Phase V case studies

Centra360’s customer: Dunkin’ Donuts - success case

Discover how we helped Centra360’s customer, Dunkin’ Donuts, save $135,000 in mailing 350,000 promotional samples across the U.S. with our 3PL service.

The challenge

The promotion timeline for completion was two months and required a devoted multi-production process, quality control, and distribution team. Additionally, the project needed the assembly of customized promotional mailers, with 3 different SKUs, to more than 350,000 unique participants located all over the U.S.

To increase efficiency and accuracy, Centra360 decided to outsource: storage, inventory management, final assembly and delivery services. After considering several fulfillment partners, they determined that Phase V Fulfillment was the best fit to properly execute the distribution strategies for this project.

Phase V’s client, Centra360, developed a nationwide sweepstake to determine their client’s next Bakery Series coffee flavor, boost market share growth, and increase customer loyalty.

The solution

Phase V Fulfillment offered Centra360 a hands-on approach. They quickly designed a customized operational solution that would reduce production time, apply shipping network analyses, and optimize the distribution process based on the lowest transportation costs and times.

Phase V followed rigorous inspection procedures for inbound shipments, verifying that each coffee sample was appropriately sealed to ensure freshness and that each box was properly cut for assembly.

This also facilitated the manual inventory alerts set to meet ideal deadlines. Throughout the entire production process, the dedicated team of 24 fulfillment experts worked in four production lines that were committed to:

Assembling each individual mailer piece

Presorting and packing a coupon with the 3 samples of each new coffee flavor

Final sealing with wafer seals

Performing sacking/palletizing for future daily shipments

The solution

Phase V followed rigorous inspection procedures for inbound shipments, verifying that each coffee sample was appropiately sealed to ensure freshness and that each box was properly cut for assembly.

Assembling each individual mailer piece

Presorting and packing a coupon with the 3 samples of each new coffee flavor

Final sealing with wafer seals

Performing sacking/palletizing for future daily shipments

In a short amount of time, Phase V helped Centra360 and Dunkin’ Donuts successfully ship two trucks with 40,000 promotional products per day; resulting in more than 600 pallets in total.

Furthermore, Phase V implemented enhanced randomized and scheduled quality assurance processes, both at standard QA and managerial levels for optimal results.

Phase V integrated with Centra360’s secure FTP site to gather participants’ addresses received via raffle submissions and mailing lists. It conducted multi-level address validation tests for all 400,000 addresses received.

After determining that the first shipments would need to go to the West Coast (as per customer’s requirement of closest local markets to Seattle), the Phase V team applied advanced shipping and carrier management tools to determine specifically when and at which sorting facilities to ship each completed pallet to avoid delays caused by bottlenecking at any single distribution center.

The results

With the help of Phase V Fulfillment’s 3PL service, Centra360 generated significant cost savings and new distribution flexibility for Dunkin’ Donuts. All shipments were made on time, generating an impressive participation rate before the sweepstakes deadline. The new and winning Bakery Series coffee flavor now being sold nationwide: Dulce de Leche Cookie! Centra360 saved approximately $135,000 in postage and transportation costs.

Furthermore, while normal distribution centers require significant lead time in order to incorporate promotional shipments, the ease of operations enabled by Phase V saved Centra360 approximately one months’ time by printing inkjet shipping labels and manually labeling each shipment at the beginning of the production process.

Daily reports

Reporting daily production numbers and shipment drop-offs.

3PL services

Designed to save transit times while maximizing shipment savings.

Inventory control

Advanced procedures and state-of-the-art WMS technology for strategic management.

Validation tools

Effective use of multi-level address validation tools that removed duplicates and deterred false information while minimizing shipping errors at the carrier level.

99.95% accuracy

In shipping and assembling products.

Delivery procedures

Adheres to unique delivery procedures for reliability.

Phase V was able to prove successful and low-cost promotional management. The project encompassed many layers in the supply chain, from receiving the product, examining inventory, assembling kits, distribution, and customer service.

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