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Industry Leader Renews Support of Xplor

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Longtime Xplor Supporter Quadient Renews Gold Elite Sponsorship

Lutz, FL – January 21, 2020 – Xplor International, the worldwide electronic document systems association, today announced that Quadient will once again support the Xplor Elite Sponsorship program as a Gold sponsor.

The Xplor Elite Sponsor program, launched in 2006, supports year-round educational programming to Xplor members and the industry as a whole. The program also provides funding for the Xplor Member Scholarship program launched in 2010, providing university scholarships for Xplor members and their immediate families.

As part of the sponsorship, Quadient will once again play a prominent role in supporting the upcoming XPLOR20 conference being held April 14-16 in St. Pete Beach, Florida, which includes the annual design competition between Xplor University Chapters.

“Quadient has been part of the program since its inception in 2010, first as GMC Software, and then Quadient,” says Skip Henk, Xplor’s President and CEO. “Their continued support is a testament to their commitment to the Xplor community and the industry as a whole.”

Those interested in learning more about the Xplor Elite Sponsorship Program should contact Skip Henk, at Xplor HQ, directly at +1-813-949-6170 or email him at skip@xplor.org.

If you are interested in learning more about the upcoming XPLOR20 event visit: http://www.cvent.com/d/wyq4q8

About Xplor International
Xplor International is a not-for-profit association that provides thought leadership to the customer communications industry. As a community Xplor provides advocacy, education, training, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Our members are decision makers and recommenders who are involved in the conception, design, implementation, production and delivery of multi-channel client, member and customer communications. 

Xplor’s mission is to enhance organizational success and advance the careers of our members by providing research, publications, industry certification, professional development, web-based events and conference programming. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world. Further information is available at www.xplor.org.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: twitter.com/Xplor_Int or @Xplor_Int

Xplor International Media Contact:
Chad Henk
Director of Marketing
+1-813-949-6171
Chad@xplor.org

Xplor at Print 19 Panelists Announced

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“Driving Your CCM Success with Workflow and Inkjet Technologies”

Lutz, FL— September 9, 2019: Xplor International today announced the panelists for their complimentary keynote breakfast panel that will take place on October 4, 2019 from 7:30am to 10am CDT in room N426abc. Print 19 is October 3 – October 5, 2019 at McCormick Place North in Chicago, IL.  Attendees can register for the complimentary breakfast panel here: http://www.cvent.com/d/6yq440.

This breakfast session is presented at no charge, thanks to our sponsors BlueCrest, Canon Solutions America, Crawford Technologies and Quadient. Space will be limited to the first 200 people who register.

The event’s moderator is Gina Ferrara, Senior Analyst from Madison Advisors, and panelists include:

  • Steve Coburn, Director, Production Print Product Management, BlueCrest
  • Ernie Crawford, M-EDP, CEO/President, Crawford Technologies
  • Avi Greenfield, EDP, Senior Director of Product Management, Quadient
  • Kevin Roman, Manager, Software Solutions Group, Canon Solutions America

“We are very excited to be a part of the Print 19 show once again and look forward to a great discussion on workflow and inkjet technologies,” says Skip Henk, President/CEO of Xplor International. “I’d like to also thank BlueCrest, Canon Solutions America, Crawford Technologies and Quadient sponsoring this event and all of their continued support!”

Questions and requests for additional information can be directed to Xplor Headquarters via phone at +1-813-949-6170 or via email at events@xplor.org.

About Xplor International
Xplor International is a not-for-profit association that provides thought leadership to the customer communications industry. As a community, Xplor provides advocacy, education, training, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Our members are decision makers and recommenders who are involved in the conception, design, implementation, production and delivery of multi-channel client, member and customer communications.

Xplor’s mission is to enhance organizational success and advance the careers of our members by providing research, publications, industry certification, professional development, web-based events and conference programming. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world. Further information is available at www.xplor.org.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: twitter.com/Xplor_Int or @Xplor_Int

Xplor International Media Contact:
Chad Henk
Director of Marketing
+1-813-949-6171
Chad@xplor.org

 

Xplor at Print 19 Keynote Breakfast Panel Now Open for Registration

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“Driving Your CCM Success with Workflow and Inkjet Technologies”

Lutz, FL— August 30, 2019: Xplor International today announced that registration is now open for a complimentary keynote breakfast panel during the Print 19 event. The panel will take place on October 4, 2019 from 8:30am to 10am CDT with breakfast from 7:30am to 8:30am. Print 19 is October 3 – October 5, 2019 at McCormick Place North in Chicago, IL.  Attendees can register for the complimentary breakfast panel here: http://www.cvent.com/d/6yq440.

