Member Spotlight – Antera Software USA, Inc.
PromoStandards is a community, and those who become members have access to important information and proven service providers. In this member spotlight, we’ll cover Antera Software USA, Inc., a service provider that runs promotional product software for distributors, suppliers, and printers. Here’s an in-depth look into who Antera Software is and how adopting PromoStandards integration helped move their transactions forward. Antera Software Antera Software, founded in 2010 and headquartered in Plano, Texas, specializes in creating and implementing custom software solutions that target challenges faced by promotional products and print industries. Its flagship cloud-based software, Advance, is used by industry professionals worldwide to automate their workflows and manage businesses effectively. Advance offers a comprehensive suite of operational and financial management capabilities, incorporating cutting-edge CRM technology and integrated modules. One of its key features is its Open API technology, which allows for seamless integration with third-party products and common accounting systems, such as QuickBooks. PromoStandards’ Impact Before integrating PromoStandards, Antera Software faced the industry-specific challenge of inconsistent information. Many of their customers were unhappy with the out-of-date data. To come up with a common way to integrate, employees of Antera Software talked with promotional product suppliers and distributors to come up with a common way to integrate. It was these people who mentioned PromoStandards. Antera Software utilizes all PromoStandards endpoints in Advance. This allows customers to collaborate effectively on orders and exchange data, documents, and information in real-time, resulting in tremendous time savings. What’s more, distributors have the ability to see live inventory levels and place orders electronically. Changes made automatically update on the platform. “PromoStandards has allowed our customers to grow exponentially. The accuracy and speed of information from PromoStandards have allowed them to increase their volume of business with fewer employees,” said Rick Peters, CEO of Antera Software USA, Inc. Become a PromoStandards Member! At PromoStandards, we make it easy to communicate with others in your industry. Find suppliers, distributors, and decorators and send and receive information to them in real-time. With four membership levels, you can choose the one that works best for you. Join PromoStandards and start your journey!
Looking Back and Looking Forward – Letter From the Chair
PromoStandards started back in 2014 when a group of highly committed industry technology leaders rolled up their sleeves to create the first set of industry standards from the ground up. “Working in a cramped conference room with fellow executives from the industry’s most prominent companies was an exhilarating and incredibly productive experience,” said PromoStandards Chair Eric Alessi. “These are some of my fondest memories of collaborating in the industry.” The industry, what we expect from technology, and PromoStandards have changed over the course of a decade. As 2023 comes to a close, Alessi reflects on how PromoStandards has evolved. Our Volunteers While many board members maintain a hands-on approach, there has been a notable increase in dedicated volunteers who generously contribute their time and expertise for the betterment of the industry. This influx lightens the load for board members and fosters a more united and cooperative approach toward achieving progress. Our Focus The board is still laser-focused on our mission to facilitate the development and adoption of open interoperability standards. We continue to create new standards, and now we’re at a place where we can update these standards. Order Status 2.0.0 and Order Shipment Notification 2.0.0 are new versions of standards that were released in 2023. Our Future PromoStandards has firmly established itself as the industry standard for digital integration. We’re looking to the future to prepare for what’s next and continue to care for the standards and community we’ve built. We are ready to journey into the next decade and hope you join us. Here’s to a great year in 2024 and the years that lie ahead!
