Customer Success Stories | Ampersand

Originally a general commercial printer, Ampersand has transformed over time to specialize in marketing execution.

This evolution involves more than just printing materials; it involves ensuring that clients' messages reach their intended audiences effectively. By offering integrated services including data management, design, fulfillment, mailing, finishing, and packaging, Ampersand provides customers with comprehensive solutions. With these services available in-house, clients benefit from streamlined project management and accountability with a single point of contact.

Ampersand prioritizes their customers and their employees. The company's focus is on simplifying customers' lives and fostering enduring relationships as a result.

The challenge

Ampersand outgrew their old solution, so started a search for a suitable replacement.

Given the complexity of many projects, which often involve multiple components and intricate finishing operations, full workflow capability was essential.

The company needed a solution to solve specific business challenges and improves scheduling as they have many cost centers and machines and not enough operators to handle them. Previously, Ampersand relied on a sales team and administration staff to manage jobs, along with a production department for planning.

Key requirements

End-to-end workflow

Web-based solution

Handle complex products and jobs

Ampersand conducted a thorough review of print Management Information Systems (MIS) available in the market and gravitated towards ePS Pace.

The decision was influenced by its web-based interface and robust estimating capabilities. Its seamless integration with ePS Metrix for imposition and layout and ePS PrintFlow for dynamic scheduling, providing a comprehensive workflow solution. Given the complexity of many projects, which often involve multiple components and intricate finishing operations, this full workflow capability was essential.

Ampersand recognizes the critical role of an efficient workflow in scaling, growing, and ensuring sustainability. ePS has been instrumental in assisting their internal team in developing an end-to-end workflow tailored to their specific needs.

The customizable nature of the ePS Midmarket Print Suite has been pivotal for Ampersand. It addresses their unique business challenges, from interface customization to operational adjustments, seamlessly integrating with other systems. The ability to generate detailed production information in the background during estimate creation and effortlessly transfer it to pre-press and other systems is considered a game-changer by Ampersand. The integration with Metrix further enhances efficiency, automating processes and eliminating the need for manual intervention with each estimate.

In Ampersand's current operational landscape, two distinct workflows define how customers enter their system. In the first workflow, a sales representative serves as the primary point of contact, managing customer requests for project quotes. These quotes swiftly pass through Pace's estimating software and are promptly returned to the sales rep for further action. The process is seamless and immediate, transitioning smoothly to Metrix for layout management and then to PrintFlow for scheduling.

In the second workflow, Ampersand utilizes the web-based ePS MarketDirect StoreFront. The eCommerce platform caters to medium to large enterprise clients, offering a convenient avenue for ordering various collateral, from business cards to promotional materials, with shipping to desired locations. Through customizations and reporting features in Pace, advanced inventory management and billing services are provided.

Pace has become integral to every aspect of Ampersand's operations, spanning customer relationship management, estimating, order entry, scheduling, production, data collection, job tracking, and shipping. Considered the "heartbeat" of Ampersand in today's fast-paced environment, Pace enables responsiveness to customers' needs, providing real-time information accessibility from any location, be it on the road, from a phone, laptop, or coffee table.

Efficient workflow

Remarkable growth due to end-to-end workflows.
Automation

Streamlined processes for quoting, layout management, scheduling, and data collection.
Access from anywhere

A web-based solution that allows them to access data anywhere and anytime.
Reduced Cost

Minimizing human intervention leads to less errors and reduced costs.