This breakfast session is presented at no charge, thanks to sponsors BlueCrest, Canon Solutions America, Crawford Technologies and Quadient. Space will be limited to the first 200 people who register.

Continuing and building on the discussion from the 2018 event, this panel covers how companies are under increased pressure to address market opportunities, satisfy customer preferences and address constantly changing legislation through the use of technology.

Effective implementation of workflow processes and the use of expanding inkjet capabilities can reduce costs, increase operational efficiency and provide more effective communications.

Join the Xplor at PRINT 19 panel as industry analyst, Gina Ferrara, shares her perspective on the industry and engages our vendor participants as they share their thoughts on where the industry is, what the future holds and how these technologies have brought success to their customers.

When:  October 4, 2019
Where: McCormick Place North, Chicago, IL – N426abc
Time: 7:30 AM-10:00 AM CDT
Registration Fee:   Complimentary (Registration Required)

Questions and requests for additional information can be directed to Xplor Headquarters via phone at +1-813-949-6170 or via email at info@xplor.org.

About Xplor International

Xplor International is a not-for-profit association that provides thought leadership to the customer communications industry. As a community, Xplor provides advocacy, education, training, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Our members are decision makers and recommenders who are involved in the conception, design, implementation, production and delivery of multi-channel client, member and customer communications. 

Xplor’s mission is to enhance organizational success and advance the careers of our members by providing research, publications, industry certification, professional development, web-based events, and conference programming. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world. Further information is available at www.xplor.org.

Xplor International Media Contact:
Chad Henk
Director of Marketing
+1-813-949-6171
Chad@xplor.org

How can my company leverage industry certification?

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Scott Draeger, Vice President of Customer Transformation at Quadient has been a huge proponent of industry certification, he himself a designated Master Electronic Document Professional (M-EDP). Over the last several years, Quadient has invested both time and financial resources promoting industry certification within the company.

I wanted to circle back with Scott to get his thoughts on the impact within his organization and whether he feels the investment has paid dividends.

Skip: Scott, thank you for taking the time to speak about industry certification

Scott: I can always find time to speak about industry certification, because it is most important when an industry is changing. Our industry is changing rapidly, so industry certification helps companies like Quadient prove to the market that we are up to date in our knowledge.

Skip: Quadient places a great deal of value on industry certification. Quadient now has 188 designated or certified professionals. What percentage of total employees is that? Why is industry certification important to you and Quadient?

Scott: Over 20% of Quadient’s staff has an official Designation from Xplor. I believe that makes us the most certified software vendor in the industry in both volume and percentage. But, the location of the certifications also matters. Our services team in the Americas is 100% certified, which means they bring context, knowledge and passion to all of their projects.

Skip: Can you tell me a little bit about the EDP certification program?

Scott: The EDP program is about your passion and reflecting on your place within the customer communication and document industry. This is a differentiated industry certification, because it takes review of your work by your peers to earn the EDP or M-EDP designation. It is harder to earn than a purely test-based certificate, because it requires written samples that show the application of practical knowledge to real-world document projects.

Skip: What value does it present to your customers and prospects?

Scott: When we discuss implementations with our customers and prospects, we proudly feature our team’s participation in the EDP program to show that we understand context. The EDP matrix considers “Document Production Journey” and “Document Application Development Lifecycle” and values diversity of experience with technology and business needs. This means that our customers and prospects are assured that we understand the tools, technology and context of their communication projects.

Some people may not know just how much effort Xplor puts into keeping the EDP certification relevant. The matrix has been updated by a very active committee to add mobile and web channels, as well as analytics. There are more opportunities to reward skills in business acumen and knowledge sharing. The certification committee makes sure this is a current reflection on the skills and technologies needed, and the reviewers are open to learning about new technology in the submissions.

Skip: You include certification statistics in your proposals. What impact does it have? How does it differentiate Quadient from your competitors?

Scott: This is an interesting question. One of the common responses is, “what is an EDP?” We love that one, because it lets us talk about how the EDP program is a way for us to ensure development of our people. It differentiates us from competitors because it shows that we have awareness of how we can best use new approaches to solve business problems of communication. We list this in our RFP responses and proudly present this to any customers and prospects.

Skip: What has been the reaction/feedback from your employees?

Scott: My coworkers at Quadient seem to value the program. I have personally been the mentor for about eight of them in the past four years. Every year, we have a kickoff presentation to explain the program, and we usually get 50-100 people on that first call. Of course, it’s been running for four years, so we are getting the new people into the EDA program as soon as possible. The first crop of EDAs are starting to consider their EDP next year.

