Program Management Field Report
The Shamrock Cos.’ VOOM system helps companies manage their marketing programs online. It provides customized collateral kits, depending on each retailer’s needs. Full size
The Shamrock Cos.’ VOOM system helps companies manage their marketing programs online. It provides customized collateral kits, depending on each retailer’s needs. Full size
Verizon used the VOOM system to order signage and promotional materials for their retail locations. Full size
Detailed tickets provide the company’s order pickers with the necessary information to help complete each client’s fulfillment needs. Full size
Westlake, Ohio – To help clients better manage their marketing programs, The Shamrock Cos. have created a comprehensive collateral fulfillment program called VOOM (Virtual Online Ordering Mall).
Originally created in 2006 for client Verizon Wireless, Dave Fechter, executive vice president of operations for Shamrock, says the system was introduced to both CPG companies and retailers earlier this year.
Tom McAuliffe was named director of retail marketing for The Shamrock Cos., assisting retail clients with their signage and distribution program needs and using the VOOM system to standardize, by store, their orders.
A creative and print services provider, The Shamrock Cos. developed the system to handle the more than 3,000 retail outlets in Verizon’s six-region Midwest area, all with different formats and needs. “We had to find a way to get the right sized poster and brochure in the right quantity to the right store at the right time,” says Fechter. “So we built VOOM to do that.”
With a few clicks, the system creates only the materials needed for a particular promotion, taking into account all stores’ needs and giving Verizon executives the ability to be very granular with their marketing plan, running special promotions in certain markets or producing bilingual materials for certain stores, for example. “It matches location information with item information and says, ‘Here’s what you need to print,’” says Fechter.
Once items are printed, they’re shipped to one of Shamrock’s five distribution centers in the country and, as Fechter points out, not only are there reduced freight savings realized, but the distribution centers are also storing only what will be used.
The fulfillment operation is streamlined when the system then aggregates all locations that need a certain number of posters, brochures, banners, or whatever other in-store materials were developed.
“Then we can build 742 of the exact same kits and just slap different shipping labels on them,” he says. “And 92 of a different kit for other stores. It’s just as if we were building the same kit for all 3,000 locations but are doing it in a very specific way.”
The system indicates which packages need to be shipped first, depending on geographic location, eliminating the need for overnight or second-day charges. “We start shipping to hit the launch date, sending those packages first that have three-day transit points down to those that will arrive in one day,” Fechter notes.
“We do advanced communication to all the outlets about what they’ll be receiving,” Fechter says. Then box-specific packing slips list the promotion, promotion code and what’s inside that box, further eliminating confusion on the receiving end.
“The packing slip refers back to the promotional code, so the stores know exactly what to do with the pieces,” he explains. Retailers can always order more items by going online where they can see pictures of all the pieces.
The company’s packaging engineers have also taken steps to ensure the materials arrive at each store in good shape.
“We’ve engineered special packaging to make sure there’s no damage to things getting out to the stores,” says Fechter.
Fechter says Verizon hired a third-party supply chain firm to audit its four different areas in the country. The Midwest area had best practices in eight of 11 categories, including waste, following the implementation of VOOM.
