BIC Graphic Now Directly Connected to ASI’s ESP

Distributors can submit online orders that reflect real-time inventory and order status

TREVOSE, PA – September 12, 2016 –The Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI) today announced Top 40 supplier BIC Graphic and its proprietary brands, BIC® and Norwood®, are now directly connected to ASI’s ESP®.

Distributors can now submit orders for BIC (asi/40480) and Norwood (asi/74400) products directly from the ESP Web®platform, eliminating the need to send orders via email, fax or phone. In addition, distributors can now check inventory levels in real time for those products and receive real-time order status updates directly from the suppliers – all in ESP.

With 2015 sales of $321.2 million, BIC Graphic ranked No. 4 on ASI’s most recent annual Top 40 ranking of the biggest companies in the $22 billion promotional products industry.

“We are excited to add real-time information about order status and inventory to the ASI technology platform,” said Tim Nale, director of IT for BIC Graphic North America. “Putting this information at the distributors’ fingertips provides a real advantage to them. The addition of well-formed electronic orders speeds the process and reduces errors, both great wins for our customers. The collaborative nature of ASI’s technology team made this a good experience for all involved.”

As of today, over 75 suppliers – a mix of Top 40, mid-sized and small companies – are in the process of integrating with ESP, with more than 30 suppliers already offering live inventory.

On September 15, suppliers can join an online town hall with ASI Chief Technology Officer Armughan Rafat and BIC Graphic’s Tim Nale to view a live demonstration of direct integration with ESP. Throughout the 30-minute webinar, ASI technology experts will be on hand to answer questions submitted by participants. Afterward, suppliers are welcome to join ASI’s waiting list for integration.

Click here to join the Thursday, September 15, town hall webinar, taking place from 1-1:30 p.m. ET. The recorded webinar will also be posted to ASI’s website, www.asicentral.com.

“Direct integration in ESP represents nothing less than the future of the promotional product industry and ASI is moving as fast as possible to bring suppliers of all sizes on board, reducing response time and increasing efficiency throughout the industry,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI.

As suppliers become e-commerce-enabled in the new ESP platform, distributors will be able to seamlessly place orders and receive status updates directly from suppliers without leaving ESP.

ASI distributors are now enjoying the benefits of the new ESP CRM and Orders, which allows distributors to easily add existing contacts and view all past conversations by clicking on a company’s profile, where all orders, quotes and shared presentations pop into view, simplifying re-orders.

Since it’s synced with ESP’s robust product database, the new ESP Orders auto-populates all product data, eliminating rekeying of information.

Suppliers tell ASI that about 70% of promotional product orders sent by distributors are incomplete, leading to numerous emails and follow up phone calls. When they manage all daily business operations in ESP, viewing inventory and product info at a glance, distributors can save an estimated 45 minutes per day, thanks to increased efficiencies.

For more information on integration, contact Christy Tramdaks, ASI’s director of integration solutions, at [email protected].

About ASI
The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI®) serves a network of 25,000 suppliers, distributors and decorators in the $22 billion promotional products industry. ASI’s flagship product, the technology platform ESP®, manages the industry’s entire supply and marketing chain. ASI also produces award-winning digital and print content, live events and educational programs that enable companies in 61 countries to be more efficient, productive and profitable. ASI’s Counselor® magazine provides the most authoritative business content in the industry, and the ASI Certification Program features 500+ live and online education courses for over 40,000 professionals. The company, family owned and operated since 1962, is proud to have been consistently ranked among the “Best Places to Work” in Philadelphia and Bucks County, PA. For more info: www.asicentral.com.

About BIC Graphic
BIC Graphic is a leading supplier in the promotional products industry offering the most comprehensive product assortment with the widest variety of decoration methods. In addition to the BIC® collection of products, BIC Graphic offers well-known, proprietary brands such as Norwood®, KOOZIE®, Atchison®, Triumph® and JAFFA®. They also offer prestigious partner brands such as myCharge®, Cool Gear®, Cocoon®, Leatherman® and several golf brands. Visit www.bicgraphic.com to learn more.