This is a continuation of my interrogation/interview with Tania from Patch and The Production House, grilling her for gossip and information about her recent trip to the North Island to visit with some of our new suppliers in the efforts to offer you, the client, a better range of Print and Marketing Media at your fingertips.
Crystal: What type of businesses are you looking for to connect with The Production House?
Tania: Basically we are looking at Digital Printers, Offset Printers, and Signage Printers. Currently we are looking more towards signage than anything else, because that comes down to our available National, Regional and Local licences.
Crystal: Those businesses already using Patch Systems, did they have any feedback or comments that you'd like to share - either on Patchpro, Quoting or Website Ordering Processes?
Tania: They were absolutely blown away, and the reason they were blown away is because taking them through the Patchpro system and showing them ; okay this is how you load up a product, your image is changable, there's a content management system as well, so they can change the description, pricing and everything on -the-fly. And then showing them on the website what it looks like and the fact that it's all interchangable, they were just "Wow!". And a lot of these companies don't have online catalogues or online ordering or anything, they've just got a basic website which is a little bit of information about them with pictures and things. So, to be able to have this content management system and tie it in to the back end of The Production House and have their own catalogue website system they were absolutely blown away.
Say they've got a head office and they want to type the details in and just let head office manage it and they organise the print. They were blown away with that too. Just with all the tools that we were able to offer in terms of templates and business cards and things.
Something else I impressed them with, was we have a system called "Card Builder Template". This is where we setup your stationary as online templates, which allow each staff member to enter their details into these pre-existing templates without changing the brand or logo, look or style of your business card or other stationary. Either Head Office can control this or it's up to the individual Branches to fill in the information and from there to order the product - all done online and without the need for a designer to be involved, once the templates are complete. Ask us for more information on this fantastic Card Builder option by sending us a quick email with your contact details to orders@patchprint.co.nz
Crystal: So for those who aren't in the know, and to clarify, this means that without our interference or involvement suppliers are able to put their own products online?
Tania: Yes, they can put their own products online, and they can also put their products onto The Production House as well. And then they can have a catalog for their direct clients as well that has no reference to The Production House - they can have their own logos and all they are using is our back-end or layout from our technical setup.
Crystal: Where there any products or processes mentioned by these businesses that are difficult to achieve or hard to source?
Tania: There is some stuff that is hard to source but the fact that we just want to be the hub now we just put it out there, so it's becoming a lot easier now for The Production House, we can just float it past these supplier and see whether or not they can source it, and if we have no success with one then obviously we can go to another and see if they can source it, and just continue building our network. It's important to note that all of our product base comes from within New Zealand. All paper is imported into New Zealand as we don't have any paper mills, so we can proudly say all our products are proudly New Zealand made.
Crystal: Of the businesses that you spoke with can you recall a theme or an idea that is desired by the Management Staff that you spoke to, regarding the hopes for their company and the companies direction?
Tania: Yes, interesting when I got into the business side of things and see that each company has got their own existing core market that they want to work with, but the desire is - especially at present with the bit "Recession" word floating around, to look at different avenues and be able to source work from other areas. Hence they have chosen to come onto our network to partner with us, so we work with them, they work with us for mutual benefit and the natural achievement of this is having more ways of letting the public know what products can be provided and easy access to them! Providing more work for all.
In short our suppliers want to do what they do best, without having to worry about the marketing aspect or having to find a client base. They want to be able to stand behind their product, knowing that they've done a fantastic job in supplying their product to the end user.
Crystal: Was there anything that you were particularly impressed with on your travels?
Tania: The fact that we can now offer Neon signs and LED signs, Flag signs and signs that are about three times my height. We can also offer customised signage, Light Box signs, just the amazing product range that's out there... Full-on spray painting if required, as there's a spray painting booth available with one of our suppliers.
Crystal: If there anything you are particularly excited about regarding the new technology coming through?
Tania: Technology is forever changing but at the end of the day companies always need to advertise what they are promoting. One cool thing was in terms of motor-cross we now have a supplier that does all the graphics and can actually stick it on the motorbike for the client (think sponsors people, sponsors) and that was pretty cool because we've never been able to offer that and I think there's only three or four other companies in New Zealand that are doing that. That is definitely a unique part of signage that we can offer and I'm excited about having something unique to offer in this, along with the Neon Signage.
