Advice Time
Blake Goodwin, director of sales and operations for Boston-based Artaic – Innovative Mosaic, turned to UPS when his company started to grow. After completing the Boston accelerator program MassChallenge in 2011, Goodwin realized Artaic, which designs and fabricates custom mosaics, needed help.
“We knew we were about to enter a stage where we were going to expand dramatically and realized we’d need to enlist the services of an experienced provider like UPS who could help us get to that next level,” Goodwin says.
Artaic took advantage of services including negotiating discounted rates and whiteboarding sessions to help the company evaluate and prioritize its needs. Because Artaic has a complicated international supply chain, thanks to the procurement of its raw inventory of glass, stone and porcelain tiles, Goodwin says UPS’s global experience was extremely helpful in mapping out operations in the most efficient way.
“We have 10 to 15 products that we’re purchasing the raw inventory from several countries across the world, and several suppliers within those countries,” Goodwin says, noting that when UPS rerouted the shipment of those tiles, Artaic saw fulfillment time drop by roughly 30 percent.
At the same time, Artaic turned to UPS for the front end of business, in which architects and designers need to see and touch its product and present it to their clients. Goodwin says UPS’s small parcel service and tools such as its WorldShip® software help his company handle increasing volume and ship more efficiently.
“Our clients often need samples right away, so it’s really important that we have people we can rely on in that regard to help increase our top line,” he says. UPS’s dedicated team and wide range of shipping options—including UPS ground, air and freight services—make that happen.