Skip: In closing, what message do you have for individuals and company’s regarding industry certification?

Scott: At the rate business and technology change, it is important to pursue certification for a few reasons. First, earning a certification shows your peers and managers that you are serious about the industry. Second, the process of pursuing a certification reminds you that you don’t, in fact know everything. This does wonderful things to expand your thinking, at a minor cost to your pride. Lastly, earning a certification is a potential differentiator in a job market that is rapidly changing in terms of both business models and technology. I recently earned a CCXP (Certified Customer Experience Professional) certificate from CXPA (Customer Experience Professionals Association) to augment my M-EDP to show that I have made progress in studying the CX literature.

Skip: Scott, once again, thank you for taking the time and congratulations on your success. Anyone interested in obtaining additional information about the EDP certification program can visit www.xplor.org/edp or call Xplor International at 813-949-6170.

Scott: Anytime, Skip! I recommend the program to anyone in the document and customer communication industry, because it will change your perspective. The EDP program is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on your abilities and experiences. I believe this frame of mind is essential for long term career success, because it gives you a chance to see what areas you can grow into as you steer your career. Also, it can get you a chance to shake Skip’s hand on stage at Xplor 2020!

Until next time! Take care.

skip_Henk_Photo_2011

 

Skip Henk, EDP
President/CEO
Xplor International

Cal Poly Team Wins Xplor’s Third Annual Design Competition

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Lutz, FL – March 26, 2019 – Xplor International, the worldwide electronic document systems association, today announced the winners of the third annual Communication Design Competition. The annual contest is open to Xplor University Chapter students and is created to challenge students and promote real-life application development, while having a bit of fun.

Participating teams each consisted of up to five Xplor student members from the same university. A team can only submit one entry, but the university can have multiple teams. Each student can only participate on one team.

Sponsored by Quadient, the winning team was from the California Polytechnic State University Graph Communication Department and included students Mika Arie, Yenna Chen Chen, and Michaela Kwan.

Tweet this: The #XPLOR19 Communication Design Competition winners have been Announced! Sponsored by @Quadient, the winners are @CalPoly students! Read the entire release here:http://bit.ly/2ux9V5G

The students will be recognized at XPLOR19 in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay, April 23-25, 2019, and present a session about their winning statement redesign on Thursday, April 25, at 3pm in room South Pacific H.

“I was very impressed by the amount of research and thought put into all of the entries presented  by the students from CalPoly and Ryerson University,“ says Skip Henk, President and CEO of Xplor International. “It was a very difficult decision for the judges as each application had unique qualities and features. I’d like to congratulate the Cal Poly team for their winning design and I look forward to seeing them present their solution in Las Vegas.”

The winners were selected based on their team’s presentation and explanation of the redesign to a panel of judges. The winning team will be presented a plaque at XPLOR19 during the awards ceremony on April 23rd. Additionally, each member on the team will receive a complimentary full-conference pass and the opportunity to present their design to XPLOR19 attendees in a 25-minute educational session.

For more information regarding XPLOR19, or to access the registration site, please visit www.xplor.org/xplor19. Questions should be directed to Register@xplor.org or +1-813-949-6170 between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM (ET), Monday through Friday. Vendors interested in being a sponsor or exhibitor can contact Xplor HQ, at +1-813-949-6170 or via email at sales@xplor.org.

About Xplor International

Xplor International is a not-for-profit association that provides thought leadership to the customer communications industry. As a community, Xplor provides advocacy, education, training, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Our members are decision makers and recommenders who are involved in the conception, design, implementation, production and delivery of multi-channel client, member and customer communications. 

Xplor’s mission is to enhance organizational success and advance the careers of our members by providing research, publications, industry certification, professional development, web-based events, and conference programming. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world. Further information is available at www.xplor.org.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: twitter.com/Xplor_Int or @Xplor_Int

Xplor International Media Contact:
Chad Henk
Director of Marketing
+1-813-949-6171

Xplor Announces 2019 Technology and Application of the Year Award Winners

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Recipients to be recognized at XPLOR19 in Las Vegas on April 23rd

Lutz, FL — February 20, 2019 – Xplor International, the worldwide electronic document systems association, today announced the recipients of its 2019 Technology and Application of the Year Awards. The awards will be presented at a ceremony Tuesday, April 23, during the XPLOR19 event at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

Tweet this: @rrdonnelley has won the #XPLOR19 Application of the Year Award and @Quadient has won the Technology of the Year Award! Honorable Mentions include: @EclipseDoc @TECMAILING @directmail20 A BIG Congratulations to all!! http://bit.ly/2GBMPTz

Application of the Year Award:

The Application of the Year Award is presented to an individual, a company or an organization to recognize outstanding achievement in the imaginative application of current technology and/or unique implementation of existing document and communication systems.