Crystal: Apart from the business you visited, were there any parts of the North Island that stood out for you and you'd recommend we visit?
Tania: North Island is absolutely beautiful. Travelling between Tauranga and Rotorua we got stopped in road works but it was just so tranquil. I stopped, turned the radio off, and just wound down the windows and listened to the bird life and it was just absolutely amazing. And the coastal scenery just driving along the beach between Whakatane and the Mount was really cool.
Crystal: So enjoying the serenity of the North Island in a traffic jam pretty much sums it up for you then?!
Tania: It's just great, especially when you're driving between Tauranga and Rotorua, and Rotorua to Taupo, there was a lot of road works, but it was really cool, you'd look out and see these little steam vents everywhere, and probably the only downside was it rained in Taupo, but I still managed to squeeze in a walk by the lake, and overall it was pretty cool
Crystal: Are you glad to be back, and what are your own feelings about what we have achieved at Patch, and where our ideas and skills in the market are leading us?
Tania: Yes, I'm glad to be back. But in saying that as well I fully stand behind Patchpro and The Production House because I think it's amazing what Nigel (Nigel Matthews - Manager of Patch Design & Print Solutions) has been able to accomplish with the website and the database and hopefully I'd love to see this grow a lot more in terms of our product range that we can offer to our end users, and at the end of the day I think the inspiration is to be the Trade-me of Print, and be able to let end users source all their print and marketing material via The Production House.
Crystal: And just lastly, what would like to say to Clients who are just looking for signage and thinking about using us?
Tania: If they're looking for signage I would recommend jumping onto http://www.theproductionhouse.co.nz. You are going to be absolutely amazed with what you find and with what's going to be coming in the next couple of months in terms of product. It's a brand new product range that we haven't been able to offer before, and now we've got access to offering this to our end users so watch this space!
Tania: Basically we are looking at Digital Printers, Offset Printers, and Signage Printers. Currently we are looking more towards signage than anything else, because that comes down to our available National, Regional and Local licences.
Crystal: Those businesses already using Patch Systems, did they have any feedback or comments that you'd like to share - either on Patchpro, Quoting or Website Ordering Processes?
Tania: They were absolutely blown away, and the reason they were blown away is because taking them through the Patchpro system and showing them ; okay this is how you load up a product, your image is changable, there's a content management system as well, so they can change the description, pricing and everything on -the-fly. And then showing them on the website what it looks like and the fact that it's all interchangable, they were just "Wow!". And a lot of these companies don't have online catalogues or online ordering or anything, they've just got a basic website which is a little bit of information about them with pictures and things. So, to be able to have this content management system and tie it in to the back end of The Production House and have their own catalogue website system they were absolutely blown away.
Say they've got a head office and they want to type the details in and just let head office manage it and they organise the print. They were blown away with that too. Just with all the tools that we were able to offer in terms of templates and business cards and things.
Something else I impressed them with, was we have a system called "Card Builder Template". This is where we setup your stationary as online templates, which allow each staff member to enter their details into these pre-existing templates without changing the brand or logo, look or style of your business card or other stationary. Either Head Office can control this or it's up to the individual Branches to fill in the information and from there to order the product - all done online and without the need for a designer to be involved, once the templates are complete. Ask us for more information on this fantastic Card Builder option by sending us a quick email with your contact details to orders@patchprint.co.nz
Crystal: So for those who aren't in the know, and to clarify, this means that without our interference or involvement suppliers are able to put their own products online?
Tania: Yes, they can put their own products online, and they can also put their products onto The Production House as well. And then they can have a catalog for their direct clients as well that has no reference to The Production House - they can have their own logos and all they are using is our back-end or layout from our technical setup.
Crystal: Where there any products or processes mentioned by these businesses that are difficult to achieve or hard to source?