Member Spotlight – Hit Promotional Products
Distributors, suppliers, service providers, and decorators drive the success and growth of the promotional product industry. PromoStandards is an organization where those entities can collaborate to create and integrate industry-changing order communication and management standards. In this member spotlight, we highlight Hit Promotional Products, a top industry supplier that provides premier design services with your favorite in-demand brands. Please keep reading for more on Hit and how PromoStandards has helped its business. About Hit Promotional Products Hit Promotional Products (Hit) is a family-owned business—a leader in the promotional products industry for over 50 years and ranks among the top five suppliers in the U.S. As a PromoStandards Advisory Supplier member, the company holds two spots on our 2024 Board of Directors and a spot as a 2024 Executive Committee member-at-large. The supplier is headquartered in Largo, Florida, and operates production facilities across four states: Florida, New Jersey, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Hit’s collective production space, totaling 1.4 million sq. ft., and 3,000 team members allow the company to produce more than 3,500 orders daily, with about $200 million worth of inventory on the ground, water, or on order at any given time. Throughout its years of operation, Hit has continuously evolved to meet the demands of changing times and customer needs. Today, customers can expect a supplier that: PromoStandards’ Impact “PromoStandards has changed the way we do business internally. Serving up data for order status, tracking, invoice, (etc.), nearly in real-time and at scale has allowed Hit to upgrade systems and build robust internal business processes,” said Raj Mukherjee, CIO at Hit Promotional Products. “It [PromoStandards] has become key to our customer sales cycle.” Before adopting PromoStandards’ industry standards, Hit faced the challenge of integrating with distributors on a case-by-case basis to communicate and manage inventory, invoices, orders, and products. As any supplier in the industry will confirm, specializing their communications systems for each distributor is tedious, time-consuming, and increases the risk of clerical errors and miscommunication. Hit Promotional Products sits among the list of fellow distributors, suppliers, and service providers collaborating to create the first industry standards before PromoStandards’ official founding in 2019. Since then, the company has maintained its leading position in PromoStandards development and integration. Benefits that Hit has observed with PromoStandards integration include: Drive the Industry as a PromoStandards Member! At PromoStandards, we aim to develop, improve, drive the adoption of, and facilitate the integration of promotional product industry communication standards. Our members comprise an extensive community of distributors, suppliers, service providers, and decorators who, by integrating our standards, can send and receive order information in real time. Join PromoStandards today by selecting one of our four membership levels so you can streamline your operations and scale your business.
Member Spotlight – HALO Branded Solutions
PromoStandards is committed to improving supply chain and transactional efficiencies in the promotional products industry. The business was created in 2014 when a dedicated group of distributors, suppliers, and service providers created the first set of industry standards. Over the years, the number of standards grew, and PromoStandards became a nonprofit in 2019. In this member spotlight, we’re highlighting HALO Branded Solutions, one of the founding organizations of PromoStandards. HALO Branded Solutions is the largest promotional product distributor in the United States and has purchasing agreements with more than 250 of the world’s largest suppliers. This robust supplier network allows them to provide excellent pricing and value to their clients. Continue reading to learn more about HALO and how adopting PromoStandards integration helped move their transactions forward. HALO Branded Solutions Established in 1952 and headquartered in Sterling, Illinois, HALO Branded Solutions is the global leader in branded merchandise, company uniforms, and employee recognition and incentive solutions. With a team of over 1,800 members spread across 42 offices worldwide, HALO serves businesses of all sizes, from Fortune 500 companies to thousands of mid and small-size organizations. PromoStandards’ Impact Before integrating PromoStandards, HALO team members had frequent and repeated follow-up calls and emails with suppliers about order status and shipping information. With PromoStandards, this was significantly reduced, and the company experienced more timely communication between account executives and customers on order progress and shipment tracking information. “PromoStandards is a foundational element to our data integration strategy,” said Kevin Pollack, COO of HALO Branded Solutions. “We continue to build around and upon PromoStandards to streamline and standardize a wide variety of order-related processes. We see great value in expanding the use of PromoStandards in the future.” Make Your Business Even Better With PromoStandards PromoStandards makes it easy to communicate with others in the industry. Your business can also reduce the number of phone calls and emails received, thereby saving time and labor. With four membership levels, you can choose the one that works best for you. Join PromoStandards and start your journey!
