HSE Books... a guiding light in public service provision

Each year the Publishing Division of the Health and Safety Executive has to cope with around 115,000 orders for its health and safety related literature. And with something in the region of 1500 different product lines to pick from, the bulk storage, fulfilment and customer service logistics involved are enormous.

Prolog has been the 'moving force' behind HSE Books's literature distribution for almost two decades, during which the account has become not only one of our biggest and most complex, but an impressive model to demonstrate Prolog's unique ability to provide truly TOTAL MARKETING SUPPORT, a model that has earned HSE the coveted Beacon Status for outstanding public-private sector co-operation and synergy.

Each year the Publishing Division of the Health and Safety Executive has to cope with around 115,000 orders for its health and safety related literature. And with something in the region of 1500 different specialist publication titles to pick from, the bulk storage, fulfilment and customer service logistics involved are enormous.

While bulk storage and distribution continue to underpin the activity, the scope of the account since it began in 1993 has expanded virtually year-on-year, until today it sweeps across database management, multi-channel order taking, banking, credit control, mailing campaign fulfilment and multi-channel customer services, including bulk e-mail.

Over the years, HSE Books has benefited by outsourcing more and more of its activities to Prolog, leaving its own staff free to focus on prime objectives. Day-to-day management of subscriptions services, standing orders, bookseller returns, campaign handling and analysis and the compilation of monthly management reports have all been devolved to Prolog, both at our contact centre at Sudbury, Suffolk and to our massive storage and distribution complex in the East Midlands.

Throughout its relationship with HSE, Prolog has sought out ways to lift more of the burden from our government client: We have installed custom print-on-demand facilities to replenish stocks and sustain low-demand lines cost effectively; we have created bespoke poly-wrapping lines to speed collation and despatch; and when HSE sought to streamline its video and DVD duplication, Prolog took that on as well!

In a supplier relationship that has blossomed into an acclaimed marketing partnership, Prolog does the worrying on behalf of its client; we provide IT expertise when and where it's needed; we train our own expert staff to support HSE at shows, we undertake bookshop visits on their behalf; and we regularly provide creative and studio support to generate promotional and campaign materials when the pressure on the client's own Mersyside-based design and publishing facility gets too great.

Here's how it works: Prolog's Communications Centre in Sudbury is home for an account-dedicated telemarketing team who provide expert customer service and assistance while also taking and processing orders.

Callers use their key-pad to select (1) to order; but most need help in finding the literature they need, so they choose (2) to speak to a Prolog customer service agent who, with fast key-word search facilities, is able to offer them friendly, prompt and well informed support.

Publications are stored and despatched at one of Prolog's state-of-the-art warehouses at Sherwood Park, near Nottingham which features 'live carton storage' along with 'Despatch Manager' software to generate documentation directly onto packing bench printers.

Computerised pick lists and despatch notes identifying item locations are produced for all orders via high-speed communications links between Prolog's warehouse and its Communications Centre. Rolling stock counts are kept on all publications to ensure minimum disruption to order processing.

All records are flagged with comprehensive customer data, allowing HSE to select for a range of targeted direct marketing activity through mail, through bulk e-mail or by outbound calling.

Prolog's systems, and its stock and order reconciliation, are scrutinised regularly by the National Audit Office, and one of their key requirements is security of the database.

Prolog recommends that all its clients make use of ZipCounts, its high-level data mining software tool that provides fast and easy access to valuable demographic information. HSE uses ZipCounts to pinpoint customer characteristics within identified subject interests and marketing segments, and receives regular monthly analyses as part of the Prolog service. Prolog also provides a bulk email service, allowing HSE Books to alert customers to relevant new publications.

HSE also makes full use of Prolog's multi-channel contact centre solutions, since its orders flood in by phone, fax, Internet, email and white mail, as well as by coupon response and purchase orders. HSE staff have on-line web links allowing them to directly interrogate the database to monitor orders and live stock movements. Account details are also available to HSE via Webbrain, the online system specially developed by Prolog to allow client access via the Internet.

With its mail order pedigree, Prolog knows better than most the importance that customers place on the condition of their purchases on arrival, and we utilize high-quality cartons, poster tubes and padded envelopes to protect consignments. All 'outers' clearly show the HSE logo and a return address, and detailed despatch notes are included. Urgent orders are processed and sent out for next day delivery, while the majority of consignments are handled under 72-hour delivery contracts. HSE's own contract with Royal Mail is used for lightweight items.

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