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How to Manage Business Cards Globally

by | Jan 20, 2024

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The concept of a business card dates back to ancient China, long before LinkedIn profiles and digital vCards entered the business world. Known as “meishis”, business cards were ceremonially exchanged among government officials and business people. These cards served as formal introductions and were carefully crafted, highlighting the importance of the individual’s social status and profession. Today, the business card, whether digital or printed, is still a pivotal tool in networking and professional interactions. For large multinational corporations with a global workforce, however, managing business cards becomes an intricate challenge that’s far more complicated than most realize.

Pain Points Explored

In a large global corporation, something as simple as a business card becomes a massive logistical challenge. The nuances are endless, and the potential pitfalls are many. Let’s dig into the common pain points:

1. Brand Consistency

  • Wrong Logo: Imagine a freshly promoted manager handing out cards with an old company logo. The oversight damages not just her image but the organization’s as well.
  • Fonts and Sizes: Typography plays a role in how a company is perceived. A card with the wrong font can seem unprofessional or inconsistent with the brand.
  • Paper Types: The weight and texture of the paper also communicate a brand’s quality and attention to detail. Deviations can send mixed messages about the company.

2. Production Quality

  • Vibrant Colors: A washed-out logo or faded text can tarnish first impressions.
  • Production Network: Ensuring high-quality printing is a challenge. Who is vetted to produce your business cards? Do they meet your quality benchmarks?

3. Content Accuracy

  • Correct Titles and Addresses: A card bearing a typo in the job title or an old address is worse than having no card at all. 
  • Layout and Design: Consistency in layout across various departments or global offices is usually hard to maintain.
  • Misspellings: Even minor spelling errors can derail the effectiveness of a business card, making the company—and the individual—seem careless.

4. Logistical Challenges

  • Bulk Ordering: Gathering all the required information through Excel spreadsheets is cumbersome and error-prone.
  • Central Production and Shipping: This often leads to extended lead times and exponential shipping costs—sometimes 2-3 times the cost of production.
  • Regional Portals: While seemingly convenient, different regional portals for ordering cards often result in inconsistent products.

A Business Card Solution

Facing such a multitude of challenges, how can large companies streamline the process of managing business cards? Here are actionable solutions:

1.Deploy a Centralized Global Platform

A single ordering platform eliminates several pain points at once—brand consistency, font uniformity, and logistical issues. Employees can order according to preset templates, ensuring all cards align with corporate branding. With such a platform you centralize brand control while decentralizing the personalization and payments. 

2. Connect to a Vetted Global Network

Don’t just select a platform; select a platform connected to a vetted, global production network. This assures uniform quality, from the vibrancy of your colors to the texture of your paper, regardless of where the cards are produced.

3. ERP System Integration

A platform integrated with your ERP system will automatically allocate costs to the correct department or cost center. This removes manual overhead and prevents billing errors.

4. Establish Ordering Rules

Set guidelines for the number of cards an employee can order and the maximum value for each order. This not only helps in budgeting but also reduces waste.

5. Admin-Friendly Features

Incorporate features that allow office managers or personal assistants to place orders on behalf of others. This is especially useful for high-ranking executives who may not have the time to handle such tasks.

6. Premium Features

Consider asking that the global solution offers premium cards to C-level executives.

7. Sustainable Suppliers

A whopping 7 billion business cards are printed every year. Ensure that the supplier network you’re connecting to follows sustainability practices with options for printing on recycled paper stocks. Additionally, a robust supplier network with production capabilities in different regions reduces shipping distances and carbon emissions from transportation.

About Ciloo

Ciloo has specialized in solving these problems at scale. With experience dating back to 2008, we have helped global giants like Flex Technologies (170.000 employees) and Jacobs (60.000 employees) streamline their promotional products and business card management. Our unique platform allows for both print and promotional products to be managed through a unified, global portal that seamlessly integrates with core enterprise systems like ERP and procurement software.

Our commitment to quality is reflected in our robust supplier network that spans North America, Europe, South America and APAC. And we aren’t stopping there—we’re actively expanding our reach into Africa in the next 24 months.

If your corporation is entangled in the logistical web of managing business cards globally, we invite you to simplify your operations and optimize your processes with Ciloo‘s tailor-made solutions.

For more information on how Ciloo can transform your business card management, contact us today.