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HubCast is the perfect combination of global reach, great print quality, and reduced costs.
Cisco Systems’ Emerging Markets Group is responsible for delivering sales training materials to local offices in 132 countries across the globe, from South Africa to Russia, from Brazil to Israel. To manage costs and maintain quality, the group printed materials in bulk at a single, centrally-located printer in Amsterdam, shipping small quantities as needed for training events. But, escalating shipping costs and a complex web of customs regulations were consuming the group’s time and resources. The Emerging Markets Group needed a more cost-effective solution that would deliver high-quality print materials, on-demand to any office in any country, with minimal shipping cost. And, it needed to be easy-to-use. They found HubCast.
HubCast provides a global network of locally-based, high-quality printers, enabling the Emerging Markets Group to print materials close to their final destination, meeting its requirements to:
Cisco Systems, Inc. is the worldwide leader in Internet Protocol (IP)-based networking products for the communications and information technology (IT) industry.The Company’s hardware, software, and service offerings are used to create Internet solutions that allow individuals, companies, and countries to increase productivity, improve customer satisfaction, and strengthen competitive advantage. A multinational company, Cisco has 66,558 employees spread across six continents.
Cisco also is a leader in the development of environmentally sustainable business practices, setting a goal to reduce the corporation’s greenhouse gas by 25 percent by 2012. Reducing transportation, including shipping and its carbon footprint, is a priority for Cisco.
Cisco’s innovative and evolving portfolio of products and services requires ongoing training for the Company’s worldwide sales and support organization. For the Emerging Markets Group, based in Middlesex, United Kingdom, this means delivering a steady stream of training materials to local offices in 132 of the world’s emerging countries. “We ship small quantities of 20-30 manuals at a time,” explains Graham Durrant, project manager for the group’s field engagement team, “which means we are constantly packaging materials, preparing customs paperwork, and shipping.”
As the group evaluated its business practices to meet Cisco’s goals of reducing expenses and cutting its carbon footprint, it took a close look at the cost of print. “We were printing everything in bulk to reduce costs, but we were actually spending more by shipping small quantities to our local offices,” explains Durrant.
Dealing with customs also added to the group’s overall cost of print. “Shipping into emerging market countries poses quite a few challenges in customs,” continues Durrant. Customs regulations vary in each country and any oversight in packaging or paperwork can result in delayed shipments or added expense. The Emerging Markets Group decided to find a way to print locally to avoid the time and expense of customs and shipping.
Durrant searched for a global print company with facilities that mapped to Cisco’s offices. “Only HubCast fit our requirements,” states Durrant. “They have great coverage and a network of printers exactly where I need them, in countries like South Africa, Israel, Mexico, Brazil, Moscow, and Poland.” In fact, HubCast’s worldwide digital print network encompasses local printers in more than 60 cities spread throughout 25 countries, enabling Cicso to use high-quality printers close to its training locations. “If we need 16 copies of a manual in Romania, I order 16 copies for Romania. That’s the way HubCast works; it is essentially on-demand.”
While cost was a driving factor in Durrant’s selection of HubCast, Cisco wasn’t willing to compromise quality for cost. “We wanted to be sure HubCast could meet our standards and match the quality of our materials,” explains Durrant. So, Cisco submitted a job they had previously printed on recycled paper and asked HubCast to print the exact same job. “The quality of the paper and the quality of the print were super.”
“Cisco has very strict requirements for brand management,” declares Durrant. “It is important to know that every HubCast location prints on Indigo calibrated presses, so we are confident we can protect the integrity of our corporate colors.” Consistency is particularly important when using multiple printers to print frequent runs of small quantities. Cisco can print anywhere within the HubCast network and each run will be consistent. “We know the documents will look the same wherever they are printed around the world,” states Durrant.
Durrant still manages the global delivery of sales materials from his office in Middlesex. “I do everything online,” explains Durrant. “I create a pdf, log onto my HubCast account, upload the document, input the quantity, the date I need them, and where to deliver the materials. If the file is too big, I upload it onto HubCast’s server. It’s simple, easy, and fast and I can track the progress of each print job on HubCast’s online portal.”
Cisco has realized additional savings by printing smaller quantities. “In the past, we printed in bulk to save costs. The cost-per-piece was lower, but if we didn’t use all materials before they became obsolete, we threw them out. So, it was actually costing us more.”
“We are satisfied we are saving money and continuing to provide our local offices with high-quality training materials,” states Durrant. “HubCast is the perfect combination of global reach, great print quality, and reduced costs. Plus, I’m supporting Cisco’s carbon footprint initiative. It’s a great tool for our group.”