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The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report Results From The 2018 Business Study Research P R O M O T I O N A L P R O D U C T S A S S O C I AT I O N I N T E R N AT I O N A L July 2018
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The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

May 26, 2020

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Page 1: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

The Promotional Products Industry Technology ReportResults From The 2018 Business Study

Research

P R O M O T I O N A L P R O D U C T S A S S O C I A T I O N I N T E R N A T I O N A L

July 2018

Page 2: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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Table Of Contents

BACKGROUND ......................................................... 3Why Read This Report ................................................. 3

Methodology ............................................................... 3Survey Design .............................................................. 3Data Collection ............................................................. 3Response Metrics ........................................................ 3Respondent Classification............................................ 3Analysis ........................................................................ 4

Demographics ............................................................ 4Respondent Demographic Segments .......................... 4Business Demographic Segments ............................... 4Company Business Categories .................................... 4Company Size .............................................................. 5Company Ownership .................................................... 5Company Location ....................................................... 6Company PPAI Membership ........................................ 6

HIGHLIGHTS ............................................................. 7

DETAILED RESULTS ............................................... 8

Introduction ................................................................. 8

Technology Budget ..................................................... 8Technology Budget By Functional Area ....................... 8

Services ....................................................................... 8Sources ........................................................................ 8Scale ............................................................................. 9Distribution ................................................................... 9

Hardware ................................................................... 10Devices ....................................................................... 10Resources .................................................................. 10

Digital Presence........................................................ 10Email ........................................................................... 10Website ....................................................................... 10Website Development ................................................ 12Company Stores ......................................................... 13Company Stores’ Website Development ................... 14

Software .................................................................... 15Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) .......................... 15Accounting ................................................................. 16Customer Relationship Management (CRM) .............. 18Order Management System (OMS) ............................ 20

Order Process ........................................................... 21Product Research Tools ............................................. 21

Data Security ............................................................ 22Data Collection ........................................................... 22Cybercrime Experiences ............................................ 22

APPENDIX .............................................................. 23

Special Thanks ......................................................... 24Technology Work Group ............................................. 24

About ......................................................................... 24About PPAI ................................................................ 24About PPAI Research ................................................. 24

Terms Of Use ............................................................ 25

Lead Analyst & Author: Moumita Das, Research Manager, PPAIReport Designers: Gretchen Demke, Manager–Creative Services, PPAI; Erick Carrillo, Graphic Designer, PPAIEditors: Terry Ramsey, Associate Editor, PPAI; Jen Alexander, Associate Editor, PPAI

The 2018 PPAI Business Study “Technology Report” is available to all active members of the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) for the use of published content in its original form, with proper attribution. See page 26 for the complete PPAI Research Terms Of Use.

Page 3: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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BACKGROUNDWhy Read This ReportThe Association first conducted this study in 2011 and updated it in 2015 to capture the current state of technology in the industry. The 2018 Business Study Technology Report presents quantified technology trends and best practices to business leaders in the promotional products industry. The metrics and benchmarks identified can be used as practical guide to help business leaders at both supplier and distributor companies to: 1. Understand technology priorities. 2. Identify relevant solutions and best practices. 3. Benchmark operational technology spending levels. 4. Maximize the strategic value of technology investments. 5. Evaluate key performance indicators by comparing technology intensity and infrastructure metrics with peers.

MethodologyPPAI Research is committed to providing the market with transparency into the methods, practices and data integrity used in our measurement. The research process in the 2018 Business Study involved a systematic collection, aggregation and analysis of self-reported responses to be used for informational purposes.

Survey DesignA quantitative survey was designed for both supplier and distributor audiences and administered through an online survey tool, including a total of 20 questions.

Questions were reviewed by an extended work group from PPAI’s volunteer community, including members of the Market Research Committee and Technology Committee. Full work group roster can be found on page 24.

Data CollectionFielding took place between March 26-April 6, 2018. A total of 10,096 invites were emailed to both PPAI members and nonmembers, including 35 referrals to individuals identified as more appropriate to answer questions about technology on behalf of their companies.

Response MetricsTotal Survey Responses 742

Complete Responses 387

Partial Responses 355

Deliveries 9,688

Overall Response Rate 8%

margin of error ± 3.46 percent at the 95 percent confidence level

Respondent ClassificationQ. Who in your company typically makes the technology buying decisions?

Me 598

My Colleague 74

Provided Valid Email Address 35

The 2018 survey was carefully constructed to only ask budget-related questions from respondents who identified themselves as decision-makers in the technology buying process.

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AnalysisDuring screening and data collection, we take great care in collecting information impartially to secure an accurate reflection of reality. It is important to note that the way in which PPAI Research collects and reports research data is in compliance with both national and international regulations and standards regarding personal data privacy. All data pertaining to specific individuals is collected in anonymized form within a secure database. Results are reported only in aggregate, in such a way that it is impossible to attribute a specific data point to a specific individual or to a specific company.

