By Lew Sabbag

Southwestern Bell Long Distance, a division of SBC Communications Inc., is a leading long distance service provider. SBC outsourced to Banta variable data software development, print production, fulfillment and distribution of the company’s daily orders for welcome kits and calling cards generated through its call center.

Perhaps most significant among the challenges for SBC was the need for highly individualized products that required the supplier to produce personalized letters and kits that were personalized with up to 200 variables. SBC wanted a single-source supplier that could not only fulfill kit orders, but also print the materials and manage the entire process. Turnaround time was definitely a problem. The incumbent supplier took approximately 2-3 weeks to fulfill and deliver an order. Banta was able to print ondemand and deliver the order in 2-3 days. Complicating the matter was the need to get both state and national FCC approval before putting any information into print.

Banta proposed a variable data software solution that allows SBC to customize and personalize the content of its literature and translates it in more than 10 different languages. There are currently 209 individual customer kits, each requiring unique individualized text. In addition, Banta produces, manages and warehouse 182 separate components that make up the kits. The solution was implemented in stages over a four-year period. Kits are individualized based on type of product (plastic card/inquiry kit); type of long distance plan (business or consumer); region (Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, SBC, PacBell, Ameritech, New England Telephone); and by language (English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Portuguese, Polish, Japanese, Braille, and audio).

Banta was able to provide faster turnaround time, near 100% accuracy and a streamlined system that reduced SBC’s program costs. For example, SBC was able to reduce print obsolescence to 3.9%. In the initial stage, Banta also was able to ramp up within 30 days to meet rapidly growing demand that took production from 5,000 to 40,000 kits per day. Banta continues to manage launches in each of SBC’s regions.