hidden

exporting beyond canada: four markets to consider page 6

Smart LogiSticS to grow your buSineSS compass.ups.com FaLL 2012

Plustake our reader survey and you could win! 2

Learn what online shoppers really expect 10

the 2012 ups year-end holiday schedule 11

Unlockvalue

7 untapped opportunities for your company to add to the bottom line 4

2 COMPASS F A L L 2 0 1 2

[ first stop ]

[ Ups ticker ]8: UPS ranked No. 8 on the latest InformationWeek 500 list of the most innovative users of business technology, the highest among logistics and transportation companies. 99: UPS’s near-perfect score in the 2012 Carbon Disclosure Project’s “Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index” of S&P

companies. 59 million: Number of sheets of paper UPS saves by having drivers use the handheld delivery information acquisition device (DIAD), which is the equivalent of 5,187 trees per year. 1975: UPS became the first package delivery company to serve every address in the continental U.S.

get started At ups.com, select the My

UPS tab. Log in with your user ID and password, or select “Register Now” if you’re a new user. Find step-by-step directions on customizing My UPS at compass.ups.com/myups.

[ 3 reasoNs to … ]

When UPS releases its lat-est version of WorldShip® in January, you’ll be able to customize your UPS shipping labels with your company logo and promotional market-ing messages. Here are three more reasons to upgrade to WorldShip 2013:

l You’ll have access to all UPS package, LTL freight and air freight service levels and 2013 rates.

l You’ll be able to print shipment labels remotely to network printers.

l With UPS Paperless® Invoice enhancements, you can upload your own trade documents for customs clearance.

If you are currently using WorldShip 2012, you will be able to upgrade automatically without installing from CDs. If you have an earlier version of WorldShip, you can download WorldShip 2013 from ups.com/worldshipsupport or from the CD that will be distributed, beginning in January. For more informa-tion, visit ups.com/worldshipsupport.

[ NeW WorLdsHip reLease ]

Build brand awareness with every package

find tools you need. Shipping managers will love the quick access to Tracking and Quantum View Manage®. Accounting departments will appreci-ate Billing at a Glance.

customize your view. Rearrange the modules by positioning the functions you need at the top and hiding those you don’t use.

save time. Get shortcuts to your favorite shipping functions in the at-a-glance dashboard view.

1

2

3

My UPS, a customizable workspace at ups.com®, is your one-stop hub for shipping tools. You can access up to 17 modules featuring new and popular functions, such as tracking, shipping, history and much more. With My UPS, you can:

HelP US MAke Compass BeTTeR – And Win!We want to know what you think about Compass magazine. Fill out our reader survey at Compass online and you’ll be entered for a chance to win one of 10 Bose QuietComfort® 3 Acoustic noise Cancelling® head-phones! Plus, 100 respondents will receive a UPS travel mug.

Take the survey today at compass.ups.com/survey.

[ sUrVeY saYs ]

… enRoll in MY UPS

A growing number of U.S. manufacturers have operations in Mexico. But the challenges of cross-border trade can quickly turn a cost advantage into a costly problem. Moving product on both sides of the border and clearing customs requires seamless integration. Multiple handoffs can compromise security and compliance, risking delays and unnecessary fees at the border.

UPS CrossBorder Connect® bundles transportation north and south of the border with UPS’s brokerage capabilities, providing an end-to-end solution for palletized freight through eight major border crossings from California to Texas.

With UPS CrossBorder Connect, you have one reliable contact. And this service is less expensive than air freight and faster than standard ground transportation. In fact, transit times between most Mexican and U.S. cities are typically two to three days.

F A L L 2 0 1 2 COMPASS 3

When our patients sign up for our service, we need to get their signature

so we can bill Medicare. Even though they want the service, they don’t always sign the form immediately and stick it back in the mail. We’d have to follow up with a phone call. With UPS Returns® Exchange,

the driver delivers the form and waits for the signature. We used

to get 50 percent back, and now we’re looking at a 78

to 80 percent return rate.

— Jeff Mcdaniel, marketing director of Nashville-based Medical Direct Club

8: UPS ranked No. 8 on the latest InformationWeek 500 list of the most innovative users of business technology, the highest among logistics and transportation companies. 99: UPS’s near-perfect score in the 2012 Carbon Disclosure Project’s “Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index” of S&P

companies. 59 million: Number of sheets of paper UPS saves by having drivers use the handheld delivery information acquisition device (DIAD), which is the equivalent of 5,187 trees per year. 1975: UPS became the first package delivery company to serve every address in the continental U.S.

[ first persoN ]

Signed, sealed, delivered

[ NeW from Ups ]

A seamless U.S.-Mexico trade solution

[ keY iNdicator ]

Using advanced route-planning technology, UPS avoided driving

Million MileS

gallons of fuel.8.4 Million

which equates to saving

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4 COMPASS F A L L 2 0 1 2

In business operations, finding value can be an elusive thing. Even after you’ve addressed core challenges such as pric-ing, payroll and market-ing, there often is still hidden value trapped

inside your business. But it’s locked behind untapped technol-ogy, customer attrition and little, daily inefficiencies that let produc-tivity seep away.

You can unlock some of that value by taking a closer look at your logistics.

