The service offerings at Spectra are valuable to an enormous variety of different types of clients, but sometimes an example comes along in which several of those service offerings combine to create an exceptionally successful partnership. 

In presenting this case study of one of our most exciting projects to date, we hope to give a real-life illustration of how Spectra’s set of skills and resources helps companies grow their customer base and expand their offerings, even while they may be navigating uncertainties within their business.

A Print and Fulfillment Success Story

Over roughly six years, Spectra has provided print, warehousing, and fulfillment services for a very well respected educational company that produces teaching materials for use in elementary education focusing on phonics. The company has grown significantly thanks to the efficiencies and dependable high quality of Spectra’s services, even through a period of major change in which the business was purchased by a larger acquiring company.

Taking Advantage of Print Expertise

One of the primary reasons this client chose to work with Spectra in the first place was the high quality of the printed materials from our in-house facility. From activity books with perforated pages for easy removal to flash cards to wall posters and many other pieces, the level of quality that Spectra was able to offer the client was exactly in line with their expectations.

The client also found it very easy to communicate with the Spectra print team and make their needs understood. With decades of experience printing materials for all types of industries, the print team was able to receive the client’s designs, incorporate them into the correct formats, and produce a final product that is accurate, sturdy, and attractive–just what is needed for the early childhood education context.

Streamlining Fulfillment

Once the materials are printed, they must be warehoused and prepared for shipment once orders are placed. In many cases, a client works with both a print facility and a fulfillment provider, requiring communication and transfer of the print materials to the fulfillment provider’s warehouse. However, because Spectra operates its own print facility and integrates it seamlessly with its warehousing operations, this step is cut out entirely. A single team handles the printing and storage of the client’s products, resulting in unusual efficiency and the elimination of many expenses along the fulfillment chain.

Integration With Client Website

Unlike many online sellers that use a platform such as Shopify or Amazon to interface with customers, this client operates its own website and funnels sales through it. It was critical that Spectra be able to integrate smoothly with the client’s website to log customer orders and fulfill them as efficiently as possible.

This is particularly important during certain seasons of the year. The summer months leading up to the launch of the new school year are extremely busy, with teachers hurrying to place orders for educational materials before students arrive in the classroom. Over the years of the partnership, Spectra has proven well able to handle the large numbers of orders placed during these periods and get shipments out the door on time.

Kitting Accuracy

One of the distinguishing features of the orders that are placed for this client’s products is their complexity. Teachers and school districts regularly order a variety of different materials in different quantities to be delivered in a single shipment, and accuracy in kitting these shipments is the highest of priorities. Mistakes in kitting could lead to returns, delays in getting the correct materials to customers, and loss of trust on the part of customers. 

As with all its clients, Spectra utilizes a “Power of Two” system for quality control. Each kitting project is executed by one fulfillment team member and verified for accuracy by a second team member. The team uses barcodes, serial numbers, and other unique identifying factors to ensure that the right materials make it into each box before it leaves the facility. Spectra’s track record with the client has been impeccable, contributing to a very strong relationship and an excellent reputation for the client among their customers.

A Successful Transition

Recently, after several years of partnership, the educational materials startup was purchased by a larger company. One of the many uncertainties around the transfer of ownership was whether the company would renew the partnership with Spectra or shift to a different fulfillment system. 

The original owners of the company encouraged the purchasing company to continue working with Spectra, based on their high level of customer satisfaction and their confidence that the Spectra team could provide valuable assistance through the transition process.

In the end, this was the route the new owners chose to take, and after more than a year since the transition began, their decision to remain with Spectra has proven to be very successful. The transition took place with no disruption of service to customers, and demand for the educational materials continues to grow with each new school year.

Future Opportunities

In the coming years, Spectra looks forward to assisting this client by not only providing reliable, timely print and fulfillment services, but also by partnering to drive growth and 5x-10x expansion of their catalog of materials. As the client explores new areas and develops new assets, Spectra stands ready to meet those increased printing needs and provide accurate fulfillment to more and more customers.

Print and Fulfillment: A Powerful Combination

The educational field is certainly not the only industry that can benefit from working with a provider of both print and fulfillment services. Any company that regularly needs to send marketing materials along with customer orders has the opportunity to save money with this integrated system. Working with a single project management team to execute print projects and to incorporate those materials into their fulfillment activities is an enormous time and money saver. 

If you are looking to sell printed materials online and want to use a single provider for the production and fulfillment of those materials, Spectra is a fantastic choice. Set up a consultation today and become our next fulfillment success story!