Michelin North America Customer Case Study
"They are experts, plain and simple! I could never gain access to the print providers and pricing I received without ALOM’s involvement and their network. And the quality is fantastic!"
Meredith Rigdon, Marketing Communications Manager, Agriculture, Michelin North America
The Challenge
- Time constraints led to reduced print supplier competitive bidding
- No centralized print procurement
- Inconsistent processes across business units
- Time-consuming workflow approvals
- Hard to access historical data and analytics
- Brand approval inconsistency
The Solution
- Customized online print management system—“The Michelin Hub”
- On-site account management
- ALOM project oversight
- Global print supplier network
- Direct online order to dealer distribution
The Benefits
- 10-15% annualized cost savings
- Access to ALOM global print supplier network and competitive bidding
- Brand consistency
- Speed to market
- Sustainability and supplier diversity
- Data capture and report analytics
ALOM Print Management Saves Time and Improves Bottom Line
Michelin North America manufactures and distributes tires representing the brands Michelin, BF Goodrich, and Uniroyal to the automotive, light truck, heavy truck, agriculture, aircraft, two-wheel, and earthmover markets. They also sell the highly esteemed Michelin Red, Green and Orange Guides (restaurant and travel), maps and atlases.
A primary marketing and information delivery tool used by Michelin to reach dealers and consumers is print. Michelin keeps the presses rolling producing catalogs, point-of-sale materials, rebate kits, travel guides, maps, flags, banners and marketing literature. However, with no centralized print management system or processes, each division worked independently resulting in time consuming and non-standardized brand, image and legal approval processes.
Michelin was initially attracted to ALOM because of their high-volume print management experience and the cost and quality benefits from utilizing the ALOM global print supplier network. ALOM placed a full-time account manager and print expert on-site at the Michelin North America headquarters to provide direction and support. ALOM negotiated pricing with preferred print suppliers, enacted an automated multiple bid submission process, and established a dealer online ordering and distribution system. Print projects—many with complex fabrication specifications such as tire stack covers and point-of-purchase (POP) materials—are assigned to ALOM print management experts for project oversight and on-time completion.
ALOM OnePrintPortal™
ALOM provided Michelin with a customized version of their innovative and proprietary online print management solution called OnePrintPortal™, internally referred to by Michelin as “The Michelin Hub”. OnePrintPortal integrates a powerful, cloud-based project collaboration and tracking portal with the production resources of ALOM’s global supplier network and in-house printing capabilities. OnePrintPortal provides collaborative visibility and comprehensive control over the entire print design, review, production, and fulfillment process. Brand compliance is assured by providing access only to current templates and approved digital images. Geographically dispersed project teams are able to develop, review and approve projects in real-time. Inventory controlled print asset libraries are kept updated for fast online ordering and production. OnePrintPortal accepts print quotes directly from multiple suppliers to assure competitive pricing.
Full-service, Value-add Approach
In addition to printing, ALOM’s full-service capabilities for Michelin include assembly, POP display, packaging and distribution services that ensure brand and promotional consistency across the Michelin dealership channel. By partnering with ALOM, Michelin has gained additional value for sustainability through reduced print waste and recycling programs. Michelin’s diverse supplier goals have benefitted by working with ALOM, a certified woman-owned company and through access to ALOM’s vast diverse supplier network.
Nearly two years after ALOM began working with Michelin, costs have been reduced by 10-15% through lower print pricing. Michelin marketing managers report significant time savings, higher quality, and faster project completions due to ALOM recommendations and start-to-finish project monitoring.
