The company noted the e-procurement system can work alongside the different in-house solutions these large companies already use, giving them both greater control and more order customization abilities, as well as access to FedEx Office’s more than 1,800 locations.
FedEx Office added customers can also use the system to route projects for internal approval, specify delivery options and track orders—all of which can boost efficiency, while at the same time reducing costs.
The e-procurement launch follows a large company-wide investment in printing equipment - earlier this year FedEx office revealed that in recent year it had deployed nearly 8,000 new printing devices over the past few years, including Agfa Graphics' Jeti 3020 Titan inkjet printers and Zund G3 M-2500 digital table cutters.
Aimee DiCicco, FedEx Office senior vp of Sales, told PrintWeek: "The commercial printing space is changing rapidly, and the launch of our e-procurement solution is just another example of how FedEx Office is putting technology in place to help our customers evolve and achieve greater efficiencies in their print supply chain."
DiCicco continued: "The investments in our production, digital, transportation and retail networks and now our e-procurement system allow us to be an accessible, convenient one-stop shop for commercial printing needs. From digital to offset, narrow to grand format, single location to distributed print, we make it possible because of the scalability and capability of our network."
In unveiling the new e-procurement system FedEx Office stressed how easy its e-procurement software could be synced with each company’s existing billing system, allowing them to process print invoices like all others.
Thanks in no small part to the success of its shipping operation, FedEx Office also bring with it a great business reputation that could help attract commercial printing from both small and larger companies.
"The FedEx Office network coupled and the quality and reliability of the FedEx brand is what makes us so appealing to commercial customers," DiCicco said. "There is something to be said for the peace of mind that you get when your business relies on FedEx, and we’re seeing that as much in printing as we do in transportation."
DiCicco dismissed any worries that FedEx Office customers from the commercial print sector, including large national companies like RR Donnelley and Quad/Graphics, might react negatively to this aggressive move to capture the printing business of large companies
"We do not expect any concerns; in fact, we’ve heard positive feedback thus far," she said, explaining. "The FedEx Office e-procurement solution works differently than a packaged integration.
"Our e-procurement solution seamlessly integrates the print supply chain into our customers’ existing procurement systems to automate the process for purchasing and invoicing with us.
"This means that the customer selects their own Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, for example, Ariba is a common provider, and our system then integrates with their ERP so they can securely connect to the FedEx Office storefront in one interface."
For the time being FedEx Office is only offering this e-procurement in the US and Canada, although DiCicco did not rule out eventually adding it to FedEx Office locations in the Middle East. "The locations in the Middle East in particular are part of a franchise agreement and we will work with those franchisees, should we pursue an international rollout of the e-procurement solution," she added.
FedEx Office does not break down its commercial print related revenues within FedEx Services, but DiCicco said the company is expecting growth in the commercial sector in the coming year as a result of innovations like e-procurement and all the digital and physical investments in our network.
