Supply Chain Management Delivers Five Software Line Extensions
Multinational Publisher taps Vista for Turnkey Management of Flagship Software Release.

THE CHALLENGE
One of the country’s most visible Christian publishers anxiously awaited the completion of the newest version of its highly successful software. Development delays left them with a compressed window for manufacturing and distribution and final content would not arriving until mid-September. Completed packages needed to be produced and in the channel no later than mid-October to ensure sales success during the Christmas holiday.

The software release consisted of:

• Five versions of the title, including an upgrade, premium and specially branded versions
• Each version included one DVD and four CD's unique to each package.
• Three versions of CD wallets
• Two versions of Folding Cartons
• Printed Collateral
• Business Reply Cards
• Microflute line to support the folding carton

Timing and strong supplier relationships would make or break the project. Vista would print and convert the packaging, manufacture the microflute liners, source over 750,000 discs, and bring it together in-house for final assembly. Channel delivery coincided with a pre-planned strategic marketing initiative that included a strong point-of-sale presence and advertising support.

THE SOLUTION
Vista developed an initial manufacturing plan that utilized multiple CD & DVD plants to produce discs in time for the pack-out. Vista’s Media Project Manager coordinated artwork and content files internally and externally to prevent versioning errors and ensure quick response from our CD sourcing partners. In-house, packaging and collateral materials were manufactured and segregated by title, then staged in five separate locations to facilitate quick, accurate assembly.

The program consisted of the following:

• Prototype Development: Designed in-house to be cost effective and facilitate quick assembly.
• Packaging: Printed and manufactured in-house included embossing and gloss UV coating
• Kitting and Assembly: Packed CD's and DVD’s into wallets, inserted into carton with liner and collateral, wafer sealed.

This was a large, complex and fast paced order. Placing discs into the wrong package would lead to a total field recall. Because of the critical nature of the job, we used a “pharmaceutical” manufacturing protocol to prevent mixing versions of printed packaging and discs. Five individual kitting lines, each with its own line manager, facilitated accurate, on-time assembly. In-house manufacturing of packaging and printed materials provided much need control and allowed us to pre-manufacture and stage printed components so that when discs arrived assembly could begin.

THE RESULTS
Vista successfully produced over 165,000 software kits in less than four weeks, allowing our customer to realize record breaking sales of its most important software product. The process included structural design and manufacturing of packaging; sourcing multiple versions of CD's and DVD’s; pack-out and verification of kit versions prior to shipment. We are currently in the process of producing two follow-up programs to complement the success of the first.

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