Tania: There is some stuff that is hard to source but the fact that we just want to be the hub now we just put it out there, so it's becoming a lot easier now for The Production House, we can just float it past these supplier and see whether or not they can source it, and if we have no success with one then obviously we can go to another and see if they can source it, and just continue building our network. It's important to note that all of our product base comes from within New Zealand. All paper is imported into New Zealand as we don't have any paper mills, so we can proudly say all our products are proudly New Zealand made.
Crystal: Of the businesses that you spoke with can you recall a theme or an idea that is desired by the Management Staff that you spoke to, regarding the hopes for their company and the companies direction?
Tania: Yes, interesting when I got into the business side of things and see that each company has got their own existing core market that they want to work with, but the desire is - especially at present with the bit "Recession" word floating around, to look at different avenues and be able to source work from other areas. Hence they have chosen to come onto our network to partner with us, so we work with them, they work with us for mutual benefit and the natural achievement of this is having more ways of letting the public know what products can be provided and easy access to them! Providing more work for all.
In short our suppliers want to do what they do best, without having to worry about the marketing aspect or having to find a client base. They want to be able to stand behind their product, knowing that they've done a fantastic job in supplying their product to the end user.
Crystal: Was there anything that you were particularly impressed with on your travels?
Tania: The fact that we can now offer Neon signs and LED signs, Flag signs and signs that are about three times my height. We can also offer customised signage, Light Box signs, just the amazing product range that's out there... Full-on spray painting if required, as there's a spray painting booth available with one of our suppliers.
Crystal: If there anything you are particularly excited about regarding the new technology coming through?
Tania: Technology is forever changing but at the end of the day companies always need to advertise what they are promoting. One cool thing was in terms of motor-cross we now have a supplier that does all the graphics and can actually stick it on the motorbike for the client (think sponsors people, sponsors) and that was pretty cool because we've never been able to offer that and I think there's only three or four other companies in New Zealand that are doing that. That is definitely a unique part of signage that we can offer and I'm excited about having something unique to offer in this, along with the Neon Signage.
Crystal: Apart from the business you visited, were there any parts of the North Island that stood out for you and you'd recommend we visit?
Tania: North Island is absolutely beautiful. Travelling between Tauranga and Rotorua we got stopped in road works but it was just so tranquil. I stopped, turned the radio off, and just wound down the windows and listened to the bird life and it was just absolutely amazing. And the coastal scenery just driving along the beach between Whakatane and the Mount was really cool.
Crystal: So enjoying the serenity of the North Island in a traffic jam pretty much sums it up for you then?!
Tania: It's just great, especially when you're driving between Tauranga and Rotorua, and Rotorua to Taupo, there was a lot of road works, but it was really cool, you'd look out and see these little steam vents everywhere, and probably the only downside was it rained in Taupo, but I still managed to squeeze in a walk by the lake, and overall it was pretty cool
Crystal: Are you glad to be back, and what are your own feelings about what we have achieved at Patch, and where our ideas and skills in the market are leading us?
Tania: Yes, I'm glad to be back. But in saying that as well I fully stand behind Patchpro and The Production House because I think it's amazing what Nigel (Nigel Matthews - Manager of Patch Design & Print Solutions) has been able to accomplish with the website and the database and hopefully I'd love to see this grow a lot more in terms of our product range that we can offer to our end users, and at the end of the day I think the inspiration is to be the Trade-me of Print, and be able to let end users source all their print and marketing material via The Production House.
Crystal: And just lastly, what would like to say to Clients who are just looking for signage and thinking about using us?
Tania: If they're looking for signage I would recommend jumping onto http://www.theproductionhouse.co.nz. You are going to be absolutely amazed with what you find and with what's going to be coming in the next couple of months in terms of product. It's a brand new product range that we haven't been able to offer before, and now we've got access to offering this to our end users so watch this space!
A special thanks to Tania for undertaking this journey and representing the wildly enthusiastic and dedicated team here at Patch, in the trip across the ditch (Cook Strait) - bringing in more suppliers and thus allowing us to offer a wider range to our clients and give more work back to those skilled people in the Print and Signage Industry.
Thanks Tania, and may we all have the opportunity to bask in the tranquility of a North Island traffic jam and dally with the locals.
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