Member Spotlight – Kotis Design
We are excited to dedicate our member spotlight to the designer and distributor Kotis Design, a promotional products company headquartered in Seattle, Washington. Kotis Design CEO and Founder Jeff Becker launched the company in 2003 after he graduated from the University of Washington. However, Kotis Design’s origins date back to 2001 when Becker started a student-run, custom-design T-shirt business. Today, the company’s operations have grown larger than life. About Kotis Design Kotis Design is a full-spectrum, custom swag-management platform. Much like PromoStandards, Kotis Design aims to advance the industry’s traditional practices by owning the end-to-end workflow of product and design ideation and implementing services, including (but not limited to): The Swag Platform & Portals The swag platform and portals allow consumers to manage and ship their swag quickly and offer various solutions to enable organizations to distribute their swag. Providing Premier Swag Organizations will find that there are many ways they can create their swag. Kotis Design offers phenomenal options for fully-custom designs to swag guides for specific products or kits you’d like to curate. The design and fulfillment-management platform utilizes a creative agency approach and its in-house workshop to control its clients’ branded swag from start to finish. The platform is committed to elevating an organization’s brand through merch and swag. That includes partnering with trusted retail brands for anything an organization may need, such as: Brands that help run and scale Kotis Design’s swag programs include the following: PromoStandards’ Impact “Innovation is a key part of our company, thinking outside the box and anticipating how tomorrow’s needs will differ from today,” says Kotis Design CTO Daniel Becker. “People these days expect everyone’s systems to work seamlessly with each other, and PromoStandards makes that possible. It allows our employees to spend less time on data management and more time working on creative ideas for clients, providing better and faster services.” How Did Kotis Design Discover PromoStandards? We started using PromoStandards in 2016 after hearing about it from supplier partners and industry newsletters. We were immediately eager to jump at the chance to streamline our operations. At that time, we already had custom integrations with multiple apparel suppliers and wanted to add more. But integrating separately with each of the many suppliers was impractical on a large scale. Universal integration for suppliers was a game changer for us. How Has PromoStandards Helped Kotis Design? Tedious data entry tasks are such a problem. No one likes doing them. They’re too slow and susceptible to human error. Yet, computers love these tasks and work 24/7 – a match made in heaven! Getting order status, tracking, and invoice data back from suppliers automatically saves us a ton of data entry. The info gets into our system faster, and we have more data points. For example, the invoices via PromoStandards include line-item details that we don’t even bother entering for non-PromoStandards invoices. That lack of data has cascading impacts down the line. What Improvements Have You Seen in the Company’s Workflow? While we still have (a lot) more to do to take advantage of PomoStandards’ resources, the non-profit has already helped us, providing a viable path to improving our workflow. Even when we haven’t implemented specific standards, we’ve inevitably altered how our teams work to anticipate the coming changes. It’s like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Become A PromoStandards Member! We simplify communication between suppliers, decorators, distributors, and service providers. Streamlining product development and management in the custom products industries is necessary to keep up with growing demands and a complicated supply chain. That’s why our standards are free for anyone who needs to use them. However, we also offer extra resources that can create even more positive change for your business. View our Membership Application today to learn more about our three membership levels.If you have questions about PromoStandards or want to get involved with our organization, please contact us at https://promostandards.org/membership-application.
Member Spotlight: SnugZ USA
PromoStandards is a community, and those who become members have access to important information and proven service providers. In this member spotlight, we’ll cover Antera Software USA, Inc., a service provider that runs promotional product software for distributors, suppliers, and printers. Here’s an in-depth look into who Antera Software is and how adopting PromoStandards integration helped move their transactions forward. Antera Software Antera Software, founded in 2010 and headquartered in Plano, Texas, specializes in creating and implementing custom software solutions that target challenges faced by promotional products and print industries. Its flagship cloud-based software, Advance, is used by industry professionals worldwide to automate their workflows and manage businesses effectively. Advance offers a comprehensive suite of operational and financial management capabilities, incorporating cutting-edge CRM technology and integrated modules. One of its key features is its Open API technology, which allows for seamless integration with third-party products and common accounting systems, such as QuickBooks. PromoStandards’ Impact Before integrating PromoStandards, Antera Software faced the industry-specific challenge of inconsistent information. Many of their customers were unhappy with the out-of-date data. To come up with a common way to integrate, employees of Antera Software talked with promotional product suppliers and distributors to come up with a common way to integrate. It was these people who mentioned PromoStandards. Antera Software utilizes all PromoStandards endpoints in Advance. This allows customers to collaborate effectively on orders and exchange data, documents, and information in real-time, resulting in tremendous time savings. What’s more, distributors have the ability to see live inventory levels and place orders electronically. Changes made automatically update on the platform. “PromoStandards has allowed our customers to grow exponentially. The accuracy and speed of information from PromoStandards have allowed them to increase their volume of business with fewer employees,” said Rick Peters, CEO of Antera Software USA, Inc. Become a PromoStandards Member! At PromoStandards, we make it easy to communicate with others in your industry. Find suppliers, distributors, and decorators and send and receive information to them in real-time. With four membership levels, you can choose the one that works best for you. Join PromoStandards and start your journey!
