Sometimes the more things change in business, the more they stay the same. Take DocuSource Print Management, for example. Although the Portland, Ore.-based distributorship has done a fair share of transitioning in its 34 years in business, one thing has remained constant: its dedication to customer service. To meet its clients' evolving needs, DocuSource has expanded its product and service offerings, most recently adding its E-Source Software online ordering system.
Led by president and partner Jeff Scott, who joined the distributorship in September 2002 after gaining industry know-how as the vice president of emerging markets at St. Paul Minn.-based FMC/Merrill Corp., DocuSource has been working diligently to add value-added solutions to its repertoire. The distributorship has spent the last two and a half years shifting its focus to improving its online ordering system. Specifically, the company's E-Source Software, introduced last year, now allows clients to manage a variety of print management functions, including procurement, variable document technology, online ordering and reporting, and warehousing and distribution, in real-time from their desktops.
Fostering Closer Bonds
The addition of E-Source Software reflects DocuSource's clear understanding of its clients' needs. Some customers have worked with the company for nearly four decades. But, like DocuSource (whose employee count has ballooned from just one in 1969 to its current 30), its clients--and their demands--have expanded.
When technology began careening to new levels at lightning-quick speed, Scott and partners Tim Curtin, who founded the company, John Curtin and Jim Devine, realized the company's previous ordering system was no match for modern, point-and-click models. Seeking a way to provide next-day desktop delivery, immediate order confirmation, and instant access to usage and inventory information, DocuSource enlisted a third party to develop such a portal--E-Source Software.
"Our job is to understand the technology, then offer it to our clients," Scott says. "We are so closely involved with our customers that we know exactly what they need. We just had to analyze the best e-tool for optimum results."
Scott likens E-Source Software to a restaurant menu. Once clients log on, they're offered a variety of clearly organized selections. When clients make a selection, E-Source Software walks them through a series of steps, then provides instantaneous order confirmations via email. The system eliminates the "old school," back-and-forth game of phone calls, faxes and snail mail. This yields freed-up storage space and personnel, as well as reduced overall transaction costs.
E-Source Software "closes the loop from beginning to end," Scott says. "All steps in between are covered," including integrating direct mail, uploading databases and various administrative ordering tasks.
Gaining Positive Feedback
While DocuSource steadily has increased its services, E-Source Software has been the most effective and well-received by its clients, a majority of whom serve the health care, retail and gaming industries.
For companies such as Southwest Washington Medical Center (SWMC), which has relied on DocuSource's services for 28 years, the inception of E-Source Software has translated into convenience, quicker turnaround and reduced costs. An acute-care medical center in Vancouver, Wash., SWMC has more than 144 departments that order from DocuSource regularly. Specifically, the distributorship provides solutions for all of SWMC's printing and forms development needs, maintains inventory control, and offers weekly reviews of utilization and cost histories.
"In this era of declining reimbursements for health services, it's imperative that health care facilities maintain proactive supply expense controls," says Robert Kunselman, SWMC's director of material management. DocuSource helps SWMC control such expenses by consistently reviewing form content, duplication, waste and efficiencies, he says. With instant access to a gamut of print management options, SWMC, like many of DocuSource's customers, appreciates the expeditious and efficient system.
"Daily desktop delivery of stock and non-stock forms has added to the overall menu of value-added services," Kunselman says. "The benefits are numerous."
Looking Ahead
Not a company that rests on its laurels, DocuSouce already is working to execute its next move. The incorporation of E-Source Software is the foundation of what Scott deems a "very aggressive" business plan. As the company concentrates on serving clients with efficient and value-added services, Scott is optimistic that DocuSource will continue to flourish. He believes the firm could double or triple in size.
"Our goal is to continue to expand our offerings while stepping up our sales effort," Scott says. "We will focus on several key vertical markets and create value-added products and solutions specifically for these types of businesses." Developing an effective strategic focus will allow DocuSource to establish a national presence, he says.
Amid this transition, Scott says the distributorship will hold true to one promise: DocuSource will remain locally owned and dedicated to its clients. "We have a very tight-knit relationship with our customers," he says. "Above all, we want to share our success with them."
DocuSource Print Management, a 34-year-old distributorship in Portland, Ore., recently launched E-Source Software, a portal that allows registered clients to access their accounts online. After logging on to the distributorship's web site (www.docu-source.com), clients can manage a variety of print management functions, including procurement, variable document technology, online ordering, and warehousing and distribution, in real time from their desktops.
