10.08.08
Service with a capital 'S', that's what we get from Springfield Label and Tape," says Edith Burek, purchasing administrator for OnCore Marketing Systems of Springfield, MA, USA. OnCore is at the forefront of supply chain management and contract manufacturing for leading electronics manufacturers.
While Field Report often covers examples of unusual or innovative label solutions, the efforts made by Springfield Label and Tape on behalf of its customers give insight to an overall service aspect which is missing in much of today's reverse auctions and other bid-and-buy programs, and is worthy of further exploration, especially from the end user's point of view.
Edith Burek had been with another Springfield company, Springboard Technology, and was accustomed to the total dedication to customer service from Scott Libowitz, a third generation label expert with Springfield Label. Scott's father and uncle (Howard and Charles Libowitz, respectively) now run the business begun in the 1960s by Herman Libowitz.
When Edith took her current position with OnCore, she brought Springfield Label and Scott with her. "They are a very good supplier," she says, "quick with design and delivery, and they have the ability to jump on special projects with a minimum of effort on our part. They know their business and how to serve their clients."
Asked about some of the extra effort given by Springfield Label, Edith responds: "They will run an economical quantity of labels and just ship and bill us for what we need, holding the balance of the inventory on their floor until we need it." Because they are reliable, Edith gives them blanket purchase orders (six months to a year, depending on quantities).
At present, Springfield Label provides shipping labels, inventory labels, product ID labels as well as ribbons for Brady and Zebra printers for the OnCore facilities in Massachusetts and in Tijuana, Mexico.
Other Springfield Label clients receive similar treatment, again beginning with service. The company is a "preferred vendor" for a Fortune 500 manufacturing firm. Here, the "vendor is the buyer" in so many words because the Springfield sales professional gets an advance shipping notice which tells him which products will be manufactured and thus the quantities of labels that will be needed.
When production reports show an emergency need, manufacturing verifies whether it is real. While there were as many as seven or eight out-of-stock occurrences a month some years back, the Springfield representative now does a physical inventory monthly, and stockouts have become a thing of the past.
Springfield Label and Tape sets itself apart from it competition by levying no rush charge or upcharge for two- to three-day deliveries.
The company is growing, as evidenced by its recent shift to a new in-house Kodak prepress system. This has enabled faster job turnovers plate to press is now a matter of hours, not a day or more) and now 95 percent of the platemaking takes place in house. As with many forward-looking label manufacturers, Springfield invites its customers to take a plant tour and see what it is they do and how they do it.
The addition of six new flexographic presses in the past decade, as well as an HP Indigo digital press, gives Springfield Label the ability to offer up to eight-color printing as well as variable data and imaging. In addition to being a UL-approved supplier, Springfield Label provides a variety of printing processes, automated inspection and quality control, and efficient prepress, including email transfer.
Acknowledgements from current customers, contained in the company's online brochure, attest to the fact that Springfield Label is fulfilling a niche that is called Service. Go to www.springfieldlabel.com and see for yourself.
While Field Report often covers examples of unusual or innovative label solutions, the efforts made by Springfield Label and Tape on behalf of its customers give insight to an overall service aspect which is missing in much of today's reverse auctions and other bid-and-buy programs, and is worthy of further exploration, especially from the end user's point of view.
Edith Burek had been with another Springfield company, Springboard Technology, and was accustomed to the total dedication to customer service from Scott Libowitz, a third generation label expert with Springfield Label. Scott's father and uncle (Howard and Charles Libowitz, respectively) now run the business begun in the 1960s by Herman Libowitz.
When Edith took her current position with OnCore, she brought Springfield Label and Scott with her. "They are a very good supplier," she says, "quick with design and delivery, and they have the ability to jump on special projects with a minimum of effort on our part. They know their business and how to serve their clients."
Asked about some of the extra effort given by Springfield Label, Edith responds: "They will run an economical quantity of labels and just ship and bill us for what we need, holding the balance of the inventory on their floor until we need it." Because they are reliable, Edith gives them blanket purchase orders (six months to a year, depending on quantities).
At present, Springfield Label provides shipping labels, inventory labels, product ID labels as well as ribbons for Brady and Zebra printers for the OnCore facilities in Massachusetts and in Tijuana, Mexico.
Other Springfield Label clients receive similar treatment, again beginning with service. The company is a "preferred vendor" for a Fortune 500 manufacturing firm. Here, the "vendor is the buyer" in so many words because the Springfield sales professional gets an advance shipping notice which tells him which products will be manufactured and thus the quantities of labels that will be needed.
When production reports show an emergency need, manufacturing verifies whether it is real. While there were as many as seven or eight out-of-stock occurrences a month some years back, the Springfield representative now does a physical inventory monthly, and stockouts have become a thing of the past.
Springfield Label and Tape sets itself apart from it competition by levying no rush charge or upcharge for two- to three-day deliveries.
The company is growing, as evidenced by its recent shift to a new in-house Kodak prepress system. This has enabled faster job turnovers plate to press is now a matter of hours, not a day or more) and now 95 percent of the platemaking takes place in house. As with many forward-looking label manufacturers, Springfield invites its customers to take a plant tour and see what it is they do and how they do it.
The addition of six new flexographic presses in the past decade, as well as an HP Indigo digital press, gives Springfield Label the ability to offer up to eight-color printing as well as variable data and imaging. In addition to being a UL-approved supplier, Springfield Label provides a variety of printing processes, automated inspection and quality control, and efficient prepress, including email transfer.
Acknowledgements from current customers, contained in the company's online brochure, attest to the fact that Springfield Label is fulfilling a niche that is called Service. Go to www.springfieldlabel.com and see for yourself.