Case Studies

Below are a number of case studies which highlight Horner Brothers Print Group print and print management competitive advantages

The case studies are also attached as pdf files, click to download.

Partnerships in Care (PiC)

SCENARIO
Horners was invited to tender for PiC's full print
requirements alongside some of the UK's leading
print providers. Following an exercise to short list to
the top 6 and a presentation and due diligence
visit, Horners were awarded a two year Print
Management contract with Partnerships in Care (PiC),
the UK’s leading specialist in mental health care and
related services.
PiC previously used a variety of print suppliers, their
brand management was not controlled and as a
consequence there was a danger of brand
inconsistency across a number of widespread
locations in the UK.
The ordering process for print was manual with fax,
post and email used. There was also no access to
real-time management information.
For the first time Partnerships in Care now have a
fully integrated method to order their goods online
using Horners very own in house developed web
ordering platform.
This has enabled the 15 regional offices to order stock
and personalised stationery items via a tailored web
site and also given them round the clock access to real
time management information.
OBJECTIVES
• Quick & efficient implementation process
• Product rationalisation
• Management of brand identity
• Cost savings
ACHIEVEMENTS
Implementation process
• Four week “Go Live” date agreed
• Implementation plan designed
• Site visits undertaken
- Horners introduced
- Print samples collected
- Online ordering training arranged
- Project goes live.
Product rationalisation
• Product specifications identified.
• Consolidation of samples into single product list.
• Duplicated and obsolete items discontinued.
Management of brand identity
• All artwork obtained and checked against
corporate guidelines.
• Artwork consolidated and imported onto custom
built PiC branded website.
• Consistency retained by continuing to review
products within guidelines.
Cost Savings
Proactively suggested potential cost savings by
reviewing :-
• Product specifications.
• Artwork and stock rationalisation.
• Slow and non moving stock.
Horner Brothers is now responsible for the
manufacture, procurement and stock management of
a portfolio of print on demand products, including
marketing print, operational forms and corporate
stationery. These are managed and distributed from
Horner Brothers’ own 36,000 sq ft warehouse facility.
Care First Director Jane Neal said "we believe that
by working with Horners, we aim to reduce our
overhead costs through the rationalisation of our
product portfolio, whilst maintaining a consistent
brand identity."
Horners Managing Director Judith Fox said, we are
delighted Partnerships in Care have chosen Horner
Brothers as their supplier of print management
services. We will be working with them as they
develop their business and supporting their growth.”

HBOS Group

The relationship with the HBOS Group is another example of a complete client solution. Horners is their main supplier of
operational forms and as part of this service works in conjunction with the 3rd Party supplier of warehousing and
distribution, appointed by the customer, to deliver an end-to-end solution for the provision of print.
In addition to operational print held at the 3rd party warehouse, Horner Brothers supplies Print on Demand items
directly to end users within the HBOS Group and is also the preferred supplier of its Personalised Stationery.
Statistics
• 800 imprest stock forms.
• 700 operational print on demand items
• 100 personalise stationery products
• 30,000 personalisation’s per year
Achievements
• Stock portfolio reduction of over 700 lines
• Stock value reduction of over 50%
• Development and introduction of web ordering platform for Personalised Stationery.
• Management of Brand and Regulatory requirements.

