Marketing Supply Chain, part 4
Simplified Process
“The more questions you ask, the better your likelihood for success.”
– Eric Stern, CEO of Almaden
The Vetting Process
As discussed in part 3, partnering with the right marketing supply chain provider is vitally important for success. Vetting is done through research and asking questions – a critical examination and review of potential partners. This process should not only showcase the strengths and abilities of the Marketing Supply Chain partner, but also reveal the pain points, challenges, and ineffectiveness of every prospect or client situation.
Marketing, selling, and driving revenue become the focus, instead of solving for every marketing or event crisis, as they come along.
Check Your Data
Should you outsource your marketing supply chain? Consider the level of discomfort and pain in your current process—all of it: the design, creation, production, and distribution of your branded materials.
- Nearly 65% of senior marketers have never done a comprehensive analysis of how well their supply chain is managed, with most admitting their suppliers are poorly integrated.
- Only 26% of Marketers and Event Managers track obsolescence on marketing and event management consumables, yet they acknowledge that doing so would reap a tremendous benefit to their ROI.
- 89% of companies indicate they are not generating economies or efficiencies in their current supply chain.
- 48% of marketers acknowledge that marketing supply chain management is an evolving functional area that needs more attention.
Your supply chain needs more attention.
Achieving the Best Return
Once you have established the need for outsourcing your Marketing Supply Chain, vetted vendors, and made your choice, the investment begins. And as with every investment, time is required to achieve the best return.
Now, Onboarding
The Onboarding Phase is when a company determines the business rules for their marketing supply chain, which will includes a branded portal and available marketing materials.
The look and feel of this process and the online portal should be user-friendly. All marketing items must be organized in an intuitive manner. Each and every feature, as well as order options for checkout are important. Business rules will be identified and implemented for users to operate within. These rules include order who the users are, quantities available to different users, budgets, shipping options, and return guidelines for all available branded items and marketing materials.
There can be hundreds of decisions to make to determine the functionality and objectives of the supply chain. Having a qualified partner, utilizing professional project management, improves every part of the preparation required for fulfilling marketing needs, whether a simple client visit or a complicated event production.
This can be daunting, but working with a partner who has identified and simplified the process? Interestingly enough, the process is simplified.
This is Part 4 of a 5-part series, Do You Need a Marketing Supply Chain?
Part 1 Marketing Objectives: Revenue and Growth
Part 2 The Three Elements of a Marketing Supply Chain
Part 3 The Value of a Good Marketing Supply Chain Partner
Part 4 Simplified Process
Part 5 Launching Your Marketing Supply Chain
Full article, “What is a Marketing Supply Chain and Do You Need One?” by Eric Stern in Integrate Magazine
About ALMADEN
Headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley, Almaden is the leader in providing Marketing Supply Chain Services to corporate marketing, sales, HR, recruiting, and event teams. Comprehensive branding capabilities include offset and digital printing; promotional products; large format printing and wall graphics; direct marketing analytics and mailing services; and technology-enabled distribution, kitting and fulfillment.
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For additional information, please contact ALMADEN at info@almadenglobal.com
