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Case Study: Supreme Vinegar Selects ASD for Inventory Management & Fulfillment

Thu, 08 Aug 2019 13:50:13 GMT

Vinegar lover Reggie Smith founded his company, Supreme Vinegar to bring nearly-lost, old world vinegar flavors back to the marketplace. Each batch of uniquely-flavored vinegars - including date, pineapple, raspberry, and even watermelon - is created using a combination of traditional cooking methods and modern chemistry, which results in a superior quality product.

For years, Reggie created these vinegars in his own kitchen, and stored them in his home. As the popularity of his product grew, so did his inventory. He needed a bigger space to store the vinegars, and assistance in fulfilling the orders he received. He turned to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) to prepare, pick, pack, and ship his product.

Seller Struggles with Fulfillment by Amazon

Amazon’s expansive customer reach can’t be beat, which means great exposure for sellers. And FBA is a dependable service, in part because inflexible policies make it an extremely efficient operation. However, this rigidity makes it a less-than-user-friendly option for vendors - especially smaller retailers and/or those who sell less costly items.

As a smaller-volume FBA retailer, Reggie faces some real challenges:

During the holidays, FBA dramatically increases its storage fees for all vendors, and imposes additional guidelines that favor higher-volume sellers who can afford the hiked-up costs to manage their larger inventories. For a smaller seller like Reggie, these costs become operationally prohibitive.
Speaking of prohibitive costs, Amazon constantly increases its fees, and places a lot of pressure on retailers to offer low prices and free shipping to entice customers to buy. For vendors of less expensive merchandise, like Reggie, these deeply-discounted prices and free shipping don’t make financial sense. Supreme Vinegar sells for $9.95 per bottle; shipping is about $6, and Amazon takes a portion of each sale (10%-15%). Reggie can’t afford to discount his product or offer free shipping. This erodes his profits; his goal is to make money in this transaction, not to lose it.
If Reggie receives an order outside of Amazon (from eBay or his website), he can’t use FBA to fulfill it. He has to fill it himself, which takes time, and money, that could be better used in the business.
Sometimes, FBA’s facilities are filled to capacity, so sellers needs to find alternative storage arrangements until FBA opens up. That’s simply not a reasonable or convenient way to manage inventory or fulfillment.
The Advantages of ASD Recently, Reggie asked ASD for pricing on inventory preparation for FBA. Knowing ASD could do better than just product prep, ASD’s General Manager, Phil Lanctot, Jr., provided Reggie with a strategy for his entire preparation and fulfillment operation, completely replacing FBA’s services, and adding additional services and benefits - at a lower cost to Reggie.

“There’s a personal touch and alignment of interests that our clients experience when they partner with ASD. Our goal is to help them grow,” says Phil. In getting to know and understand customers’ businesses, ASD promotes their products and services as part of its own marketing strategy.*

ASD is now providing Reggie with a more flexible program at a 25% cost savings, without the additional hassles and stress he experienced as an FBA retailer. “ASD's solution provides me with the best of both worlds,” says Reggie. “I can get FBA-style service through any sales channel: my website, EBay, Etsy, and others.” ASD is proud to be part of the Supreme Vinegar team

*Supreme Vinegar is the official vinegar of ASD

ASD Makes Life Cycle Management of IT Assets Easier

Tue, 04 Jun 2019 13:50:14 GMT

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ASD’s President and General Manager, Phil Lanctot , talks about the convenience and benefits of choosing ASD to assist your business with asset recovery, re-deployment, recycling, and lease returns.

Q: Phil, which types of companies use ASD’s asset management services, such as Virtual Warehouse & Distribution, Service Bench, and Service Anywhere?

A: Large organizations have Asset Management systems. Typically, it’s the physical resources - knowledgeable staff and facilities - that they’re lacking. Assets tend to pile up because these companies don’t generally hire full-time staff to handle the logistics of physically handling used IT equipment. This is equipment should be re-deployed, or returned to a leasing company. Other assets must have the data cleared and disposed of. So they’re also paying to store equipment not in use, which is costly and puts their data at risk. Every office - every business - has a pile of IT assets they’re reluctant to throw away. And the staff is too busy to figure out what to do with it. That’s where ASD comes in.

Q. How does it work when a client is ready for ASD to handle an equipment return?

A. Our team can be onsite with the client to pack the equipment securely for transport. Then we ship the units to the ASD depot. Of course, we provide tracking reports to our clients, so they have a record of the equipment that was recovered and shipped to our storage facility.

Q. Once equipment is received by ASD, what happens?

A. Once we receive the units at ASD, it’s triaged in one of three ways. If the equipment has reached the end of its lease, the ASD team expertly wipes the data from the machine and returns the equipment to the lessor. In this industry, previously used equipment is sometimes redeployed to new users, while it still contains sensitive information that can be accessed with relative ease. In fact, this scenario was a catalyst for a major healthcare provider to call upon ASD to handle disposals, re-deployments, and lease returns of its multi-function printers (MFPs), as health information privacy is of utmost importance.