Member Spotlight – Geiger
PromoStandards is a community, and those who become members have access to important information and proven service providers. In this member spotlight, we’ll cover Geiger, the world’s largest privately held and family-owned promotional products distributor. Here’s an in-depth look into who Geiger is and how adopting PromoStandards integration helped move their transactions forward. Geiger Geiger is a fifth-generation business founded in 1878 when brothers Andrew and Jacob took over their father’s print shop in Newark, New Jersey. Over 140 years later, the family still serves on the Board of Directors, while Jo-an Lantz became the first non-family President and CEO in 2019. Geiger has been headquartered in Lewiston, Maine since 1955. In 2018, the company acquired BTC Group in London. As GeigerBTC Group, the two firms strengthened their global reach by reducing shipping time and costs for their customers in North America and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Today, Geiger has offices throughout the US and Europe and is affiliated with more than 450 independent sales representatives. PromoStandards’ Impact Before integrating PromoStandards, Geiger faced industry-specific challenges, primarily the cumbersome process of obtaining order updates and product data from suppliers. This involved manual efforts, which led to individual phone calls, extended response times, and error-prone interactions. There had to be a better way, and as such, Geiger became one of the founders of PromoStandards. PromoStandards has significantly transformed Geiger, enabling them to deliver more value quickly and focus more on enhancing customer service and providing brand inspiration. Geiger is in the process of modernizing its tech stack and is well into its digital transformation journey. Automation plays a huge part in this, and PromoStandards will have a big role in the company’s future state. “The concept of PromoStandards is truly outstanding!” said Becci Cayer, Corporate e-Commerce Manager at Geiger. “It offers tremendous benefits to both suppliers and distributors through seamless electronic data exchange. The remarkable progress that PromoStandards has already made is a testament to these advantages.” Cayer continued, “While there is still much ground to cover in terms of data standardization, PromoStandards is at the forefront, diligently pioneering efforts to enhance and simplify the promotional products industry.” Become a PromoStandards Member! At PromoStandards, we make it easy to communicate with others in your industry. Find suppliers, distributors, and decorators and send and receive information to them in real time. With four membership levels, you can choose the one that works best for you. Join PromoStandards and start your journey!
Member Spotlight – alphabroder
PromoStandards facilitates the development and adoption of technology standards and oversees these standards for businesses and nonprofit organizations worldwide. When in place, these standards allow suppliers, distributors, and decorators to automatically send and receive information in real time, effectively scaling business transactions. This month, we’re highlighting PromoStandards member alphabroder, a leading supplier of imprintable apparel and accessories. Here, you’ll learn about alphabroder and how adopting PromoStandards integration helped move their transactions forward. alphabroder Founded in 1919 and headquartered in Trevose, Pennsylvania, alphabroder carries over 6,500 styles from 60+ brands of classic and trending products. The company, formally known as Broder Bros., Co., offers a wide range of items, including t-shirts, drinkware, bags, journals, and more. Their customer base consists of promotional product distributors, athletic team dealers, screen printers, embroiderers, online retailers, and thousands of other businesses. PromoStandards’ Impact Prior to integrating PromoStandards, alphabroder had a suite of custom APIs and feeds that customers would integrate. While this generally worked well, educating customers on how to use these mechanisms was a persistent challenge. Additionally, there was no standard language for discussing decoration orders, decoration setup parameters, and available decoration options. PromoStandards has proven helpful for alphabroder. Customers already have a good idea of what’s involved regarding PromoStandards integrations, which means fewer back-and-forth conversations about what APIs mean and where to obtain certain data. As a result, integrations are completed much faster. In some cases, customers already have their PromoStandards integration set up! “PromoStandards has contributed greatly to standardizing integration conversations with our customers. It’s removed much of the discovery phase and allowed us to get straight into implementation,” said Aaron Anderson, Sr. Director of Software Engineering at alphabroder. Become a PromoStandards Member! At PromoStandards, we understand streamlining product development and management is necessary to keep up with growing demands and a complicated supply chain. That’s why our standards are free for anyone who needs to use them. We also offer resources for our members, helping them to create even more positive change for their businesses. Members can join events, chat with the entire PromoStandards community through our Slack channel, have full access to our directory of service providers, and more. To get started, join one of our membership levels today!