While the report is prepared, PPAI Research carries the obligation as an industry resource to ensure the findings are an accurate portrayal of the research data. Percentages shown throughout this report are based on the number of respondents for each individual question, unless otherwise stated. Where percentages do not add up to 100 percent, respondents were able to select more than one answer.

Readers will also notice that while the study dates back to 2011, not all historical data is included in the report, though past reports are available upon request. Instead, we aim to provide only the most relevant data and comparisons in data from the past seven years. Some of the prior years’ survey questions may have been omitted or changed in this year’s survey, and other questions were added in an effort to stay current with technology trends today.

Survey questions and data sets are available to PPAI members upon request. We are also happy to provide excerpts and graphs for reprint upon request. All inquiries can be sent directly to PPAI Research Manager Moumita Das at [email protected].

Demographics

Respondent Demographic SegmentsRespondents were asked to identify their gender and age. While age was represented in the 2015 study, selections were expanded to better capture generational data.

Gender Generationn=357 n=358

4%

4% Male Female Millennials (Gen Y) Generation X Baby Boomers Traditionalists Born 1981-2000 Born 1965-1980 Born 1946-1964 Born Before 1945

Business Demographic SegmentsRespondents were also asked business classification questions in order to classify comparative data segmentations within business entities, company categories, company size by sales revenues and number of employees, ownership demographics and company locations.

Business Entity Individual 39% Partnership 12% Corporation 49%n=584

Company Business CategoriesCompany Subcategories

INDUSTRY 31% NON-INDUSTRY 69%

Industry Suppliercompany manufactures promotional products only

14%Multi-Channel Suppliercompany manufactures wide range of products including promotional products

9%

Industry Distributorcompany provides promotional products consulting only

17%

General Distributorcompany provides wide range of services including promotional product consulting

60%

n=552

Page 5: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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Company Counts (n=)2011* 2015 2018

Suppliers 247 113 126

Distributors 769 359 444

*highest “n” variable reported; unknown sample criteria

The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however, it is important to note the data set only represents those that were successfully classified.

Company SizeBy Sales RevenueTotal Annual Revenuen=584

Promotional Products Salesn=404

Less than $1M 65% Less than $50K 31%

$1,000,001-$5M 19% $50,001-$1M 51%

$5,000,001-$50M 10% $1,000,001-$5M 10%

$50,000,001 or more 6% $5,000,001 or more 8%

Q. Including yourself, what is the TOTAL number of employees at your company, including full-time, part-time and independent contractors across all locations?

SMALL 75%

1 16%

2 to 5 49%

6 to 10 10%

MEDIUM 18%

11 to 20 8%

21 to 50 7%

51 to 100 3%

LARGE 7%

101-500 4%

500-1,000 1%

1,001+ 2%n=566

Company OwnershipQ. Is your business ownership any of the following?

Woman Owned

Minority Owned

Veteran Owned

Millennial Owned

LGBTQ Owned

None Of The Aboven=575

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Company LocationQ. In which COUNTRY is your company headquarters located?

North America 99%

United States 92%

Canada 7%

Outside North America 1% n=587

Regions Northeast Midwest South West

17% 25% 30% 28%

n=534

Company PPAI MembershipQ. Is your company a PPAI member?

l Yes 90% l No 10%

Membership status provides greater context to the driving cause and purpose regarding percent usage of Association-specific technology tools and resources.

Page 7: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

The Promotional Products Industry Technology ReportHighlights From The 2018 Business Study

Copyright © 2018 Promotional Products Association International. PPAI Research™. All Rights Reserved.

Scale Of OperationsCompany Size (By Number Of Employees)

The Role Of IT l In-House IT l Third-Party Company l No IT Support

Suppliern=243

Distributorn=706

Suppliern=89

Distributorn=334

56% 16% 59% 36%

14%

2011 2018

13%

24%

34%

30%

71%

17%30%

9% Annual Revenue On TECHNOLOGY 43% Technology

Budget On SOFTWARE

33% Technology Budget On HARDWARE 24% Technology

Budget On SERVICES

126Suppliers

444Distributors

<100Employees

101-500Employees

501+Employees

2 to 4

5 to 10

More than 11

IT Team Size

Research

21% 82% 66% 64%

Distributor Website FeaturesAbout Us 86%

Navigation Bar 85%

Product Catalog 74%

Ecommerce Capabilities 46%

FAQ 41%

Terms & Conditions 35%

Secured Connection 28%

Sitemap 27%

Privacy Policy 25%

Reporting Tools 20%

Career Page 15%

Live Chat 7%

None Of The Above 6%

99% Have AWebsite

Website Updates Suppliers Distributors Annually 29% 24% Every other year 55% 7% Every 3 years 6% 7% As needed 10% 62%

