Print
Solutions May 2005
Case
Study
The Evolution of
a Card
American
Welding Society (AWS) provides
education to its 50,000 members
and supports technology development.
Since 1987, Jerome Smith has provided
the organization with products
ranging from stock labels and
computer paper to 4-color catalogs.
Smith, president of Intelligent
Business Solutions Inc., a distributorship
in Miami, is close to his client:
You could say they're welded
together.
Just
as the AWS keeps its members apprised
of the latest industry information,
Smith ensures AWS uses cutting-edge
printed products that meet the
organization's needs. A
prime example is the society's
membership cards. With Smith's
help, the cards have undergone
three significant revisions.
In
the late '80s, Smith supplied
AWS with 30 mil plastic cards.
The 2-color cards featured the
organization's blue and
gray logo. AWS owned an embossing
machine and personalized the cards
at its headquarters. It faced
two problems. First, personalization
was time-consuming. Second, AWS
frequently experienced problems
with the embossing machine.
In
the early '90s, Smith suggested
a new construction. AWS gladly
abandoned its embossing equipment
when Intelligent Business Solutions
provided 10 mil plastic cards
affixed to continuous carriers.
The carriers acted as renewal
bills. The front included a billing
statement, while the back featured
a simple survey where members
could check the areas of welding
in which they were involved.
Like
most companies, AWS switched to
laser printers, and the construction
changed from continuous to cut
sheet. The cards underwent their
most recent major renovation to
an integrated application. As
with the other construction changes,
this one was dictated by equipment
when the AWS purchased a folder/inserter.
"I
saw the card on a carrier being
a prime suspect [for replacement],"
says Smith, "so I introduced
the idea of an integrated product."
AWS was receptive because the
integrated cards are easier to
run on their new equipment, have
fewer feeding problems than affixed
cards and look more professional,
says Smith. For instance, there's
no glue residue after members
remove the cards.
The
cards peel off the top right side
of the 24# 8 1/2 x 11-inch sheets,
revealing a glassine patch underneath.
The 2-color sheets serve as renewal
bills and include boxes with drop
shadows featuring AWS member information.
Surveys, or what AWS calls "Profile
Data," remain on the back so members
can update their welding experience
and job classifications. In addition,
the organization has added a function
to the printed piece: AWS cross
sells educational materials and
upcoming trade shows.
Each
year, AWS orders 125,000 integrated
cards, which are produced at manufacturer
Printgraphics' Nevada, Iowa,
facility. While some distributors
avoid change, Smith embraced revising
the membership cards for AWS.
"The beauty of this product
is they never shop it out,"
he says. "It's my
order, and I get it every year,
unlike envelopes and other things
I've lost on price."
—Susan
Keen Flynn
TIPS
1. Befriend equipment sales
reps. When a Pitney Bowes
rep approached Jerome Smith's
largest customer to buy a folder/inserter,
the distributor went with his
customer to the equipment supplier's
office for a demonstration. Smith,
president of Intelligent Business
Solutions Inc., Miami, didn't
try to talk his client out of
the machine, but he did convince
the company not to use blank paper,
as the Pitney Bowes rep recommended.
The client orders custom cut sheets
from Smith, and over time the
equipment rep has changed his
tune about blank paper. "The
Pitney Bowes guy contacted me
for laser forms and envelopes
to help cost justify his equipment,"
says Smith. Today, he calls on
some accounts with the Pitney
Bowes rep, acting as a consultant.
2. Target membership organizations. Smith says integrated
cards are an equally ideal application
for small trade associations that
run cards on desktop printers
or huge organizations that rely
on IT departments to process cards.
The key, he says, is to bypass
the purchasing department. "This
application is driven by the membership
department," says Smith.
"They send orders through
to purchasing for a rubber stamp,
but membership's main concern
is quality and the assurance that
they won't have any problems
with the cards."
3. Justify the price tag. At first glance, customers
may shy away from integrated products
because of cost. For instance,
adding an integrated label to
a pick-and-pack document may double
or triple the cost. Perform a
cost analysis to show clients
how they will save money in their
operations and improve processes.
"Integrated
products are one of those sales
where you feel like you've
helped customers streamline their
businesses rather than just saying,
'Here's a product
and a price.'"
Jerome
Smith
President
Intelligent
Business Solutions Inc., Miami