Here are seven ways to identify savings, improve customer service and discover hidden value in your business.

part of dovetailing the schedule and the craftsman with the raw materials,” CEO Chris Martin says. > ups.com/qvmanage

2. Create an easy-to-use returns program When your returns process is unnecessarily compli-cated or time-consuming, three things can happen: Your employees lose valu-able time, your customers lose patience … and then you lose customers. That’s why it’s important to make your returns process – or

1. get a handle on staffing No manager wants to have employees idle. By keeping a close eye on incoming shipments with Quantum View Manage®, cus-tomers like C.F. Martin Co., a sixth-

generation, family-owned guitar maker

in Nazareth, Pa., know exactly which materials will arrive when, so they can staff appropriately. “Logistics is an integral

unl Ck

C.F. Martin Co. plans for busier

days using Quantum View

Manage.M

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F A L L 2 0 1 2 COMPASS 5

it’s right there: untapped opportunity for your company to make more money. the key? these 7 strategies that save time, cut costs and keep customers happy.

By DeBorah GeerinG

any reverse logistics – as convenient as possible.

When San Diego shoe repair company NuShoe stopped requiring custom-ers to request a special shipment bag and instead enabled them to print their own UPS shipping label online to affix to any pack-age, it saw savings in the tens of thousands of dollars in just the first year. > ups.com/returns

3. take Control of inComing shipments Sure, you need timely shipments from your sup-pliers. But do you need each shipment sent over-night? Probably not. You can take control of how suppliers ship to you – and get the credit for the overall shipping volume – by ask-ing your vendors to ship on your UPS account. It’s a simple step that can add up to significant savings.

4. keep piCkup interruptions to a minimum Even if each interaction with a carrier’s driver takes only a few minutes,

those minutes add up over weeks and months – especially during your peak shipping season. White Flower Farm Presi-dent Lorraine Calder esti-mates that her Connecticut nursery saves at least $1,200 a year simply by relying on UPS to handle pickups for all shipments – whether ground, air or international.

5. streamline paCkaging Ideal packaging uses the least amount of material to keep products safe dur-ing transit. UPS Package Design & Test Lab can help you find that perfect balance point by testing your current packaging and making suggestions for greater efficiency.

With help from the package lab, Seattle Sutton’s Healthy Eating – an Illinois company that prepares ready-to-eat meals to meet specific dietary restrictions – found that it could ship meals in smaller containers without com-promising food quality or safety. And smaller boxes cost less to ship.

Take our online logisTiCs CheCkupWant to know where your business should get started? Take our five-question quiz at ups.com/value.

6. make your systems ‘talk’When Todd and Steven Messineo realized that an outdated order processing system was holding back Budget Golf, their online golf supply store, they called in the UPS experts. UPS recommended a vendor partner to integrate their ordering, inventory and ship-ping systems, and that made all the difference.

“We now move 10 times the amount of packages with the same number of people – with no increase in labor costs,” Todd Messineo says. Every little cost-saver adds up. > worldship.ups.com

7. turn Customers into repeat CustomersHappy customers return to their preferred businesses

again and again, and they refer new business, too. Keep your customers coming back for more by enhancing service. When you process a package, always request e-mail noti-fications. At no additional charge, your customer can receive a Quantum View Notify® message from UPS with the tracking num-ber and expected delivery date. You can choose to have UPS notify up to five people when that package is shipped, if there is an unexpected delay and when it is delivered.

In addition to improving your customers’ purchase experience, Quantum View notification alerts also can dramatically reduce WISMO (“Where is my order?”) calls, saving your staff time – and your com-pany valuable resources.> ups.com/qvnotify

unl Ck the value HIDDeN IN yOUR bUSINeSS

6 COMPASS F A L L 2 0 1 2

In today’s global economy,

companies of all sizes are looking beyond our

neighbor to the north and eyeing markets abroad

to boost revenue.By Charles slaCk

[ going global ]

3 million square miles may seem like barriers for U.S. exporters, Australia also boasts a sophisticated, affluent population of English-speaking consumers. “In a jam, that person can call you and discuss a problem in English,” says Justin Christopher, sales and marketing director for California-based Jenson USA, a high-end bicycle products retailer. Plus, Australians share Americans’ enthusiasm for sports and the outdoors – an excellent customer base for Jenson’s products.

Another advantage: “Shipments under $1,000 in value are not subject to tax and duty,” making an exporter’s prod-ucts that much more competitive, says John Cadogan, a UPS international account manager.

In today’s world, though, even in remote locations “people care about the speed of delivery. It’s becoming increasingly important,” Christopher says. To shrink the distances between the U.S. and Australia, “UPS gives you some good choices.” Christopher cites UPS Worldwide Express®, which guarantees delivery to most Australian cities in three business days.

Export lesson: A common language between you andyour customer can ease your entry into a new country.

CanadaBeyond

With easy logistics across a shared border and similarities in culture, language and spending habits, the United States and Canada represent the largest two-country trading partnership in

the world. No wonder it’s considered the perfect first step into exporting for American companies.

Yet there’s a much larger world of customers beyond North America. Emerging economies are developing millions of newly affluent consumers. Meanwhile, trade to both devel-oped and emerging countries has never been easier. All of which means it’s not just feasible but also necessary for even small businesses to cast a more global net.

“Companies that go beyond exporting to a single market grow 2.8 times faster than those that export just to one coun-try,” says Joey Rosenberg, international marketing analyst for UPS. She says over the next 25 years, 1 billion middle-class consumers are expected to enter the global market, representing $14 trillion in spending capability. “If you’re not thinking about those potential customers, you’re missing out on an opportunity to position yourself for long-term growth,” she says.

