GXS CASE STUDY
When Honeywell acquired Elster there was a period where every vendor’s performance came under review. Having successfully Branded Elster’s Smart Energy user conference (Elster Connect) for three consecutive years, Foundry Zero was an easy fit for the Honeywell rebrand of the same event.
Specifications
Service Features:
Rebrand Design
Print Production
Company Profile:
GXS is a leading B2B integration services provider and operates the world’s largest integration cloud, GXS Trading Grid®. Our software and services help more than 400,000 businesses, including 75 percent of the Fortune 500 and 23 of the top 25 supply chains, extend their partner networks, automate receiving processes, manage electronic payments, and improve supply chain visibility. GXS Managed Services, our unique approach to improving B2B integration operations, combines GXS Trading Grid® with our process orchestration services and global team to manage a company’s multi-enterprise processes. Based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, GXS has direct operations in 20 countries, employing more than 2,300 professionals.
Overview
Foundry Zero (FZ) began its relationship with GXS in 2003 (post HAHT Commerce merger) to handle general print collateral updates and tradeshow design. At the time, GXS’s current brand had not updated in some time, so the ongoing project initially required breathing new life into an outdated brand.
After two years of efficient, deadline-driven support, Foundry Zero was chosen as one of several key partners for the total company re-brand in January 2005. Because FZ had managed a large part of the original system, it made sense that we would initiate the redesign and production of all marketing print collateral. In addition, Foundry Zero tackled new duties including general business documents, proposal materials, and all of the company’s stationary.
Process
The initial creative phase became a tiered process, which involved working through design issues and the complex organizational task of prioritizing sales document needs. We began by redesigning high priority data sheets, case studies, white papers as well as stationary items such as letterhead, #10 envelope and business cards. FZ also captured hundreds of documents that previously only existed in PDF format, extracted and edited the copy, and distributed it to
the primary GXS internal contact for copy updates by content managers.
The second phase involved document versioning. After initial templates for the many document types were finalized for offset printing, another series of finalized templates were required to include English (EU and UK), French, German, Chinese and Portuguese versions. Foreign language versioning not only required special care to handle language requirements but also adapting alternate template sizes for international markets. Primary stationary needs were also addressed during the same period. This involved creating and editing 400+ business cards and fulfilling all stationary needs for seven international divisions. These initial two phases were completed in a very short 8-9 week period.
The final phase of the re-brand involved repeating this process with other unique documents. Over the next 2-3 month period, all collateral and stationary were redesigned and printed.
2009 to Present
Over time, Foundry Zero’s primary duties have expanded to include other areas of marketing and advertising. In June 2009, GXS initiated a brand update. Significant changes to their internal process included a mandate to move from Quark Xpress to Adobe InDesign. This allowed for file types to be more accessible between divisions. This also included a re-organization and update to all current collateral, as the GXS library had grown considerably in recent years. Once updates to domestic collateral were completed, we optimized the workflow to include international versions. This doubled the collateral count and allowed for considerable savings in time and cost.
Conclusions
The success story of this ongoing relationship has been the seamless nature of the process with no issues or roadblocks from Foundry Zero to GXS internal staff. The entire process, from creative inception to print-ready files, was performed by a single Foundry Zero staffer, Daniel Gallant, during a typical workflow period. By allowing a trusted outside resource to coordinate this key process, GXS was able to concentrate on the information and content requirements, which dramatically increased the overall speed of the conversion.
“We chose Foundry Zero primarily for its track record for seamless, efficient processes as well as the fast turnaround the schedule required. Another significant factor that made the project a success was their ability to create a diversity of creative concepts. This added valuable visual depth that could be leveraged in other parts of
our rebrand initiative.”
“Daniel Gallant and Foundry Zero proved a strong match to my efficiency. This made a project that could have spiralled into an organizational nightmare, that instead was straight-forward phase-oriented project with few issues.”
Collateral Statistics
2005 Criteria:
Data Sheets: 76 original, 175+ current ongoing
Case Studies: 30 original, 58+ current ongoing
White Papers: 9 original, 19+ current ongoing
Other Marketing Documents: 16+ original, 40+ current ongoing
Core Proposal Template: type style sheets and complex design production in Microsoft Word
Stationary (letterhead, envelopes, business cards, mailing labels): for 7 int
2009 Criteria Highlights*:
Data Sheets: 58+, UK, DE, FR, BR versions added 50+
Case Studies: 46+, UK, DE, FR, BR versions added 117+
White Papers: 16+, UK, DE, FR, BR versions added 19+
Inovis Merger: 45+ Data Sheets, Case Studies, White Papers
Podcasts: 19+
Insight Articles: 24+, UK, DE, FR, BR versions added 6+
PMDMs: 10+
* As of June 2010
