At the height of the pandemic, many e-commerce businesses encountered an increase in customer demand and challenges procuring pack & ship essentials. This rings true for Staples Professional customer Jacent, a strategic merchandising solutions company that sources, warehouses, ships, and stocks over 3,500 impulse items to 14,000 retail stores across the U.S. and Canada.
As a trusted partner, Staples Professional helped Jacent address a major inventory roadblock so they could expedite company growth. Here’s how Tracy, Account Manager at Staples Professional, and her team came up with the solution.
The initial challenge
Jacent’s initial corrugated box supplier was based in the U.S., with product made and shipped in Canada. However, Jacent was having to order extremely large volumes to keep a minimum of three months’ worth of supply on hand. These tractor trailers’ worth of corrugated boxes were being stored in their facility, but soon enough Jacent had reached maximum capacity. By the fall of 2020, Jacent’s business was booming, but with valuable storage space being used for operational supplies versus business inventory they knew they needed to come up with a solution fast. Enter Staples Professional.
Coming to a solution
Since the inception of Staples Professional’s partnership with Jacent in 2019, Tracy had been working with Curt Bistonath, General Manager of Operations, learning the organization’s challenges and needs. “I understood their internal process and business,” she says. “This also allowed me to build trust and open communication.” So, when the time came around to problem-solve their inventory issue, Tracy and her team were ready to make the necessary recommendations.
Staples Professional developed a plan that saw Jacent sourcing the boxes in Canada, rather than the U.S. Staples is able to leverage their buying power and economy of scale with local Canadian corrugated manufacturers and source a cost effective solution. The new dropship program has resolved Jacent’s inventory problems, and as a result, they no longer store boxes at their facility or have the capital tied up in inventory. This Just In Time (JIT) situation helps Jacent keep carrying costs lower as they will not be holding excess inventory. With the product being directly delivered to the customer, it also resulted in costs saved because of reduced transportation time. “Staples Professional had a better solution, but most of all, their ability to hold on to a month’s worth of supply if business picked up was turnkey for us,” says Bistonath. By storing the product at the vendor, not only was Jacent able to address the increase in their current customer base’s orders, but they even took on new customers since they knew they had the box supply.
What’s more, Jacent’s new corrugated boxes were designed with company branding in mind. All custom packaging boxes featured the company logo and contact information, and were created with specific size measurements and brand new dyes.
Staying ahead of the curve
At the height of the pandemic while sourcing a new vendor for Jacent, Tracy and her team had been following pack and ship industry updates closely. When they became aware that a particular company had been monopolizing the corrugated box supply, Tracy notified the client and acted on sourcing the product fast, resulting in only one SKU being affected. “Our open communication with Jacent allowed us to stay ahead of the curve with potential pandemic constraints and anticipate the future,” says Tracy.
Open communication is also what led Staples Professional to help Jacent source shipping pallets during an internal crisis. Joan, Facilities Supplies Specialist, worked quickly with Staples Professional’s internal transportation and warehouse team to provide the customer with pallets to hold them over until they were able to source some.
Building a relationship
Throughout the partnership with Jacent, Staples Professional has prided itself in being a one-stop shop for resolutions. What first started as Jacent’s source for office products, soon became a destination for corrugated boxes and eventually, IT peripherals, such as monitors, keyboards and mice. Staples Professional has now even implemented a Managed Print Program at Jacent’s office. “Curt now comes to me for all his business needs and looks to Staples Professional as a trusted partner — not only for product solutions, but innovation as well,” says Tracy.
Through open communication, Tracy — along with team members Joan and Abhishek, a Technology Specialist — have been able to provide guidance to the customer and prepare for any situations that may arise to cause minimal impact to their business.
For Staples Professional, Jacent is more than just a customer — it’s a growing relationship.
“It’s one of the best business partnerships I’ve had in my career,” says Bistonath. “It’s equally beneficial and when we work on projects together, I have the confidence that everything I need will be solved.”
Read more:
Procurement Made Easy with the Staples Professional Premium Membership Program
How Staples Professional Kept a Community College Clean and Safe During the Pandemic
Q&A: Sustainability in Business with Staples Professional President Michelle Micuda