Here are four global markets to consider for your next overseas destination.

australIa: no language barrIerWhile its remoteness and sparse population of 22 million people spread across nearly

F A L L 2 0 1 2 COMPASS 7

brazIl: latIn amerICa’s powerhouseBooming Brazilian agriculture is one reason Air Tractor, a Texas-based manufacturer of state-of-the-art crop dusters and firefighting

planes, has seen its exports rise from 20 percent of sales in 1990 to more than 50 percent today. As Brazilian farms expand to meet growing domestic and international demand for food, “they need larger, more efficient aircraft,” says Jeff Dobbs, the customer service manager.

Agriculture companies aren’t the only ones eyeing Brazil, with nearly 200 million consumers and the world’s eighth-largest GDP. Still, shipping to a country with different lan-guages and customs takes a leap of confidence, especially when customers need items delivered quickly and reliably.

“We pride ourselves on having aircraft parts available and ready to ship,” Dobbs says. He credits Quantum View®

with allowing visibility from the factory to destinations around the world. “We don’t even have to go chasing that information. UPS sends us an e-mail to let us know where it is. And we can pass that right along to the customer.”

Export lesson: Go where your industry’s growth is.Many developing countries are rapidly upgrading, and thehigh standard of American products are in demand.

ChIna: too bIg to IgnoreSome 1.3 billion Chinese are rapidly emerging as one of the world’s great consumer markets. And while major

American corporations have been quick to capitalize, the surprising fact is that 90 percent of U.S. exporters to China are small to mid-sized companies.

Air Tractor found a market with a public-private Chinese company eager to replace its aging Russian-built crop dusters. China’s maze of import regulations might have baffled the company but, fortunately, it had a partner. UPS specialists in China are adept at local customs requirements.

“A lot of times in developing countries, when a shipment hits customs, it can be a roadblock,” says Kristin Edwards, Air Tractor’s vice president of sales. UPS Paperless® Invoice helped ease the process by reducing the paperwork involved (and potential customs roadblocks) in international shipping. “All they do is fill out the document electronically,” says Thelma Vega, the UPS account manager for Air Tractor. “Before that shipment reaches the country, it has been cleared through customs.”

Export lesson: Although customs and regulations mayseem complex, UPS can help simplify the process.

european unIon: expeCt reCoveryAs sovereign debt crises rattle individual countries, it seems as if only bad news has come out of Europe lately. It’s easy to forget that the EU still represents more

than 503 million consumers, compared with 314 million in the U.S. “The reality is their economy will recover,” says Jenson USA’s Christopher, who notes the region has a common currency and “a market with the potential to be larger than what you do in the United States.”

While a single point of entry offers access to all 27 EU member states, navigating all the possible routes and delivery networks can be a challenge for any U.S. exporter. That’s why UPS operates more than 7,000 delivery vehicles around the clock from major airports and distribution centers around the EU, making shipments as easy as a trip down the interstate.

Export lesson: Even as you pursue rapidly emerging markets, don’t write off traditional trade partners.

take advantage of free trade paCtsThe U.S. and South Korea launched a free trade agree-ment (FTA) in 2012, aimed at eliminating 95 percent of tariffs between the two countries over the next five years. It was the first FTA between the United States and a major Asian trading partner, and the 20th such agreement overall.

For U.S. exporters, advantages of FTAs include:l Reduced or eliminated tariffs, making products

more competitive.l Reduced or eliminated sales quotas, expanding

export growth potential.l Greater protection for intellectual property.l Greater transparency in the legal system of the

company involved in the FTA.l Removal of barriers for service providers.l A better and smoother customs experience.

Ready, set … expoRt!

See how UPS’s customs experts can help you ship interna-tionally in a video at compass.ups.com/customs. And for more in-formation on capitalizing on trade opportunities, visit export.gov and international.ups.com.

sCan It

6 COMPASS F A L L 2 0 1 2

[ case studY ]

tide

From small startup to rapidly growing success story, sportswear designer Southern tide counts on UPS to keep its customers happy.By Donna Longino

southern tideDesigns and markets classic, authentic apparel.

Based: Greenville, S.C.Founded: 2006employees: 39Website: southerntide.com

When Allen Stephenson started Southern Tide with his mother, Diane, in 2006, making the Inc.

500 list of America’s fastest-growing companies wasn’t top of mind for a young man still in college. Rather, Stephenson was focused on creating a modern version of the classic polo shirt. He dubbed his creation the Skipjack Polo, setting a new standard in comfort and fit that has evolved into an entire sportswear collection. Sporting a three-year growth rate of 3,121 percent, Southern Tide rose to No. 73 on the Inc. 500 last year.

From the beginning, Southern Tide has navigated its growth by partnering with UPS. Jim Twining, the company’s

CEO, says, “Convenience, ease of use and confidence in the UPS brand” drove the decision to team with UPS.

“In the early days, we had a 500-square-foot warehouse located downstairs in our corporate office. We all went down daily and pulled orders, packed and weighed boxes, and put them in the back of a car to take them to the UPS center,” Twining recalls.

Southern Tide quickly transitioned to a daily package pickup, and its warehouse has since grown to 55,000 square feet.

“Our UPS driver, Rick Torres, would go out of his way to help us,” Twining says. “Being flexible with us – some days coming back a second time – really allowed us to improve

Rising

Allen Stephenson and Jim twining lean on UPS solutions to keep Southern tide’s growing business sailing smoothly.

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our customer service. Customers could call at 3 p.m. and still get the package the next morning.”

inveStment in technologyBy 2008, Southern Tide was ship-ping 100 to 200 packages a day and shifted the operation of its warehouse to a third-party logistics provider. Coordination among the corporate office, the warehouse and UPS was essential. Southern Tide invested in technology to make this three-way integration as seamless as possible.Today, more than 95 percent of orders received by noon are shipped the same day. Southern Tide ships as many as 2,000 packages a day, using WorldShip® to process shipments at its warehouse operations and UPS CampusShip® in the corporate office.

