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Executive Insights:  Everyone Plays a Critical Role
in Creating the Customer Experience

By Arlene Lacharite       

It's not uncommon for companies to place the responsibility of delivering a great customer experience in the hands of their sales and management teams or customer service representatives.  Departments, such as IT, that are two or more handshakes away from the customer, are overlooked as an active contributor that helps define the customer experience.  However, savvy organizations understand that every employee plays an important role in delivering the best experience possible to its clients.

By definition, IT departments define and deliver information.  Abacus' IT group, known as the Technology and Development Group (TD), achieves this by putting critical information in the hands of Abacus employees and customers in a form they can use — in an effective manner.  The end result is greater value not only to Abacus but ultimately, to Abacus customers and the TD Group plays an important role in shaping our customers' experience.

Time and time again, our TD team creates and delivers smart solutions and processes that improve our ability to deliver great solutions to our customers.  Abacus is where it is today in large part because of our tremendous engineering and process efficiencies and our ability to deliver accurate data, models and database updates, and more to our customers.

By way of illustration, Abacus' new Order Management (OMS) and Recommendation Management (RMS) systems designed by the TD Group improve how efficiently we process customer orders.  These systems close the loop between client recommendations, production jobs and client results and ultimately achieve a better, timely customer experience.

When the Broomfield office moves to their new building, we will be transitioning to Voice over IP (VoIP).  The Systems and Network Services Group is deploying this technology which combines voice and digital on the same infrastructure.  Advantages with this new system are, the ability for employees to access voice mail via email, archiving of voice mail, and ability to attach documents to voice messages.

The Statistical Services team is responsible for a large revenue stream and high customer satisfaction with custom response/revenue models, custom analytics, new product development such as Sequent and Apricot, and stats consulting with so many of our key accounts.

Our dedicated Software Quality Assurance Team is charged with ensuring we don't deliver defective software and therefore, defective products to our customers.  This can be a daunting task but this team focuses on it every day by putting themselves in the clients' shoes to make certain we deliver the software products they need with the reliability they require.

The ClearEDGE Engineering Team is presently engaged in a large scale re-engineering effort driven by client feedback and new requirements.  ClearEDGE V1 opened the door for a new paradigm in data hosting and campaign management and the quick acceptance resulted in substantial feedback and suggestions for improvements which the team is executing against to bring the product to the next level.

The DataEDGE Engineering team works very closely with the Client Services team to provide new functionality and performance enhancements on a regular basis.  Threading of DataEDGE across multiple processors in a grid configuration is nearly ready for production and will enable us complete the merge three to five times faster than present processing.

The Implementation Services team delivers both ClearEDGE and dbEDGE solutions that meet and exceed clients' needs.  The best testament to this is the ever growing retainer and repeat business Abacus has enjoyed from the clients in this space such as AOL, AT&T, Barnes & Noble, etc.

Data Acquisition and Client Programming are new teams added to the TD department. They are critical functions to Abacus.  The data on the Alliance is a key asset and the Data Acquisition and Client Programming teams work hard every day to ensure timeliness and accuracy.

Whether it's the TD Group's ability to improve our processes and our systems, building clients' marketing databases, delivering analytical solutions, ensuring a stable and modern hardware infrastructure, or ensuring the integrity and security of the AMF, all speak volumes to the fact that every employee plays a critical role and can help shape a lasting impression and a great customer experience.

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Market Success:  FastPath is In the Fast Lane

By Inga Peterson

For many of our clients, maintaining the traditional approach to circulation management no longer allows them to achieve their financial objectives.  The lengthy and time-consuming process of compiling multiple lists from multiple sources, and managing a network of relationships with list brokers and service bureaus adds a layer of complexity to circulation strategy and reduces the profitability of each campaign.

As clients' merchandise, fulfillment, production and mailing costs continue to rise, they need a simplified and more effective approach to circulation planning — so it's not surprising then that we have seen strong interest in FastPath.

To date we have had rolled out two clients, and are actively working with 21 clients on testing in-the-mail and/or moving directly to rollout.  We anticipate more than 40 marketers testing the solution in 2006.

For one of the campaigns where we have rolled out 3mm names, FastPath improved client contribution by $140k while reducing direct cost by approx. $50k.  Over the course of one year the potential is to increase contribution by $625k on approx. $20mm book.

The concept of FastPath is really simple — we provide a complete prospect universe from the Abacus Alliance database and perform all necessary list processing services —- such as list hygiene, and NCOA, as well as postal qualification and inkjet formatting — for the entire mailing.  This translates into our clients realizing multiple benefits, including:

• Improved list recency — we estimate 4-12 week increase in list recency. Clients will be able to leverage the most up-to-date information on customer buying behavior available anywhere
   

• Reduced list and processing costs — we estimate $10-$50K cost savings per campaign by eliminating broker, exchange, and merges fees, and offering volume discounts
   

• Better use of marketing resources and budget — we anticipate that marketers will need to spend less time and effort on acquiring and preparing lists, and more time on developing marketing programs
   

• Increased list rental income — we anticipate 70-120% increase in list rental income by eliminating exchanges

Steve August, OVP of Customer Marketing, Brookstone was quoted in our launch press release as saying: "For companies to remain competitive in today's environment, they need next-generation solutions that streamline the process of getting into the mail for reduced costs, increased efficiency and better results.  FastPath fits the bill."

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What's New?  The New Lafayette Corporate Headquarters

By Janet Muller

Why should we be excited about the upcoming move of the Corporate Headquarters to Lafayette?

Beyond just the age old notion that change is good, once you see the fresh and energetic environment that the new office space provides — you'll wonder how we ever flourished without it!

We'll be making the big move on Friday, April 21. Our dedicated Facilities and CIT teams, and other volunteers will be working hard over the weekend so employees can come to a great new space on the following Monday morning.  Here are just a few perks that you should start to get eager for:

• Double the amount of conference rooms — anyone who has ever felt the pain of trying to find a conference room for a last minute meeting will understand why this is so notable.
   

• Voice over IP phone system — this is the latest phone technology available. Everyone will have a display phone and among the plethora of improvements this system offers, is the ability to send voicemail messages to your email.  Training will be set up within the next month to get everyone familiar with the new system before the move.
   

• New furniture — there have been some whispers of trepidation over the lower cubical walls that we will have — but keep in mind that the new furniture provides "seated privacy" and the open communication and energy the design fosters is unparalleled.
   

• Personal Harbors — If you do have the need for a bit more privacy, there are personal harbors scattered throughout the office that serve as charming enclosed phone booths that will afford you any extra seclusion you may require.
   

• Mom's Room — there will be a private room equipped with couches and comforts that will make new Mothers transition back to work a bit more manageable.
   

• Parking is more abundant, a RTD bus stop right outside the building and the Cold Creek Bike Path is just steps away from the outside pavilion and picnic tables.
   

• The fitness room and lockers that many have come accustomed to will be mirrored in the new building and you should be on the look-out for fitness classes and Team Abacus event postings.
   

• The game room will not be following us — which means there will be an auction held soon for the game room equipment with the proceeds going to charity. So if you've had your eye on the air hockey table or Donkey Kong — now is your chance!

The amount of work and thought that is going into the new Abacus workspace will be evident when you walk through the doors on April 24th, so let the buzz and excitement begin... less than 6 weeks and counting!  More pictures of the new space are available at T:\Public\New Lafayette Building Pictures.

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