"Our industry is at the brink of an e-commerce revolution," says Gene Geiger, CAS, President of Lewiston, Maine-based distributor Geiger (UPIC: geiger) and ePromoStandards Alliance (ePSA) Chairman.

Founded in 2000, the ePromoStandards Alliance is a not-for-profit alliance of promotional products firms who have successfully streamlined order processing and minimized costly order problems and poor data integrity. This group works as a community to adopt standards and implement consistent, non-proprietary practices into their respective companies.

ePSA-connected companies are evolving from the inefficient and expensive approach, which often involves paper and phone calls, to the computer generated approach, which utilizes information via standardized terms and data expectations sent through the inexpensive internet.

"The implementation of ePSA standards among trading partners offers the potential for firms to dramatically reduce their order transaction costs, while simultaneously increasing their output speed and accuracy," says Geiger. "The momentum has firmly taken hold of those firms that desire the competitive leverage that getting ePSA-connected offers them. ePSA standards have become essential tools for survival and growth."

"Twelve new companies began implementing ePSA standards in January alone," says Jan Streitwieser, ePSA director. "That number represents a dramatic increase in the number of companies who are getting ePSA-connected."

"Geiger now saves more than four dollars per order since implementing ePSA standards into its internal systems," continues Streitwieser. "Distributors and suppliers are experiencing a 60- to 80- percent reduction in order status/shipping information follow up."

Since 2000, ePSA has strived to bring industry firms together to work toward common goals and achieve healthy business practices that not only benefit individual firms, but also the promotional products industry as a whole. Volunteering for its current board are an "A" list of industry leaders - Gene Geiger, MAS, Geiger; Dawn Olds, HALO; Chris Vernon, CAS, Vernon; Jeff Daly, Norwood; Mike McEldowney, BIC Graphic USA; Carl Gerlach, MAS, Gill; and Mike Burns, Quikey - who are working to simplify, streamline and refine the order processing system as the industry currently knows it, for the betterment of all.

Visit www.epsaservicecenter.com or contact Jan Streitwieser at 972-560-6430 for more information.

Reprinted with permission,
PPB Magazine, April 2005