the book industry’s supply chain organisation
Book Industry Communication
7 Ridgmount Street, London WC1E 7AE
Telephone: 020 7255 0513 ∙
Confidentiality
Please note that this application form will be reviewed by the BIC Supply Chain Excellence Accreditation panel, which is a group comprised of representation from various types of organisations throughout the UK’s book industry supply chain, including publishers, retailers, distributors, wholesalers, data aggregators and service providers. Each application is treated in confidence, and BIC always aims to ensure that potential competitors are not permitted to review applications. For example, Retailer A sitting on the accreditation panel, would not be permitted access to Retailer B’s application form or be able to offer any opinion on the proposed results for Retailer B. However, in the interests of confidentiality, BIC reminds all applying organisations not to disclose any information that should not be shared with the accreditation panel members and/or isn’t already in the public domain.
BIC SUPPLY CHAIN EXCELLENCE AWARDS
RENEWAL OF ACCREDITATION FORM
BIC asks that all organisations wishing to apply for renewal of their previous year’s accreditation complete this application form. If your organisation is applying for the first time and/or failed in its application last year, you will need to complete the longer, full application form; details of which are on the BIC website.
For Accreditation Renewals:
Rather than ask organisations who are already accredited to apply again from scratch, the following is an update form which should be used to highlight any significant changes or progress made in the last year or since the previous application.
This scheme is based on self-assessment of how you perceive your company is performing in key business areas. For the following questions, please score your business appropriately. In the description field, you should explain and justify your score and describe your solutions, implementations, and any projects you have run to exploit the benefits of the technology. These details are crucial so please give as full an answer as possible. Please note that your answers will be assessed by an independent panel of industry professionals.If you feel that one or more of these areas is not applicable to your business, please say so and explain why in the description field.
Please note that BIC will unfortunately not be able to re-accredit your organisation without being in receipt of this completed renewal form.
Company name
Company address
Contact name and job title
Contact telephone number
Contact email address
Main business activity
1. Standards
BIC believes that industry standards reduce costs and improve service in the book supply chain. Please indicate any changes to your commitment or policy towards standards.
Please Score your organisation out of 3 where 0 = Not Applicable or no progress made since last year, 1 = only very basic long established standards e.g. ISBN, 2 = More widespread use of standards than last year, 3 = Strong commitment to standards in all areas of the business. Please ensure you give details to support your score.
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Your score
Description
2.Metadata
BIC is committed to the provision and use of accurate and complete product metadata as this underpins and supports most book supply chain activity. Please indicate any changes in your provision or use of product metadata.
Please score your organisation out of 3 where 0 = Not Applicable or no progress made since last year, 1 = Some improvements since last year, 2 = Steady progress, 3 =Strong progress towards improved metadata since last year / already existing excellent use of metadata. Please ensure you give details to support your score.
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Your score
Description
3.EDI
BIC is committed to electronic communication (e.g. EDI Orders, invoices, etc.) between supply chain trading partners, whether this is by EDI or web services, etc. Please indicate any changes in your use of EDI and your exchange of routine business messages with your trading partners.
Please score your organisation out of 3 where 0 = Not Applicable or no progress made, 1 = Some improvements, 2 = Steady progress, 3 = Strong progress towards improved full cycle EDI and exploitation of the technology to deliver improved service at lower costs / already existing excellent use of EDI. Please ensure you give details to support your score.
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Your score
Description
4.Returns
BIC believes that returns are necessary for the print supply chain but that they should be managed as efficiently as possible. Please indicate any changes in your provision or use of returns services by EDI or Batch Returns (as part of the Industry Returns Initiative).
Please score your organisation out of 3 where 0 = Not Applicable or no progress made, 1 = Some improvements, 2 = Steady progress, 3 = Strong progress towards fully implemented IRI / already existing comprehensive implementation of IRI. Please ensure you give details to support your score.
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Your score
Description
5. POD
BIC believes that some publishing works better using print on demand technology. Please indicate any changes in your provision or use of print on demand or similar technology.
Please score your organisation out of 3 where 0 = Not Applicable or no progress made, 1 = Some improvements, 2 = Steady progress, 3 = Strong progress towards integrating POD into your organisation's normal service / already existing excellent use of POD. Please ensure you give details to support your score.
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Your score
Description
6. Digital
BIC believes that digital books and related products are important to the future of publishing and that many organisations should have developed a methodology and business model to address this opportunity. Please indicate any changes in your provision or use of digital products and workflow.
Please score your organisation out of 3 where 0 = Not Applicable or no progress made, 1 = Some improvements, 2 = Steady progress, 3 = Strong progress towards fully-functioning digital strategy / already excellent use of digital. Please ensure you give details to support your score.
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Your score
Description
7. Innovation
BIC is keen to encourage innovation in the book supply chain and extra credit will be given to applicants who have embraced new services or technologies to enhance their own service offering or provide some other benefit. Please give details:
Description
8. Products and ISBNS
Please give details (i.e. the title and the ISBN) of up to 5 products (e.g. books or eBooks) which your
organisation has been involved with and in whose success your organisation has played a part over the past year. If possible, please tell us a bit more about how (from an operational/supply chain perspective) your organisation played a part in that success.
ISBN
ISBN
ISBN
ISBN
ISBN
Description
9. Other Information
If you have undertaken any significant developments which you feel have not been adequately reflected in questions 1 to 8, please add them here.
Description
This document should be saved and sent by email to Alaina-Marie Bassett () or by post to the address on page 1.
Annex 1
ELECTRONIC TRANSACTIONS
If you are a distributor, bookseller, library supplier or wholesaler, please provide evidence of your e-trading volumes by completing the form below.
Please enter the most recent annual percentages of EDI messages you employ in your business.
Distributors and wholesalers
HomeExport
Order lines received
Invoice lines sent
Credit Notes sent
Returns requests received
Statements sent
Are you able to send EDI Order Acknowledgements?
Are you able to send Electronic delivery notes?
Do you make payments electronically? Please provide details.
Please provide details of any other EDI messages which you exchange with trading partners, e.g. with printer or carriers.
Booksellers, library suppliers and wholesalers
Order lines sent
Invoice lines received
Credit Notes received
Returns requests/authorisations
Do you make payments electronically? Please provide details.
Library suppliers
Order lines received
Invoice lines sent
Credit Notes received
Are you able to send EDI Order Acknowledgements?
Are you able to send Electronic delivery notes?
Do you use the EDIFACT QUOTES message? Please give details.