Xplor will award two honorable mentions in addition to the 2019 winner.

The winner of the 2019 Xplor Application of the Year is the RRD / Hosted Customer Communications Management On-Demand Service, an integrated, real-time, communications delivery system that leverages a single platform to manage all composition, design templates, business rules, and static/variable content. In turn, clients are reporting significant savings in duplicate software and hardware costs with additional soft dollar savings from reducing the staffing resources needed to maintain their current templates and business rules.

An Honorable Mention is being awarded to Legal & General America / Eclipse Corporation who consolidated datastreams, implemented multi-channel print and digital document delivery, and added customer engagement capabilities and centralized document management. The result of their DocOrigin implementation included an 80% reduction in development and processing time as well as 60% lower document maintenance costs. A total ROI was also achieved in less than 12 months.

A second Honorable Mention is being awarded to Santander Corporate Banking / Quadient for their implementation of Digital Customer Onboarding which greatly improved the bank’s customer experience and satisfaction, creating a monetary savings of almost £2 million (2.58 million USD) was reported.

Technology of the Year Award:

The Technology of the Year Award honors an individual, company or organization that has conceived and developed an original concept leading to a significant advancement in the industry.  This can be a new program, product, or technology that notably enhances the capabilities of document and communication systems.

Like the Application of the Year award, Xplor will present two honorable mentions, in addition to the winner of the award.

The winner of the 2019 Xplor Technology of the Year is being awarded to Quadient for their Omnichannel Coordination. Omnichannel Coordination breaks through the barriers of managing the distribution of regulated, as well as promotional documents, across the entire range of delivery channels. Each installation replaces several single-channel document delivery systems with a single system that coordinates the delivery of documents across the entire suite of communication channels.

An Honorable Mention is being awarded to DirectMail2.0. DirectMail2.0 is a direct mail technology/platform that tracks, enhances and reports ROI of direct mail. It provides for a 30-50% lift in the ROI of standard direct-mail using 7 digital technologies in conjunction with direct mail.

A second Honorable Mention is being awarded to TEC Mailing Solutions for their TEC’s Web Services API. TEC’s Web Services API allows the user to move data quality functionality to the submission stage which allows integrated CASS and National Change of Address to provide greater insight to potential conflicts with address quality and insights regarding potential return mail issues. It is the first (and currently only) cloud-based solution to be supported by the USPS for full-service mail.

“Our judges were impressed with the quality of the submissions making it difficult to select three award recipients in each category,” said Skip Henk, EDP, President and CEO of Xplor International. “I would like to congratulate all of our 2019 award recipients as thank all of those who took the time to apply for an award.”

Xplor International will also be announcing the recipients of additional awards at XPLOR19 on Tuesday, April 23, 2019 during the awards ceremony.

For more information regarding XPLOR19, or to access the registration site, please visit www.xplor.org/xplor19. Questions should be directed to register@xplor.org or +1-813-949-6170 between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM (ET), Monday through Friday. Vendors interested in being a sponsor or exhibitor can contact Xplor HQ, at +1-813-949-6170 or via email at sales@xplor.org.   

About Xplor International
Xplor International is a not-for-profit association that provides thought leadership to the customer communications industry. As a community, Xplor provides advocacy, education, training, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Our members are decision makers and recommenders who are involved in the conception, design, implementation, production and delivery of multi-channel client, member and customer communications.

Xplor’s mission is to enhance organizational success and advance the careers of our members by providing research, publications, industry certification, professional development, web-based events, and conference programming. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world. Further information is available at www.xplor.org.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: twitter.com/Xplor_Int or @Xplor_Int

Xplor Announces Third Annual Communication Design Competition

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Xplor Ryerson and Cal Poly University Chapters to Participate

Lutz, FL – January 30, 2019 – Xplor International, the worldwide electronic document systems association, today announced their third annual Communication Design Competition. The contest is open to Xplor University Chapters students and is created to challenge students and promote real life application development, while having a bit of fun.

Sponsored by Quadient, the winning team will be recognized at XPLOR19 in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay, April 23-25, 2019.

