4C Print Shop

Order management and fulfillment solution

Background

Based out of Orlando, FL, 4C Print Shop offers high quality Direct to Garment (DTG) and sublimation services for a variety of products, from t-shirts to coffee mugs for clients of all sizes and locations. Originally, 4C had already put money down for a solution to aid operation from another developer, only to later be burned in terms of quality and capability. After finding DocuWrx through FileMaker’s comprehensive developer listings, 4C was quickly impressed by DocuWrx’s excellent track record of professionalism, quality of work, and credentials. Confident that a solution could be developed to fit and improve 4C Print Shop’s unique workflow, DocuWrx charged ahead.

Challenges

4C Print Shop operates by offering high quality and highly customized products for many wholesale and retail businesses, as well as small-scale customers. With near limitless options for even just a t-shirt (quantity, size, cut, material, colors, front or back image location, etc.) calculating pricing is not a simple task. What if there are several types of customized shirts for one order, perhaps some types priced differently for discounts and promotions? It is easy to see that manually entering items into a spreadsheet would be very time consuming and complicated.

The business also serves customers all over the world. When the company ships so much volume with different methods and for different customers, requirements change on an order-by-order basis. 4C needed a way to offer its customers the same great service, but in a more efficient way. A solution for the tedious manually-entered shipping process through a carrier’s website was necessary.

Excellent customer experience and satisfaction are important aspects any great business takes into consideration. 4C Print Shop wanted to not only continue this commitment to service, but take it one step further and continuously improve. Improved payment processing, customer order creation and tracking, and integration with popular online outlets were desired in a solution.

Process

DocuWrx met with 4C Print Shop several times throughout the process to analyze workflows, processes, and to understand the specific needs of the business. After the discovery process, a detailed and itemized quote was proposed free of charge or obligation, including hard numbers so that complete transparency was achieved.

After 4C approved the proposed work, a Solutions Architect carefully laid out the actual design of the solution. Consulting with 4C throughout the process, a complete solution was designed to achieve the company’s goals and meet needs.

After 4C approved the design, DocuWrx developers started the building process based on the legacy solution. Employing the Agile Development Method throughout the process provided adaptive planning and development. 4C Print Shop was able to view and test the solution during development, and offered valuable feedback. Given that the company had a negative experience with a previous developer, DocuWrx made sure that 4C was excited for the new solution.

4C Print Shop met with the Solutions Architect once more prior to launch. DocuWrx provided an overview of the finished solution, and demonstrated how specific workflows and functions were completed. Making sure the solution satisfied 4C’s expectations, the solution was fully implemented. After launch, a designated Account Manager was assigned to provide continual support.

Results

A comprehensive FileMaker solution has provided extensive benefits for 4C Print Shop. The solution is able to easily create, and calculate complex orders with exact pricing. If a customer places an order through online outlets, or the company website, the solution’s WooCommerce, Etsy, or Amazon (and others) integration puts orders directly into the solution. If an order needs to be modified, even by a single line item, it can be done effortlessly without compromising any other aspect of the order. Instead of having to create an item number for each individual variation of a shirt, the robust, dynamic pricing is quickly calculated behind the scenes. 4C Print Shop is also able to easily apply any discounts or promotional pricing for individual or selected groups of items, and more. When all is said and done, order information is displayed in a clean, searchable way based on a multitude of options.

A comprehensive FileMaker solution has provided extensive benefits for 4C Print Shop. The solution is able to easily create and calculate complex orders with exact pricing. If a customer places an order through online outlets or the company website, the solution’s WooCommerce, Etsy, or Amazon integration enters order information directly into the solution. If an order needs to be modified by even a single line item, it can be done effortlessly without compromising any other aspect of the order. Instead of having to create an item number for each individual variation of a shirt, the robust and dynamic pricing is quickly calculated behind the scenes. 4C Print Shop is also able to easily apply any discounts or promotional pricing for individual or selected items. When an order is completely prepared,information is displayed in a clean and searchable way based on a multitude of options.

Automated shipping processes are also streamlined. From the point an order comes in, all the way to when it is staged for shipping, accurate shipping information is on hand to generate labels. The company’s solution includes EasyPost API integration, which will take all shipping information for an order to generate and print appropriate labels. Payment for postage is automatically calculated and charged, with the transaction logged for accounting purposes. The solution also correctly handles dropship service and “white label” delivery. Common in the industry, this is a practice used to directly ship an order to the end user, who has purchased a product through one of 4C’s wholesale or retail customers. The automated shipping process is now quicker and easier, significantly reduces shrinkage, all while providing greater tracking for 4C Print Shop and its customers alike.

Although most of the work occurs behind the scenes, 4C’s customers also get an improved experience. A WebDirect portal allows customers to securely login to upload or view information within the solution. 4C Print Shop sets user access, allowing a customer to have the ability to create and track orders, upload artwork, and view invoicing. The solution also has Stripe and PayPal integration, so that any payments received online or through the Point of Sale (POS) process are automatically entered for the correct customer and specific order. Transactions are then processed and displayed in a clear way.

Performance metrics such as customer purchase activity are also tracked in detail. 4C Print Shop is able to view who is purchasing frequently, or who has not placed an order recently so that a follow-up action can be arranged. Internally, inventory is tracked across multiple facilities. By having real time inventory management information and alerts, 4C is able to compare current and expected inventory levels with current and pending orders. As a result, a customer will receive an accurate timeframe for order completion.

4C Print Shop’s solution is an excellent example of how a company can have an edge on the competition by offering the benefits of powerful technology. The business has drastically reduced shrinkage and shortened order turnaround times. Complicated pricing calculations and order entry are automated and take a fraction of the time it used to take. Inventory management and shipping processes are now easy to complete. As 4C Print Shop continues to grow, the company will have a solution that grows alongside it.

4C Printshopadmin2021-08-04T18:42:28+00:00