Nolo Customer Case Study
“ALOM gets it done. Perfectly. Working with ALOM is my favorite thing. We feel like we are ALOM’s most important client!”
Susan Engle, Trade Sales Coordinator for Nolo
The Challenge
- Order and inventory management
- Evolving software delivery technology
- Compressed production time frames
The Solution
- Supply chain component procurement
- Customized digital printing
- Component storage and assembly
- COMPASS™ order entry and tracking system
- Meticulous quality control
- Dedicated account management
The Benefits
- Long-term, trusted partnership
- 100% order accuracy
- Reliable, efficient, and accountable
- Agile and flexible to meet changing needs
Collaboration and Service Innovation Establish Long-Term ALOM Partnership
Founded by two enterprising lawyers, Nolo began publishing self-help legal guides in 1971. Currently Nolo offers over 300 titles on a wide variety of business and personal legal “how to” topics such as estate planning, creating a will, setting up an LLC or filing a patent.
ALOM began working with Nolo in 1999 at a time when Nolo was experiencing growing pains. The company no longer had the facility or labor resources to stock inventory and keep up with production volume. Nolo was in need of a forward-thinking partner whose approach to supply chain management and delivery methods was equally as innovative as their founders’ pioneering business plan.
ALOM’s early services were limited to warehousing, media insertion and shipping. Over the next two years ALOM invested in building a more strategic and collaborative relationship. Areas emerged where ALOM could further optimize Nolo operations and the company began providing services including software duplication, label printing, and kit production.
Building a Collaborative Relationship
Susan Engle, Nolo Trade Sales Coordinator commented on the company’s long-term relationship with ALOM, “For 20 years, Nolo has been collaborating with ALOM and benefiting from their supply chain management expertise. This has allowed Nolo to succeed and grow by focusing on what we were best at, namely developing and publishing new content.”
Today, Nolo software is delivered via online download. ALOM services have similarly evolved. ALOM uses in-house digital print technology to publish insert cards containing individualized serial number and software license unlock codes. The advantages Nolo gains from this technology are reduced media costs, enhanced license registration, centralized software install and update functionality and license abuse control.
Ms. Engle couldn’t be more satisfied with the partnership; “From day one, whatever we have needed ALOM to do we have not had to worry about it! ALOM gets it done. Perfectly. Working with ALOM is my favorite thing. We feel like we are ALOM’s most important client!”
First Rate Quality Control
A dedicated ALOM account manager ensures quality levels are maintained and tracks each order detail. Ms. Engle recalls receiving a phone call from the ALOM account manager, “At the end of the production line each unit is weighed by a very sensitive scale to ensure package completeness. On this occasion the package weighed a miniscule amount less than the specified weight. ALOM stopped the production line to determine the reason. After a complete item by item audit it was determined that the paper for a recent user guide reprint was slightly lighter than previous versions. Their quality control processes are first rate.”
Tracking orders, SKUs, and inventory levels for such a high volume of materials requires a sophisticated automated solution. ALOM’s proprietary COMPASS™ and ALOM BI (Business Intelligence) systems allow Nolo secure access and real-time visibility to enter orders, monitor status at every stage, and receive inventory level alerts.