Tweet this: The #XPLOR19 Communication Design Competition has been Announced! Participants include @XplorRyerson and @CalPoly and is sponsored by @Quadient http://bit.ly/2MFrg4N

Participating teams consist of up to five Xplor student members from the same university. A team can only submit one entry, but the university can have multiple teams. Each student can only participate on one team.

Teams will be challenged to redesign an ordinary, bland  utility statement making it more functional, aesthetically pleasing, and expanding its purpose to include making the communication a marketing opportunity. It is the responsibility of the team to research and determine how to integrate various options and enhancements while re-designing the statement into a final submission.  The statement needs to be accessible via print, web and mobile.

“The talent these students have is amazing. Their ideas and designs they presented the last two years impressed our judges as well as those who attended their session at the 2018 Xplor conference. We look forward to this year’s entries,” says Skip Henk, President and CEO of Xplor International, “Also, a big thank you to Quadient for their support as the competition sponsor. Their generosity allows Xplor to offer a cash prize which enables members of the winning team to attend XPLOR19 and present their winning statement.”

Winners are selected based on their team’s presentation and explanation of the redesign to a panel of judges. The winning team will be presented a plaque at XPLOR19 during the awards ceremony on April 23rd and a cash prize. Each member on the team will receive a complimentary full-conference pass and the opportunity to present their design to XPLOR19 attendees in a 25-minute educational session.

For more information regarding XPLOR19, or to access the registration site, please visit www.xplor.org/xplor19. Questions should be directed to Register@xplor.org or +1-813-949-6170 between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM (ET), Monday through Friday. Vendors interested in being a sponsor or exhibitor can contact Xplor HQ, at +1-813-949-6170 or via email at sales@xplor.org.

About Xplor International
Xplor International is a not-for-profit association that provides thought leadership to the customer communications industry. As a community, Xplor provides advocacy, education, training, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Our members are decision makers and recommenders who are involved in the conception, design, implementation, production and delivery of multi-channel client, member and customer communications.

Xplor’s mission is to enhance organizational success and advance the careers of our members by providing research, publications, industry certification, professional development, web-based events, and conference programming. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world. Further information is available at www.xplor.org.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: twitter.com/Xplor_Int or @Xplor_Int

Xploration® 18 Sponsored by Industry-Leading Vendors

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Lutz, FL – March 28, 2018 – Xplor International, the worldwide electronic document systems association, today announced the line-up of conference sponsors for Xploration® 18, being held April 17-19 at the Rosen Plaza in Orlando, Florida.

“The support of our sponsors and the vendor community is critical to the success of not only this event but Xplor as an organization.” said Skip Henk, EDP, President and CEO of Xplor International. “We thank and appreciate each of our Xploration 18 sponsors for their commitment and support.”

Xploration® 18 Conference Sponsors include:

  • Registration:
    • Conference Bag– Canon Solutions America
    • Lanyard/Badge Holder– Quadient
    • Conference Guide – Cincinnati Financial
  • Food and Beverage
    • Tuesday Lunch – RISO
    • Thursday Breakfast – Quadient
  • Networking Events
    • Opening Reception – NEPS, Inc.
    • Wednesday Happy Hour Reception – Crawford Technologies and RenderX, Inc.
  • Conference Programming
    • A Morning with Keypoint Intelligence-InfoTrends – Quadient
    • Track – Customer Experience – Compart
    • Keynote Speaker / Jeff Evans – Ricoh USA
    • Industry Awards – Broadridge Financial

There are a couple more sponsorships still available. Vendors interested in either a sponsorship or becoming an exhibitor should contact Xplor’s Director of Sales, Deborah Green at 770-444-3845 or via email at deborahgreen@xplor.org.  

For more information regarding Xploration® 18, or to register, visit www.xplor.org/xplor18. Questions should be directed to Register@xplor.org or +1-813-949-6170 between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM (ET), Monday through Friday.

About Xplor International
Xplor International is a not-for-profit association that provides thought leadership to the customer communications industry. As a community Xplor provides advocacy, education, training, mentoring and networking opportunities.

Our members are decision makers and recommenders who are involved in the conception, design, implementation production and delivery of multi-channel client, member and customer communications.

Xplor’s mission is to enhance organizational success and advance the careers of our members by providing research, publications, industry certification, professional development, web-based events, and conference programming. Xplor International has its worldwide headquarters in Lutz, Florida, with affiliated offices around the world. Further information is available at www.xplor.org.

Facebook: facebook.com/XplorInternational
Twitter: twitter.com/Xplor_Int or @Xplor_Int

Xplor International Media Contact:
Chad Henk
Director of Marketing
+1-813-949-6171
Chad@xplor.org