Integrated Solutions: More than just Par for the Course

This week, the world's best golfers are in Scotland to play in the British Open, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the sport. Watching this tournament at the same time as writing this blog post, I can't help make a comparison on what I was hoping to discuss today with what these athletes are going through, which is creating a customized, integrated solution to generate the best results.

At the Old Course at St. Andrews, these golfers have to put their whole game together. Because of all the variables that come with playing this course, tee shots have to be accurate, approach shots have to be planned well and short games have to be thought through appropriately. Additionally, you have to have both a short-term strategy (playing well hole-to-hole) and long-term strategy (playing well over four days), plus keep sight of your competitors.

For the world that I work in and the clients I work with, these broad concepts are very similar, especially when it comes to a communications plan. To be successful, an organization needs to find a proven, seasoned, thought-leader in the communications world who you can trust to make it all come together seamlessly. With that in mind, I like to think of myself as one of the premier "caddies" in the industry.

Now, some organizations claim to offer a fully integrated solution, but here are a few examples what helps us "make the cut":

• Single Source Composition: Typeset and EDGAR. Make a change to one file and it is automatically made to the other. Error-free, consistent, no muss, no fuss.
• Language and Format Translation: It’s deeper than dialects; it’s being an expert in the financial lexicon of a particular region.
• Industry Leading Financial and Commercial Printing: Traditional Web, Sheet-Fed or new-age, high-quality Digital. Flexibility to determine what avenue suits your project and budget best.
• World Class Fulfillment Services: Delivering speed, accuracy and reporting for your Enrollment Books, Complex Kitting, Collation, Binding and Shipping every time.
• Prospectus Complete: You know this Summary Prospectus thing is a pain in the neck. Merrill Prospectus Complete does what the others won’t…with ease, 100% compliance and cost effectiveness.
• N-SAR Manager: The devil’s in the details on these. Finally there’s a collaborative tool that gives the client control, ease of use and push-button SEC filings.
• MerrillConnect: Connect the entire sales cycle, automate repetitive processes, generate concise reporting, secure online order entry and empower you to manage sales, marketing and inventory…like it was your job.
• Data Publishing Architecture (DPA): Makes child’s play out of composing your Fact Sheets, Performance Reports and Pitch Books.
  

These are just a few examples of the clubs in our bag. To learn more, contact me at tony.anzivino@merrillcorp.com
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Tony Anzivino hails from the greatly misunderstood state of New Jersey. He's worked in Financial Shareholder Communications world from the age of 12, starting with Janitorial duties at his Father's firm. He likes biking, hiking and ketchup.