If the equipment is still under lease, and requires storage until it’s re-deployed, ASD’s staff once again wipes the data for security reasons. They refurbish it to client specifications, making it plug-and-play ready for the next user. The item is then placed in the client’s online “storefront,” where managers can review equipment inventory and select the item for re-deployment when they need it. In the meantime, it’s safely stored at ASD’s facilities.

Finally, older, unusable equipment requires disposal. It needs to be recycled properly, in an environmentally-friendly manner. ASD’s team disposes of electronics in accordance with R2 Guidelines, which is the gold standard for recycling this type of equipment.

ASD recovers, re-deploys, recycles, or returns equipment like (but not limited to):

computers
multi-function printers
phones
tablets
computer carts
medical devices (such as scales or blood pressure equipment)

Why Virtual Workforce & Warehousing Is a Smart Small Business Choice

Tue, 16 Apr 2019 13:50:10 GMT

The expenses associated with operating a small business can be overwhelming - and potentially detrimental to the company’s bottom line.Using virtual solutions may lower your human resources and overhead costs.Plus, you can depend on a reliable staff to get the job done right - without the hassle or frustration of traditional employee management.

Human Capital Costs Money

Not only are loyal and enthusiastic employees hard to find, they’re difficult to retain and (sometimes) manage.Costly, too.If your company hires an employee at an annual salary of $35,000, it will actually cost your business more than $46,000 in compensation, taxes, benefits, work space, tech (equipment and software), and more. Did we mention that it’s estimated that one employee uses about $200 a year in office supplies?

And those are just some of the direct costs associated with employing someone on an annual basis.This doesn’t take into account additional expenses associated with recruitment and hiring, or separation, if the employee should resign or be terminated.Consider the lost revenues while a new employee on-boarding, and not as productive at the outset.And if their performance is generally lacking? Yes, there’s lost revenue there, too.

All these costs add up to a lot of additional administration and management time (and expense), as well as frustration.

An employee hired at an annual salary of $35,000, will cost the employer at least $46,247 or more when all associated costs are considered.

1 Source – ADP payroll

2 Based on two weeks of vacation\personal days.

3 MIT “How much does an employee cost?” article published in the Boston Business Journal. $2,000 represents the minimum cost.

4 Technology is based on a modern mix of equipment and software. Everything has been converted to monthly costs – computer, phone, internet, email and SaaS (software as service – Quickbooks user, Salesforce.com, etc.).

Workplace Woes

Whether you rent or buy, office space is costly.And if your business must maintain an inventory, that’s another expense incurred: warehousing costs. In fact, to maintain and staff a 1,500 square foot warehouse, expect operating costs to exceed $65,000 per year.Housing your business - whether office,warehouse, or both - requires expenses not just for the lease, but for utilities, taxes insurance, equipment, staffing and more. This overhead bites into you profit.

What if there was a better solution, that offers you the cost-effective, dependable staff and warehouse services you want, leaving more money in yourcoffers? There is a better option for small business - or businesses of any size: virtual workforce and warehouse solutions.

1 Based on lease of 1,500 square foot warehouse with lease rate of $5 per square foot, $2.50 per square foot for utilities, taxes and electricity and insurance, $750 per month for minimally equipped warehouse (small fork lift, hand trucks racking, etc.).

2 Based on ASD FTE calculation for $15 per hour employee less workspace.

Virtual Workforce

Imagine an experienced staff that reports to work on-time, is highly productive during work hours, and doesn’t require the additional expense of benefits, payroll taxes, tech, and more.Even better, you don’t have to spend time supervising them.With a Virtual Workforce, like that offered by ASD, you have an experienced team that manages administrative tasks, customer support, and project management, to name just a few items on the list.And with customized solution suites for small businesses ranging from $1,500 to $3,000 per month, you can keep your productivity up - and your costs down.

Virtual Warehousing

For businesses that maintain inventory, warehouse space is a necessity.But at the costs mentioned previously, could be operationally prohibitive for many companies.With Virtual Warehousing, though, businesses can secure the equivalent of that 1,500 square foot warehouse - and the staff to receive, pick, pack, and ship - for about $2,500 per month.Use the money you save to grow your business.

Dare to Compare

Let’s look at the costs a small business can expect for a full-time, administrative employee and that 1,500 square foot warehouse.If that business were to manage this independently, the business owners would be looking at an annual cost of $113, 604.However, with customized Virtual Workforce and/or Virtual Warehousing solutions, like those offered by ASD, the same objectives can be achieved for $48,000 to $66,000 per year - that’s a cost savings of 42% to 58%.

In addition, this business would enjoy benefits including:

$0 capital expense for equipment (technology and warehousing)
Flexible warehouse capacity, on-demand
Customized, flexible business and warehousing services
Expertly managed, experienced administrative and warehouse teams
Service staff available where and when they’re needed
Lower risk and liability
No long-term commitment with ASD
See a cost savings in as little as 30 days
More time to focus on business development

To learn more about ASD’s Virtual Workforce & Warehouse Solutions, contact info@ASDWW.com, call 1-888-639-5685, or click here to contact us directly.