“When we can get a shipment to a retailer in Texas out at 6 p.m. on Tuesday rather than Wednesday [morning], we’ve just picked up a weekend, which can represent 30 to 40 percent of the week’s sales in many retail stores,” Twining says.

Southern Tide apparel is available in more than 600 stores in 43 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, as well as through the company’s website.

RetURnS ARe vitAl“Our big, hairy audacious goal is to have the highest brand loyalty of any apparel brand in the U.S.,” Twining says. “We’re certainly not there yet, but it is what we’re striving for when we make decisions about product development, hiring and distribution.”

To reinforce its brand, Southern Tide worked with UPS to include the corporate logo on shipping labels and packaging. Exemplary customer experience is another essential ingre-dient in brand loyalty. To provide top-notch customer service, Southern Tide includes a UPS Returns® label in every package.

“A big part of our consumer strat-egy is to make it easy to return things that don’t work for whatever reason,” Twining explains. A vital element in the returns process is the ability to track returns, and “with UPS tech-nology, we can track every returned package,” says Twining. The company uses Quantum View Manage® to keep tabs on all its shipments.

Southern Tide keeps on rising. The company is on the verge of doubling revenue for the seventh time in five years.

Air Shipping

challenge Southern Tide needed to differentiate its online store with exemplary customer service.

solutionUPS returns,® coupled with the reliability of UPS residential delivery, results in minimal cus-tomer calls and helps Southern Tide’s web sales become the fastest growing part of its $12.3 million business.

UPS Returns®: Process and track return shipments with ease, domestically and abroad. Print a UPS returns label to include in your outbound package, send the return label separately, or request that UPS send the return label. With UPS returns on the Web, your customers can initiate returns from your website.

UPS Returns® Flexible Access: A special return label enables your customers to drop off their packages at UPS or U.S. Postal Service locations – including their own mailboxes. UPS will then pick up packages from the Postal Service.

UPS Returns® Plus: Arrange for UPS to pick up a return package directly from your customer. Choose either one or three pickup attempts.

UPS Returns® exchange: This contract service streamlines the normal returns cycle, allowing a UPS driver to deliver a replacement item and pick up a like item for return during the same visit.

easily return to senderBooSt cUStomeR SeRvice By chooSing the UPS RetURnS oPtion thAt WoRKS BeSt

Learn how the UPS returns portfolio can improve customer service at ups.com/returns.

8 COMPASS F A L L 2 0 1 2

[ case studY ]

efficiencyStreamlined shipping and invoice reconciliation saves an engineering firm time and money. By Stephanie thurrott

the louis berger groupAn international engineering and architectural consulting firm.

Based: Morristown, N.J., with locations in 35 countriesemployees: 3,000founded: 1953

B ack in 1953, a Penn State engineer named Louis Berger launched a company, and its first project was to design a

section of the Pennsylvania Turnpike – the first turnpike in the United States. Nearly 60 years later, The Louis Berger Group is still a leader in new infra-structure development. The company designs and constructs infrastruc-ture, often in developing and some-times even war-torn countries such as Afghanistan, where it created the Kabul-Kandahar Highway.

As a standard course of business, The Louis Berger Group shares criti-cal documents. With 3,000 employees in 35 countries, it needs an efficient

John ingegneri, The Louis Berger Group’s corporate purchasing manager, credits UPS with providing major time-savings for the consulting firm’s engineering offices around the world.

Engineering

system for shipping these documents and allocating shipping costs by proj-ect. That’s why it counts on UPS.

DecenTraLizeD, efficienT ShiPPinGWith offices worldwide, The Louis Berger Group needs multilocation access to shipping options. UPS CampusShip® is the ideal solution because it allows staffers to access their UPS account from any computer with Internet access.

Plus, the shipping system is simple to use. “It’s very user-friendly. It’s as easy as shopping online,” says Lou Boschetti, UPS senior account manager.

If additional Louis Berger locations need to use UPS CampusShip, it’s easy to set them up with a profile and get them started, says John Ingegneri, corporate purchasing manager at The Louis Berger Group.

UPS CampusShip links with the company’s corporate address book, Pe

ter

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Smart scheduling

automating the entry of address information. Employees can choose from easy drop-down menus to fill in shipment-related information. Eliminating the need to look up an address and then key it into the ship-ping system saves several minutes per shipment.

Plus, UPS CampusShip creates other efficiencies. “People can just print the label at their desks,” Ingegneri says. “They used to have to lug the package down to the mail room [to have someone handle the shipment], and whenever you’re trans-ferring information from one person to the next, there’s room for error.”

eaSy coST aLLocaTionThe Louis Berger Group can now automatically designate its U.S. gov-ernment accounts for lower shipping rates that UPS allows based on the government’s shipping volume. Before, employees had to identify government projects manually and then apply the reduced shipping charges. “Being able to do this through the system is really beneficial,” Ingegneri says.

Being able to attribute costs accu-rately is also critical. The firm orga-nizes costs by 30,000 project codes

so shipping costs can be allocated to the appropriate client, department or project. By using project codes in UPS CampusShip to allocate shipping costs, The Louis Berger Group employees save a lot of time.

“Before, we had multiple people in multiple locations creating a bill of lading. Now people have to enter a project code to complete the bill of lading, so it’s tremendously helpful,” Ingegneri says.

