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iForce
iForce imageiForce is the
UK's leading fulfilment business, providing e-commerce
and catalogue fulfilment for John Lewis, EMI, Fujitsu
and BMW as well as point of sale and marketing literature
fulfilment for Learndirect, Kodak and Nokia.
Since its foundation in 1999, the company has invested
heavily in the creation of an excellent IT and physical
infrastructure to create Europe's leading Home Shopping
fulfilment business. During 2002, the company consolidated
its market leadership position with further investment
and the acquisition of key clients.
Client Requirements
iForce provides its clients
with a fully integrated end-to-end process: the
web site or call centre always knows what stock
is available and the location of a parcel delivery.
The company operates a policy of delivering goods
within 24 hours from purchase and all goods are
delivered with client specific fulfilment documentation
- such as invoice and delivery note.
Traditionally documentation stationery has been
pre-printed by the client and provided to iForce.
However, one major motor company has an e-commerce
site that includes several differently branded catalogues.
iForce imageAs Cliff Putterford, IT Director, explains:
"This client wanted the appropriate logo
printed on each fulfillment document.Using our AS/400
based iForce system, this caused a significant headache
and a problem that we needed to resolve rapidly
to meet the demands of this important client."
iForce turned to Interform400 from SpaceTec, a solution
that merges documents from the AS/400 with stored
graphical images, using Oki C9000 Series colour
printers to deliver reliable, good quality documentation.
He says:
"Using Interform400 we were able to rapidly
develop the right print solution that incorporates
a range of images specified by our client. The solution
produces high quality colour printed output and
the adoption of multiple Oki printers has provided
the flexibility and resilience required to meet
client needs."
Complex Documentation
The Oki printers also proved
extremely useful to resolve a problem experienced
with another key client - a satellite TV shopping
company. "This client has preprinted stationery
that includes a tear-off pre-stuck label,"
says Putterford:
"This label is located on the bottom right
corner, which raises the level of the paper in that
corner. The existing print solution we had in place
just could not cope."
With up to 8,000 orders daily, chewed forms and
paper jams created significant productivity problems
for iForce, undermining quality of service and adding
significant cost to the fulfilment process. Putterford
turned again to Oki, using the straight paper path
LED functionality of the printers to resolve the
problem. The company added several Oki C7000 Series
colour printers to the existing Oki C9000 Series
machines.
"The Oki printers have improved the productivity
one hundred percent," he says. "The print
process is totally reliable and requires no need
for manual intervention or overseeing. We can now
feel confident to meet the demands of our client,
whatever the order volumes."
Printing adds value
iForce is now extending its
use of Interform400 and Oki printers to meet the
print requirements of all clients. Putterford explains:
"We are advising our clients to move away
from pre-printed stationery and let us print forms
on demand using stored images in Interform400. This
will enable them to reduce up front investment in
stationery, minimise wastage and lessen our paper
storage requirements."
Furthermore, the service is adding value to the
complete fulfilment process offered by iForce. He
concludes:
"The adoption of Interform400 and Oki printers
solved our problems and, critically, is enabling
iForce to focus on core business delivery. The solution
is a key element in providing added value services
to our clients."
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