Corporate Express: a single source supplier for print and much more
As part of an international company, Corporate Express has the global reach and resources to handle print management and a vast range of procurement needs for major corporate accounts.
Corporate Express has always been able to handle print management as part of its overall role as an aggregator of office and business supplies, but until now it’s often been viewed as an add-on to existing client services, rather than a business proposition in its own right.
“Our proposition is to supply anything on the carpet – low value, non-core purchases,” explains Spencer Slee, Print Director for Corporate Express’s Print Services division. “Print management has always been something that we have offered to clients, but we haven’t majored on it. The focus going forward is that it is becoming a core service.”
The fact that the company does have a Print Services division provides a good indication about how seriously print management is considered by Corporate Express, and Slee confirms firstly that the team manages print for major private and public sector clients that include some of the UK’s largest and most demanding Retailers, Banks and Service Companies, and secondly that this has been achieved without particularly pushing the service.
With the renewed recognition of print management within Corporate Express will come a refreshed sales strategy, which will be more proactive than merely reacting to individual customer’s demands. Already in place to handle the expected enlarged volumes of print management work is a 28-strong team led by Slee, boasting almost 300 years of print experience. Corporate Express in fact used to be a print manufacturer itself, but moved decisively away from manufacturing in 2003.
Slee says: “We said a long time ago that the commercial print market is splitting in two ways: companies that make money from putting ink on paper, and companies that make money from offering a service to the client. We are a service provider, hence the move out of manufacturing.”
As a print manager, Corporate Express says it helps clients in three key areas:
- The reduction of print and distribution costs
- The consolidation and management of the print production process
- The compliance of brand equity through centralised ordering and approval systems
“We have four simple steps that add value for clients,” Slee continues. “We drive down costs through benchmarking and leveraging buying power; we enhance control of print spend through transparency, a clear audit trail and detailed reporting; technology advantages such as e-procurement and digital image management improve workplace performance; and finally we manage quality, whether its measuring performance to KPIs or checking brand consistency.”
Corporate Express’s technology systems are naturally a significant aspect in the way it delivers value to print management clients, and it makes use of a pan-European system called Express Order for web-based ordering of print and a whole lot more – in fact it has 15,000 products in an intuitive online catalogue. In addition, the company has an MIS system called Venture. It is a simple to use system for getting best market prices and also includes templates that clients can use to create and submit print jobs.
Although there are major savings to be made in print management through the more effective supply chain management that Corporate Express’s Print Services division specialises in, Slee points out that much more can also be gained from taking maximum advantage of the company as a single source aggregator for a whole range of products. Many companies use a number of suppliers and therefore accrue significant “hidden” procurement costs through having to order and then receive goods from each of them.
This is as true for print, where companies might manage a portfolio of suppliers, as it is for office supplies, computer consumables, office furniture, facility supplies and a whole raft of miscellaneous products. Corporate Express, with its global scale and warehousing and distribution facilities, can remove much of this cost. All of these products, including print, can be ordered through its online procurement systems, all within a single shopping basket, says Slee.
“We will process and then deliver that order in a single delivery and to achieve that we have very substantial warehousing facilities and a fully automated picking and packing system in Birmingham. The customer gets one delivery and one invoice from one company, and there are considerable process cost savings to be found from this.”
“With print, why buy business cards and stationery from a different company to your operational print? A buyer will say ‘because I get a better rice from that supplier’, but clearly print management overcomes that and offers a different solution. The added benefit with Corporate Express is that we are a distribution operation also. We are the only print company that can offer a truly European print service, and we also provide a truly consultative sell.”
There are major environmental benefits from operating in this way, Slee continues. “This is a big aspect in our value proposition. There’s a clear environmental focus and in reducing five deliveries down to one, clients can have a better carbon footprint. A lot of companies are looking at that.”
Corporate Express also pre-audits its print supply chain to ensure they conform with its own environmental policies and commitments. It has the ISO 14001 certification, and additionally says it is committed to developing print products that can be recycled, and to motivating its staff to be mindful of their impact on the environment.
The company is part of the global Corporate Express group, and services clients across a range of industry sectors, including retail, finance, manufacturing and the public sector, and print management is only one aspect that can be outsourced to it, albeit a major one. Slee outlines the future development of the Print Services division:
“Some key areas of development for Print Services include a corporate events offer, providing items such as delegate packs, the design, supply and consultation of carrier bags for retailers and events, CD and DVD print, packaging and data replication, and point of sale products.
“We always strive to become a single-source and key supplier to all of our clients, and successful, long-standing relationships are founded on honest and open communication, outstanding service and long-term commitment. The Print Services division is packed with print experience, and this compliments our consultative approach to business – to listen and to advise.”
About Corporate Express UK
- Distributes print services, office and computer supplies, office furniture and IT
- Delivers an average of 20,000 parcels every business day in the UK
- Has 15 facilities including two distribution centres
- Employs more than 500 people, including 100 locally based customer service personnel
- ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 14001:2004 accredited