Case Study - Harper Collins
With a heritage stretching back nearly 200 years, HarperCollins is one of the world’s foremost English-language publishers, offering the best quality content right across the spectrum, from cutting-edge contemporary fiction to digital hymnbooks and pretty much everything in between.
HarperCollins has global revenues of over $1 billion every year and HarperCollins UK publishes more than 1200 books a year and employs around 1000 people in London, Glasgow and Cheltenham. HarperCollins is a modern, creative content company, publishing the best material from the most talented writers.
The Requirement
The customer's requirements were very concise. They needed a...
- logistics partner who is a market leader in progressive technology and provision of management information
- consolidated returns processing and stock disposal operation
- full visibility of stock movements throughout the returns process
- secure, auditable and transparent processes
- variable cost model allowing for minimal fixed costs and overheads
- simplified process to enable 'Green Laning' of stock back into their supply chain
All of which will support a simplified credit authorisation process for customers.
The Solution & Approach
Key aspects of the implementation project included...
- understanding the mix of products, the range of disposition rules and the mix ratio of those ‘exit routes’
- designing specific operational processes, and a bespoke returns processing system
- a returns process that scans the barcode of each individual unit, resulting in high data accuracy
- full digital CCTV coverage of the entire operation
- developing a barcoded returns label application with easy online access for all Harper Collins’ 23,000 UK customers
- a seamless transition during implementation, whilst also managing a historic backlog of returns
- building in the operational capacity to manage the peak period
- the complete visibility of all daily returns activity using a streamlined data exchange
In summary the solution provided to Harper Collins...
- has processed over 30 million units to date
- produces daily ‘snapshot’ management reporting, detailing the ‘work in progress’ position
- gives full visibility of all processing data down to individual unit level
- includes the ability to set disposition rules at an ISBN level with the facility to make a distinction between loose copy and binders pack and set rules accordingly
- operates within their existing ISO 14001 accreditation framework
- allows for a high degree of flexibility around resources, processing volumes and storage capacity
- is fully scalable and as such the annual peak processing period presents no issues
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