ASD Business Center

Sat, 16 Dec 2017 14:47:56 GMT

Position your business for success with ASD Business Center.

Devote more time and energy to your growing business, with the convenience of on-site services you need for successful daily operations. At ASD’s Business Center, you’ll find a comfortable, professional space in which to work, services that support your goals and growth, and a community of small business owners with whom you can connect and share ideas and insights. For ASD small business customers seeking the workspace they need to take their next business steps, ASD’s Business Center is your solution.

Two affordable plans. Unlimited possibilities.

Choose from two Business Center plans* to advance your business.

Premium provides clients with a workspace designed for entrepreneurs on-the-go, or who are looking for ultra-affordable workspace with a combination of support services you simply can’t find anywhere else, all in one place.

Deluxe offers clients the space and privacy of an executive space, including the ASD Virtual Workforce on which you depend to get the job done right.Deluxe clients also enjoy up to one (1) hour of expert business advising and coaching.

ASD Small Business Solutions

Wed, 14 Dec 2016 14:50:16 GMT

ASD Small Business Solutions

Customized, scalable workforce, warehouse, and business solutions.

In the 2016 State of Small Business Report,* small business owners cite five top operational challenges. If even one of these challenges applies to you, you’re probably seeking solutions right now to help you effectively, efficiently, and affordably continue to operate your business.

Operations Solutions Designed for Small Business

A customized business operations program from ASD fits your needs - and your budget - while addressing those top challenges faced by small business owners like you. Enhance your existing customer service and support capabilities. Utilize experienced administrative and warehouse operations services - without the hassle and the overhead.

Eliminate Human Resources Hassle & Costs

Using ASD’s operations solutions cuts down on the required effort and costs of hiring and maintaining employees. From recruitment fees to workspace expenses, healthcare costs to taxes, training, and more, ASD’s expert staff becomes an extension of your company, without the associated costs.

Grow Revenue & Increase Profit

With the freedom ASD’s business solutions provides, you can focuson building your business. Seek out new customers, develop new products or services, and develop strategic partnerships that create new streams of income. And with the savings afforded by utilizing ASD’s business solutions, you’ll see an increase in your profits that enhance your improved revenue.

Manage Cash Flow

Small businesses require the flexibility to adjust services quickly, to meet the demands of increased sales, or to curb expenses during a slow season. Customize your ASD service program to accommodate your operational needs and best manage your cash flow, so you can confidently continue with business-as-usual.

ASD has the resources you need, wherever and whenever you need them. Pay-as-you-go, with no long-term commitment. Work better. Work smarter, with ASD Small Business Solutions.

Operations Support Designed with Your Business in Mind

Service Desk

Service Desk is your support center. ASD’s team serves as a central point of communication and operations for your customers, employees, and service providers. Our specially-trained staff assists with service delivery, request fulfillment, problem management, and project coordination.

ASD helps you manage the business of your business at a portion of the cost associated with hiring and managing employees. Depend on ASD to be your cost-effective business hub.

Virtual Warehouse & Distribution

Let ASD handle the heavy lifting. No need to secure your own storage, no need to purchase equipment or hire and manage staff. We’ve got it covered, at a fraction of what it would cost to manage these operations on your own.

Reserve storage space with ASD from 50 square feet to 5,000 square feet; we’ll handle the shipping and receiving. If you’re maintaining your tech inventory with us, our trained technicians will assemble, load, test, and configure anything. No matter what, you’ll work confidently knowing we’re managing your stock - the way you want - at every step.

Service Bench

ASD makes it easy for you to configure or reconfigure a product for its next owner with Service Bench. We’ll ensure each item meets proper standards, and is customized according to your specifications. When the process is complete, store it in your ASD Virtual Warehouse space to await its next user, or ship it to an employee or customer you specify.

Service Anywhere

We can pick from the inventory in your ASD Virtual Warehouse space, or we can pick up equipment from one location and deliver it where you need it next. Does the delivery require on-site set-up? No problem. ASD’s network of more than 1,000 field technicians across the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, can install and set-up equipment once it’s delivered.

Use Service Anywhere whenever and wherever you need it. There are no commitments or fixed costs. In many instances, we can fulfill your request on the same day.

Business Advising

Advisory Services provide you with the C-Suite expertise, insight, and advice you need to make the best decisions for your business. Receive top-level support from ASD Partner & General Manager, Philip Lanctot, Jr. We’re here to deliver results you want with this customized, cost-effective investment in your company’s future. Call on us for help with funding, technology, staffing, and more. We’re here to help on your time, with no pressure, long-term contracts, or minimum requirements.

Overcome your business challenges. Contact us today for a free consultation and for your customized ASD Small Business Solution.