On the back end, finance also saves time. With the old system, accounts payable employees would spend a lot of time tracking down who sent a shipment and what code to apply.

Ingegneri estimates that it was the equivalent of a full-time job for some-one to reconcile invoices. Now, one person at headquarters can settle the one consolidated bill, taking just a few hours a week. “We estimated that switching to this system would save them $25,000 to $29,000, but our esti-mate was way too low,” says Boschetti.

“The cost-allocation function of UPS CampusShip and all of its other benefits have actually saved about an entire employee’s time, allow-ing us to assign him to other tasks,” Ingegneri says.

Air Shipping

challenge Matching shipping costs to the Louis Berger Group’s 30,000 project codes was time-consuming.

solutionWith uPS CampusShip®,

the company can assign a project code to each ship-ment, making allocation at the invoice-reconciliation stage easy. this saves the company the equivalent of one employee.

When it comes to efficiency, flexibility can be as important as dependabil-ity. the Louis Berger Group’s diverse offices require pickups tailored to each workplace’s needs. From the largest locations to the smallest, all are able to arrange the uPS pickup option that works best for them and their clients:

l Daily Pickup. uPS stops by daily, as scheduled, each business day.

l Day-Specific Pickups. you preselect the specific pickup days (one to four days per workweek).

l Daily on-route Pickup. uPS stops by once a business day when making deliveries in the area.

l UPS Smart Pickup®. Processing a package with a uPS shipping sys-tem triggers an automatic pickup notification to a uPS driver. this ecofriendly alternative reduces the carbon emissions from an unnec-essary stop, without requiring the extra work of requesting a pickup by phone or online.

l UPS on-call Pickup®. request a per-package pickup using 1-800-PicK-UPS or at ups.com.

chooSe The UPS PicKUP oPTion ThaT fiTS BeST

at Your convenienceto learn more about uPS’s pickup options,

visit ups.com/pickup.

8 COMPASS F A L L 2 0 1 2

[ case studY ]

With UPS, Monitor Tech simplified processes, saving money and extending its global reach. By Stephanie thurrott

Ever open a box of pancake mix and notice that it seems only two-thirds full? Powders and grains can be tough to measure.

Imagine that problem on a commer-cial scale. Professional bakers need to measure and monitor levels of flour and sugar, and concrete manufactur-ers need to track levels of customers’ orders. Measuring these products takes precision equipment.

That’s where Monitor Technologies LLC comes in. The Illinois-based high-tech company makes systems that monitor levels in silos and bins. Manufacturers around the globe – from processed food makers to plas-tics producers – depend upon Monitor

Since bundling services with UPS, Monitor Tech has improved its shipping and logistics processes – making life on the shipping floor easier, says Heather Russell, office manager and training specialist.

Another

Tech’s sensors, detectors, paddles and aerators to produce their goods.

The company was using several different carriers to manage its diverse shipping needs, which include small-package shipments and less-than-truckload (LTL) freight, both inbound and outbound. Monitor Tech also needed a logistics partner that could better handle its international ship-ments to Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

STReaMline and SiMPlifyThe first step: Monitor Tech bundled its small-package and freight services with UPS. “For the first year we were hoping to save at least $10,000, but we ended up saving a bit over $13,000,” says Heather Russell, Monitor Tech’s office manager and training specialist.

UPS offers a wide range of shipping options that take into account the shipment’s size and desired delivery

Monitor technologies llcBuilds devices that measure grains, powders and other items stored in silos or bins.

Based: Elburn, Ill.founded: 1958employees: 40Website: monitortech.com

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challengeMonitor tech shipped products to customers worldwide through an assortment of carriers, making it difficult to take full advantage of technol-ogy tools and automation.

solutionBy consolidating all ship-ping with UPS, Monitor tech staffers save time by using one shipping system. the company qualifies for volume savings, and customers can easily track packages through UPS.

time. “The choices are in WorldShip®, ” Russell says. “It’s easier on the ship-ping floor because we can quote faster and process faster.”

With UPS, Monitor Tech has improved all of its shipping and logistics processes. “When our ven-dors used a lot of different carriers, we received invoices from different companies. It was hard to match up which ones went with which cus-tomer,” Russell says. “Now that our shipping is with UPS, it’s very easy to track, and we know when bills are coming.”

inTeRnaTional iMPlicaTionSMonitor Tech has also grown its export volume thanks to improve-ments in logistics. With UPS Paperless® Invoice, the company streamlined its export paperwork. “Paperless Invoice made it possible for them to do all their commercial invoices electroni-cally, saving time and money,” says Joe Mitchell, UPS account manager for the high-tech manufacturer.

“Our documents are all online, so customs officials abroad get the documents before the boxes arrive,”

says Laura Smathers, Monitor Tech’s production controller.

The company also streamlines ship-ping and reduces costs by having one driver pick up all their shipments, regardless of destination or shipping speed. And, with Quantum View®, Monitor Tech has the visibility to see where all its international shipments are in transit.

Monitor Tech also now pitches more international business, as UPS can easily price shipments worldwide. “They can be much more confident in their ability to gain international cus-tomers because they can calculate the freight, the transit time and the date of delivery,” Mitchell says.

And UPS connected Monitor Tech with the U.S. Commercial Service to help the company find more global distributors.