Prudential PLC

Over the last 5 years, Horners have been a supplier of Personalised
Corporate Stationery Print, Operational Print and Point of Sale
Print to the Prudential PLC. Horners do not have an exclusivity
agreement and as such the client organises their Point of Sale
material to be printed and then delivered into the Horners
Warehouse & Distribution Centre. There are four key elements
of the Horners service offering, these are full Stock Management,
Personalised Corporate Stationery, Print on demand and a fully
interactive website with on-line ordering and management
information facilities.
Corporate Stationery - Horners manufacture Letterheads, With
Compliments Slips and Business Cards within the Corporate
Stationery division, which operates to a SLA and to agreed
brand & compliance guidelines.
Ad-Hoc Print on Demand - Orders are received from users via
email or fax, and are accepted only with cost centre data.
WEB Enabled Order Capture, Stock Management & MI - The
Horners website (WEBBOSS) fulfils three functions:
ORDER CAPTURE
Corporate Stationery and orders for stock are captured,
complete with financial and all other necessary information, by
WEBBOSS and are downloaded into the appropriate channel
within our business.
Corporate Stationery users create their own artwork for their
product and approve it as part of the on-line order process.
Controls exist within the system to prevent users over-ordering
or stepping outside brand & business area guidelines, or from
having goods delivered incorrectly.
Orders for stock are collected and, if the amount ordered
exceeds that available, a message is flashed to the customer
informing them that the balance of their order will be fulfilled
once replenishment has taken place and the goods are put
to stock.
Delivery of stock is again governed by a SLA, and is completed
by the Prudential’s nominated carriage supplier, who invoices
their customer direct.
STOCK MANAGEMENT
The stock portfolio of approx 1300 lines is split into two
sections, broadly Common User & Marketing Collateral.
Common User:
Approx 80 lines that are printed and owned by Horners. We
manage the CU items by plotting usage and referring to the CU
form owner (for details of changes etc that would prevent the
line being re-printed) when replenishment is due. Unless
instructions are received to the contrary, printing then takes
place and the goods are put to stock.
Marketing Collateral:
Owned by Prudential and manufactured by their rostered
suppliers, the lines are managed by the Prudential’s Form
Owners. The Form Owner (marketeer) is responsible for
obtaining management information for each item in their
portfolio from WEBBOSS. From there, actions are handled by the
Strategic Sourcing team who place orders on the rostered
supplier which alerts Horners Warehouse team that
replenishment or replacement stock is inbound. Horners manage
the physical movement stock from this information.
Stockholding, Pick, Pack & Distribution - Prudential stock is held
in a mixture of large and small pickfaces, depending on the
usage & bulk of the item involved. The operation is financed by
an activity based fee attached to all live stock lines and lines
that are suspended but nevertheless have stock present.
Discontinued lines and suspended lines with no stock do not
attract a charge. On receipt of the Client’s call-off order, a picking
list is produced containing all the details necessary for the pick,
pack & dispatch operation, including a note of any issues with
the line in question – insufficient stock level, for example. The
pick/pack operation is subject to several quality checks
designed to minimise the number of items despatched
incorrectly. Performance is currently rated at an accuracy level
of above 99%.
To follow is a summary of the business’ achievements to date in
delivering operational value and cost savings (in excess of
£2.3m) to Prudential:
• Removing obsolescence from the stock portfolio -
£0.9m over 2 years
• Rationalising the envelope portfolio – reduction of 75%
in volume.
• Reducing the cost of stock maintenance (monthly
management fee) - £1.6m over 4 years.
• Development, implementation and maintenance of the
WEBBOSS platform.
• Design & implementation of a tailored MI solution.
• Successful management of multiple brand re-alignments.
• Successful management of FSA regulatory changes.

Centrica Group

Horners are a long established supplier of Operational
Print and Personalised Corporate Stationery Print to the
Centrica Group. There are four key elements of the
Horners service offering, these are full Stock Management,
Personalised Corporate Stationery, Print on demand and
a fully interactive website with on-line ordering and
management information facilities.
Stock Management - Horners stock manage a portfolio of
200 items, stock products predominantly consist of NCR
books, pads, sets and volume letterheads. All orders are
placed via the on-line ordering system, and downloaded
directly into our systems for pick, pack and despatch.
Within the contract documents are items used by British
Gas field engineers. All engineers order via the web
based order system and Horners deliver weekly to each
engineer’s home address.
Personalised Corporate Stationery – this sector consists
of 50 items sitting across 5 brands. All Brand and
Compliance requirements for these items are controlled
and monitored to the stringent guidelines set by the
Centrica Group. Horners produce on average 250 different
personalisation’s every month across the full range of
items. The client is able to order and proof their own
personalisation requirements via the Centrica/Horners
website.
Print on Demand – This arena consists of over 1,000
items, as with the stock arena these items
predominantly consist of Operational Print products. All
requests are ordered by a Central Documentation team
via the website and are manufactured in-house with
delivery direct to the end user in-line with the predetermined
service levels.
Fully Interactive Website - Through the Horners IT
infrastructure the client can place orders for both call-off
from stock and the replenishment of stock items,
monitor current stock levels and obtain live on line
management information.