Some of the most successful partnerships that we have the pleasure to form with clients here at Spectra involve the integration of print and fulfillment services. There are some clients that utilize our print and distribution capabilities, having us print and mail documents like updates, statements, or marketing collateral. Others are solely fulfillment clients, having us warehouse their stock, keep inventory, and ship it out when orders are placed.

While we love working with all different types of clients, it is especially gratifying when a client is able to revolutionize their overall process by switching to Spectra’s integrated print and fulfillment system. In this case study, we’ll introduce you to one of our clients that did just that, leading to a very productive relationship and additional services that were not anticipated when the partnership began.

Physical Items and Printed Materials Needed

When the client first approached us, they presented to us their fulfillment needs, which involved shipping physical items, primarily wearable devices. These devices were shipped in a kit, which included printed materials explaining the device, promoting its benefits, and providing information for continued contact with the company. 

At the time, the company was using one service provider for printing and a different service provider for fulfillment. The constant communication between the three companies to coordinate services was taking a toll on project managers, and they were looking for a solution that could simplify the system, reduce the possibility for mistakes and delays, and overall make for a more streamlined chain of events from printing collateral to assembling the kits to shipping them out.

Spectra’s Specialties

Fortunately, this type of scenario is squarely within Spectra’s set of skills. Our expertly staffed fulfillment center regularly processes inventory that needs to be kitted according to the client’s specifications and specific user orders, and our print division is equipped with printers and finishing machinery capable of producing high quality materials in-house. 

The prospective client found that Spectra was able to accomplish all of the printing needs according to their quality specifications, then coordinate with the fulfillment team to get the printed materials into the right kits along with the wearable devices and other physical items. By handling the entire job in-house, Spectra helped the client eliminate the frustrations of dealing with multiple managers at different service providers and staying constantly on task to supervise the fulfillment chain.

Streamlined Transition

One of the looming uncertainties that companies often have when considering whether to switch to a new 3PL provider is how difficult the transition will be. A difficult transition can mean delays for B2B end users ordering materials, mistakes made while systems are being changed over, or even a period during which no orders can be fulfilled. These interruptions disrupt the relationship between the company and its B2B clients and erode valuable trust.

The biggest factor, in turn, in this type of disruption is the compatibility of the new 3PL provider’s software systems with the client’s platforms. Over its decades of providing high quality fulfillment for clients across all types of industries, Spectra has refined its ability to connect its systems to whatever online selling platforms, customer management systems, and other softwares the client uses. Spectra’s project managers know the questions to ask, the tests to run, and the steps to take in order to ensure that everything works together dependably on day one, avoiding any interruption in service to B2B end users.

Extra Services Add Value

After the initial launch of the partnership between Spectra and the client, the client had the need for some large scale signage and other materials for a special event. Given the great service that Spectra had provided so far, the client decided to request our help with this specific task, even though it was outside the scope of the normal print and fulfillment services that Spectra provided them on an ongoing basis.

Although there was a significant time constraint, Spectra’s expert team members were able to quickly source the materials needed on short notice, assembling all the items for the special event in a kit and getting it to the client in time for the event. Following the event, Spectra provided storage for the equipment along with the client’s other inventory, where it will be available for use during future similar events.

Flexibility Equals Value

This extra service is just one example of the many ways that Spectra gives its clients access to services that other 3PL providers simply don’t have the bandwidth to offer. With leadership and team members that have spent decades in various areas of print and fulfillment, we have expertise in-house to draw on in order to help our clients with virtually any need they bring to us. In the event that we don’t have the specialized equipment to produce a certain type of collateral in-house, we use our network of relationships with other providers in order to obtain it quickly, often at exclusive discounts, and integrate it with the existing services we provide for the client.

The overall conclusion of this case study is the enormous benefit that this client gained by making Spectra their one-stop shop for print, fulfillment, and special projects. Today the client enjoys a reliable, affordable, and powerful fulfillment process managed by Spectra’s skilled project managers, and we look forward to helping the company with all of their fulfillment needs in the future.

If this sounds like the kind of relationship with a 3PL provider that you’ve always wished for but didn’t know was actually possible, we would love to schedule a consultation and explain more about our processes. Make 2026 the year that you remove fulfillment headaches from your company and let Spectra become your expert fulfillment department. If printed materials are a regular part of your fulfillment needs as well, Spectra is the ideal partner, with the ability to produce materials of all types in coordination with your fulfillment activities and keep the entire process as streamlined as possible.