The UPS global network helps with communication, too. “Our UPS Mexico representative went to our new distributor and got everything all set up, explaining in their own language how to ship with-out hassles,” Smathers says. “That was invaluable.”

crossing borders

You’ve conquered nevada and new York. where is your next customer? new Zealand? nicaragua? the U.S. Commercial Service encourages U.S. companies to take advantage of global opportunities and offers a worldwide network of assistance that is just a click or call away. Consider these key opportunities:

TiPPing PoinT 1: your business is established, but domestic growth has slowed. nexT STeP: tap into all available opportunities. A good place to start your research is export.gov/begin. “Do your homework first,” says Curt Cultice, Commercial Service senior communications specialist. “Don’t be afraid to jump in the water, but don’t jump in without your bathing suit.”

TiPPing PoinT 2: international buyers are finding you on the internet.nexT STeP: Mike Raindl, general manager of Boedeker Plastics Inc., a supplier of industrial plastics based in Shiner, texas, says a strong web presence was starting to pull in inquiries from overseas. “we started to see it was becoming a bigger part of our business, and we said, ‘we need to have a plan,’ ” Raindl says.

WHen iS THe RigHT TiMe To go gloBal? iT coUld Be noW

looking abroad?If you’re ready to devise a plan, visit the U.S. Commercial Service at export.gov. And visit

international.ups.com for all the shipping tools you will need.

8 COMPASS F A L L 2 0 1 2

Quality counts. Just ask Save-A-Load Inc., where company officials say an emphasis on quality gets most of the credit

for double-digit revenue growth since its founding in 1993.

Larry Sweet started Save-A-Load to provide truckers and delivery compa-nies with an improved load bar for the cargo area to hold items in place dur-ing transport. Existing products often didn’t last, damaged trailer walls and even fell down when trailer walls flexed on the highway.

After conducting targeted market research, Sweet spent more than a year developing a prototype. He found he received the best quality when every

[ case studY ]

An integrated ordering and shipping system helps Save-A-Load save a load of time and money. By stephanie thurrott

save-a-Load Inc.Manufactures hydraulic cargo bars for trucks and cargo vans.

Based: Charlotte, N.C.Founded: 1993Employees: 20Website: saveaload.com

quALity meetsEFFiciEncy

component was manufactured and assembled at the company’s factory in Charlotte, N.C., as it is today. High standards are key: Save-A-Load provides a lifetime warranty on its Save-A-Load bars and relies on UPS to deliver in a way that also keeps customers happy.

thE poWEr oF tEchnoLogyThe company’s quality emphasis includes shipping. A Save-A-Load goal is to ship every order within 24 hours – a standard that has become more chal-lenging as the business grows.

Using technology to increase effi-ciency in the shipping department is part of meeting that goal. For instance, Save-A-Load has integrated WorldShip® with its accounting system to help reduce processing errors on both freight and small-package shipments, and to provide customers with accurate billing information in a timely fashion.

“We do a lot of small credit card orders, with 80 percent of our

Larry Sweet and cathy Littlejohn rely on upS to get domestic and international orders processed and out the door within 24 hours.

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F A L L 2 0 1 2 COMPASS 9

shipments going direct to an end user,” says Cathy Littlejohn, Save- A-Load vice president. WorldShip determines whether the shipment is to a residential or a commercial address, thus generating the proper shipping charge.

By automatically verifying addresses and eliminating the need to re-key information, WorldShip saves 10 min-utes per domestic shipment processed.

Save-A-Load uses UPS Paperless® Invoice to prevent customs paperwork issues that previously resulted in ship-ment delays to Canadian customers. UPS Paperless Invoice eliminates the need for paper commercial invoices by electronically transmitting trade data directly. UPS also offers an electronic NAFTA Certificate of Origin for ship-ments between the U.S. and Canada, allowing Save-A-Load to take advan-tage of the preferential duty treatment while saving staff about 20 minutes on processing.

To track both freight and small-package shipments, Save-A-Load uses Quantum View®. Having visibility into inbound shipments helps the company manage its manufacturing operations

for optimum efficiency. An eye into outbound shipments gives Save-A-Load the shipment status information needed to communicate effectively with cus-tomers. For instance, the company can set up automatic alerts to let customers know when something has shipped, reducing “Where’s my order?” calls.

SAving monEyLittlejohn has been with Save-A-Load from its first day and has put her background to work setting up the company’s logistics operations. Based on previous experience, she selected UPS from the get-go and today ships most of the company’s freight (three to four pallets a week) and 100 percent of its small packages via UPS. This bundling of the company’s freight and small-package volume has resulted in a 15 percent savings for her company on small-package shipments.

The company looks forward to continued growth and is creating new products. “The key to the success of any business is to establish a philosophy and have everyone in the business buy into it,” Sweet says. “Our philosophy is quality.”

Air Shipping

challenge Save-A-Load needs to process and ship orders within 24 hours – even on complex interna-tional orders.

solutionintegrating worldShip® with its accounting system and using UPS Paperless® invoice enable Save-A-Load to shave 10 minutes off processing each domestic order and 20 minutes off interna-tional shipments.

EFFiciEncy

the speed you need – internationallyupS oFFErS thrEE dELivEry timES For ExprESS intErnAtionAL ShipmEntS

Early morning: UPS worldwide Express Plus® guarantees

overnight delivery by 8:30 a.m. to major

cities in Canada, or by 9 a.m. to major cities in more than 25 major trading nations on the second or third business day, depending on destination. import service into the United States as early as 8 a.m. is available from 185 countries.

Learn more online at international.ups.com. Select “View international Services.”

morning: UPS worldwide Express® guarantees delivery

by 10:30 a.m. or noon, depending on the des-

tination, to more than 65 countries and territories. Transit times vary by destination, including overnight to Canada and two to three days to Latin America, Europe and Asia. import service into the United States also arrives by 10:30 a.m. or noon.

daily: UPS worldwide Saver® provides express

one- to three-day service, depending on

destination, to more than 215 coun-tries and territories. Deliveries are guaranteed by end of day, including imports to the United States.

