The Book Industry S Supply Chain Organisation

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

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.