded to the appropriate division or plant. Once a job is quoted and agreed to by the company, the best way for distributors to send specifications is via email or the company's FTP site, he says. The choice depends mostly on product complexity, though. Many of Ward/Kraft's products, including pressure seal items, integrated labels and cards, plastic cards, promotional printing, short run forms and short run digital printing, are conducive to email orders, Buck says. But for highly complex jobs such as pocket forms with multiple sealing mechanisms or form/label combinations with bar code requirements for camera verification, the firm prefers hard copies with precise instructions.
Manufacturers can take steps to avoid the problem of distributors receiving slow (or no) responses to their Source Hotline Online RFQs. Here are questions manufacturers could consider when trying to improve their response times:
* How are incoming quote requests gathered?
* Is there a single point of contact? Who's responsible, and does the responsibility change based on the type of RFQ?
* Are RFQs a priority of that employee, or does he or she have other duties?
* How often do you check email daily? Is once or twice often enough?
* Do time zones play a role in delays?
Fairchild says it's important for distributors to use multiple forms of communication when their customers need products "yesterday." She says email alone, although usually faster and more accurate, isn't always the best route. "Email is a wonderful tool, but it cannot completely replace the person-to-person contact that can be a key factor in maintaining a successful partnership with our customers," she says.
Both Sides Can Benefit
The main motivation for manufacturers to respond faster to RFQs from the Source Hotline Online is simple: to get the order.
Buck says distributors, too, can benefit further from the Source Hotline Online if they spend an hour each week surfing the product database. "Distributors can regularly see several new ideas to increase sales," he says, adding that manufacturers have a responsibility to update their information and ensure that their products are listed in all proper categories.
Rush says the Source Hotline Online soon will include more search categories, increasing business opportunities for users and potential vendors. Upcoming categories include envelopes, cards, binders, multimedia packaging, folders and filing supplies, and presentation materials, she says.
Dennis McGarry, CDC, is vice president of manufacturer and technical programs at DMIA. Email him your comments at dmcgarry@PSDA.org.