[ PICTURE LOGISTICS ]

8 COMPASS F A L L 2 0 1 2

1 OUT OF 3

“I have canceled before I bought many times due to the shipping price given only after I have entered my address, and I was ready to buy.”—Survey participant

2 OUT OF 3SHOPPERS

most often choose the cheapest shipping option

38%want expedited shipping options

42%have abandoned their shopping carts because of delivery dates

60%want an estimated or guaranteed delivery date

The online shopper

A recent study, commissioned by UPS with comScore, examined the behaviors and preferences of more than 3,100 online shoppers, from prepurchase through postdelivery. The takeaway? Logistics makes a big difference in whether people click “buy” and keep coming back.

HOw mUCH, HOw faST? Online shoppers are looking for infor-mation and options when it comes to delivery. They want to know how much

shipping will cost, how quickly their order will arrive and whether they can request a specific delivery time or provide an alternative delivery location.

dELIvERy OPTIOnS

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shoppers most often choose a

faster delivery option and are willing to pay for it

3 OUT OF 4shoppers said

every retailer should offer

tracking information

46%

38%

29%

said that receiving their product when expected led them to recommend the online retailer

said they want to see online tracking ability improved

said they want to see more flexibility of delivery options

Receivinge-mail alerts

Scheduling a2-hour window

The abilityto reroute

Leaving deliverywith a neighbor

COnSUmERS LikE

F A L L 2 0 1 2 COMPASS 9

SHIPPInG SERvICES

wHERE’S my STUff? Once shoppers place their orders, they want to monitor their purchases. They like to receive e-mail or text updates, with tracking numbers, for their shipments. They also prefer to track directly from the retailer’s web page. Key for many is the option to track their items with their mobile devices.

[ CaSE STUdy ]

10 COMPASS F A L L 2 0 1 2

[ PICTURE LOGISTICS ]

Returns

123 Easy Way

Exchange, ME 04420

60% OFSHOPPERSsaid a return label in the box

was the most important elementof the best returns experience

“[My purchase] was such an easy experience. The gift came with a pre-paid shipping label. All I had to do was fill out a [form] for an exchange … .”

—Survey participant

ANDsaid paying for return shipping

was the biggest issue faced in the returns experience

48%said a lenient,

easy-to-understandreturn policy

would lead them to

shop moreoften with that retailer

2 OUT OF 3shoppers look at a

retailer’s return policy before making a purchase

RETURnS ExPERIEnCE

wHaT If I dOn’T LIkE IT? Almost two-thirds of online shoppers have returned an item, and they expect the process to be easy and inexpensive. Many want to see a return label in the box or a printable option, and they don’t want to pay for return shipping or restocking fees.

GET THE fULL RETaIL REPORTTo download the Online Shopping Customer experience Study, go to thenewlogistics.com/retail.

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F A L L 2 0 1 2 COMPASS 11

Scan it

2012 year-endHoliday Schedule

Peak-season service guarantees: Commitment times for air and international shipments delivered within the United States will be extended by 90 minutes on the following days: Nov. 23, Dec. 18–24 and Dec. 31. UPS air and international shipments picked up or delivered in the United States are guaranteed throughout the holiday season. The guarantee is suspended for UPS Ground and UPS Standard packages picked up or scheduled for delivery between Dec. 11 and Dec. 24. For further details, visit ups.com/tariff for the UPS Tariff/Terms and Conditions.

Download this schedule at compass.ups.com/holiday or scan the bar code to the right with your smartphone.

Thanksgiving tuesday, nov. 20n Normal pickup and delivery service for

air, international and ground packages. UPS 2nd Day Air® packages picked up today will be delivered Friday, Nov. 23.

Wednesday, nov. 21n Normal pickup and delivery service.

UPS Next Day Air® packages picked up today will be delivered Friday, Nov. 23. UPS 2nd Day Air packages picked up today will be delivered Monday, Nov. 26 (except those processed and labeled for delivery on Saturday, Nov. 24). Note: This is the last day to ship UPS Ground until Monday, Nov. 26.

thursday, nov. 22, thanksgiving Dayn No UPS pickup or delivery service.

(UPS Express Critical® service is available for urgent packages. Call 1-800-714-8779 or visit upsexpresscritical.com.)

Friday, nov. 23n Delivery of UPS air and international

packages only.n Pickup service provided for air and inter-

national shipments if prearranged by Wednesday, Nov. 21. UPS On-Call Pickup® service and all UPS Drop Boxes also are available for air and international packages.

n No UPS Ground pickups or deliveries today.

Saturday, nov. 24n Delivery of UPS Worldwide Express®,

UPS Next Day Air and UPS 2nd Day Air packages pro cessed and labeled for Saturday Delivery.

n Pickup of air and international packages for regular Saturday pickup customers or via UPS On-Call Pickup service.

ChrisTmas thursday, Dec. 20n Normal pickup and delivery service for air,

international and ground packages. UPS Next Day Air packages picked up today will arrive Friday, Dec. 21. UPS 2nd Day Air packages picked up today will arrive Monday, Dec. 24.

Friday, Dec. 21n Normal pickup and delivery service for

air, international and ground packages. UPS Next Day Air packages picked up today will arrive Monday, Dec. 24. UPS 2nd Day Air packages picked up today will arrive Wednesday, Dec. 26.

Saturday, Dec. 22 n Delivery of UPS Worldwide Express, UPS

Next Day Air and UPS 2nd Day Air packages pro cessed and labeled for Saturday Delivery. Pickup service available for air and interna-tional packages only.

Monday, Dec. 24, christmas Even Normal delivery service for air, international

and ground packages. n Pickup service provided to scheduled pickup

account customers for air and international shipments if prearranged by Friday, Dec. 21. UPS On-Call Pickup service and all UPS Drop Boxes also are available for air and interna-tional packages to all customers.

tuesday, Dec. 25, christmasn No UPS pickup or delivery service. (UPS

Express Critical service is available for urgent packages. Call 1-800-714-8779 or visit upsexpresscritical.com.)

new year’s Friday, Dec. 28n Normal pickup and delivery service for air,

international and ground packages. UPS Next Day Air packages picked up today will arrive Monday, Dec. 31 (except those pro-cessed and labeled for delivery on Saturday, Dec. 29). UPS 2nd Day Air packages picked up today will be delivered Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013. Note: This is the last day to ship UPS Ground until Jan. 2.

Saturday, Dec. 29n Delivery of UPS Worldwide Express, UPS Next

Day Air and UPS 2nd Day Air packages pro-cessed and labeled for Saturday Delivery.

n Pickup of air and international packages for regular Saturday pickup customers or via UPS On-Call Pickup service.

Monday, Dec. 31, new Year’s Even Delivery of UPS Worldwide Express, UPS Next

Day Air and UPS 2nd Day Air packages. n Pickup service provided to scheduled pickup

account customers for air and international shipments if prearranged by Friday, Dec. 28. UPS On-Call Pickup service available to all customers.

tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013,new Year’s Day n No UPS pickup or delivery service.

(UPS Express Critical service is available for urgent packages. Call 1-800-714-8779 or visit upsexpresscritical.com.)

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References to “UPS air and international packages” in the schedule above include the following UPS ser-vice options: UPS Next Day Air® Early A.M.®, UPS Next Day Air®, UPS Next Day Air Saver®, UPS 2nd Day Air A.M.®, UPS 2nd Day Air®, UPS Worldwide Express Plus®, UPS Worldwide Express®, UPS Worldwide Saver® and UPS Worldwide Expedited.®

time-in-transit notes: On UPS holidays – Nov. 22, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 – there is no movement of any pack-ages tendered to UPS. Also, Nov. 23, Dec. 24 and Dec. 31 are considered for the purpose of the UPS Service Guarantee as transit days for “UPS air and international packages” only.

[ holiday planning ]

Q412T

© Copyright 2012 United Parcel Service of America, Inc. UPS, the UPS brandmark and the color brown are trademarks of United Parcel Service of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission. Persons or publications quoted and the comments of guest contributors do not necessarily represent the corporate opinion of UPS.

SPECIAL OFFER: No purchase or survey completion necessary. Open to legal residents of the 50 U.S. states and D.C., 18 or older. The UPS Survey Sweepstakes ends 12/21/12. Ten winners will receive a pair of Bose QuietComfort®

3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling® headphones (ARV $350 each). One hundred winners will receive travel mugs (ARV $10 each). Total ARV of all prizes is $4,500. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries. Void where prohibited. Subject to applicable law. For complete rules, go to compass.ups.com/surveyrules. Sponsor: United Parcel Service General Services Co., 55 Glenlake Pkwy., NE, Atlanta, GA 30328.

Your favorite mobile apps [ COmPASS.uPS.COm ]

CompassP.O. Box 5517New York, NY 10124-0671

Go paperless!Switch to Compass Online and get stories, tips and advice by e-mail. Sign up for the e-mail version at ups.com/subscribe.

JoDeen WolffVice president of marketing, Zach’s Quality Dog Food, zachsdogfood.com

“EasyTask Manager is one of my favorites. It keeps track of appointments and to-do lists. [It] provides an in-depth, yet simplistic interface so that I can organize and manage tasks easily and efficiently.”

HugH McPHersonMazemaster, Mazequest and Maple Lawn Farms, mazefunpark.com

“Facebook. With mobile advertising taking over the stores, a Facebook page is huge.”

Mo KoMarIOwner,

The Eyewear Boutique,

egiboutique.com

“I love Evernote because I can keep all of my ideas in one place. I like Go Daddy to check to see if a domain name is available. And I like MotionX-GPS Drive because you never know when you might have to find an address.”

get ideas for cutting costs and saving time

PoWerful ‘aHa’ MoMentsl From what to automate to ways to wow customers, ship-ping pros share their secrets: compass.ups.com/aha.

VIDeo: HoW orbIt MIcro saVes 3.5 Hours a DaYl A small business takes simple steps that add up to big-time efficiency – and could for you, too: compass.ups.com/micro-orbit.

3 WaYs to ‘outsHIP’ Your coMPetItIon, Part IIIl Learn how to use shipping to win customers for life: compass.ups.com/ outship-part-three.

GEt mORE mObILE

APP tIPS From getting organized to tracking packages, find additional suggestions for useful apps at compass.ups.com/apps.

Dex sIsonShipping coordinator, Midland Supply Inc., midlandsupply.com

“UPS Mobile® app. My boss always asks me if the shipment will be on time. … Now with the app on my phone, my boss can ask me anything, anytime.”

Jason MYersShipping manager, Crescent Bronze Powder Co., crescentbronze.com

“Angry Birds.”

earlier this year, we asked you to submit your top apps for getting work done – and having a little fun. Here are a few of your recommendations.

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