Use ERP Software Use Accounting Software Use CRM Software Use OMS Software

Spend Spend

Spend Spend

Page 8: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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DETAILED RESULTSIntroductionTechnology is commonly knitted across today’s business sector, representing a growing percentage of corporate spending. In gener-al, the role of IT can be classified into four major activities: 1) enterprise 2) embedded 3) customer and 4) process. Each activity fulfills a different objective within the enterprise. For example, enterprise activities provide IT services firm-wide and manage the IT unit and vendors, embedded activities involve work with non-IT peers, with focus on strategy, business process execution and innovation, new product development and compliance. Customer activities involve work with external customers or partners to sell and provide IT-en-abled products and services; process activities manage non-IT tasks, such as sourcing, facilities, operations and shared services.

Technology BudgetQ. Approximately, what PERCENTAGE of your annual revenue do you typically spend on

technology? On average, supplier and distributor companies spend 9% of their annual revenue on technology.n=451

Budget By Company Size

Company Size (By Sales Revenue) IT Spending RangePercent Of Revenue

< $1M $5k - $100k 10%

Millennial Owned $10.5k - $210k 21%

Non-Millennial Owned $4.5k - $90k 9%

$1,000,001-$500M $60k - $30M 6%

$500,000,001+ $10M+ 2%

Technology Budget By Functional AreaQ. Approximately, what PERCENTAGE of your technology budget is spent in hardware, software

and services?

l Software 43% l Hardware 33% l Services 24%

n=440

ServicesThe job of IT is growing more and more complex, and both suppliers and distributors are adjusting the role of technology services in their business. Whether full operational responsibility is completely handed over to a third-party service provider or IT personnel operate within the business, technology services expenditures cover both direct and indirect costs needed to support business operations and initiatives. This may include employee costs such as salary, benefits and training, or contract labor costs through third-party services.

SourcesQ. What best describes the role of IT at your company? Suppliers Distributors l In-House IT 59% l In-House IT 36% l Third-Party Services 24% l Third-Party Services 34% l Friends/Family 0% l Friends/Family 1% l No IT Support 17% l No IT Support 29% n=89 n=338

Page 9: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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The Role Of ITl In-House IT l Third-Party Company l No IT Support

Suppliern=243

Distributorn=706

Suppliern=89

Distributorn=334

56% 16% 59% 36%

14%

2011 2018

13%

24%

34%

30%

71%

17%30%

*“Friends / Family” designated under “No IT Support”

ScaleQ. How many IT professionals does your company employ?

Suppliers Distributors

2011 n=243 2018 n=89 2011 n=706 2018 n=338

1 Staff Member 27% 43% 12% 31%

2 to 4 Staff Members 17% 4% 3% 2%

5 to 10 Staff Members 6% 9% 1% 2%

More Than 11 Staff Members 6% 2% 0% 1%

Third-Party Company 14% 25% 13% 34%

No IT Support 30% 17% 71% 30%

IT Operational Role Scale Of Operations Suppliers Distributors Company Size (By Number Of Employees) n=52 n=121

60% 40%

81% 19%

lPart-Time Operational Role l Full-Time Operational Role

<100Employees

101-500Employees

501+Employees

2 to 4 5 to 10 More than 11IT Team Size

DistributionQ. How are the following IT functions supported at your company?

IT Functions Total Supported Internal Third-Party Both None

Software Application n=426 90% 37% 30% 23% 10%

Network n=423 84% 44% 25% 15% 16%

Development & Support n=421 77% 27% 31% 19% 23%

Infrastructure n=416 76% 39% 20% 17% 24%

Help Desk n=423 74% 35% 25% 14% 26%

Data Center n=420 68% 31% 27% 10% 32%

Page 10: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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HardwareHardware expenditures generally include any costs associated with the ownership of a physical asset. Expenditures may consist of installation costs, maintenance contracts or warranties in both peripheral and management hardware.

DevicesQ. Which of the following devices does your company provide to employees? Suppliers Distributors n=87 n=333 l Desktop 83% 64%

l Laptop 67% 66%

l Smartphone 56% 57%

l Landline 53% 40%

l Tablet 31% 29%

l None Of The Above 5% 10%

ResourcesQ. Which of the following resources are offered by your company? Suppliers Distributors n=87 n=333 Multi-Function Printer 90% Wireless Internet 82%

Wireless Internet 86% Multi-Function Printer 80%

Wired Internet 67% Wired Internet 50%

Web Conference 49% Web Conference 46%

VPN 48% VoIP 31%

Uninterruptible Power Supply 41% Uninterruptible Power Supply 29%

VoIP 40% VPN 28%

Groupware 10% None Of The Above 8%

None Of The Above 6% Groupware 5%

Digital Presence

EmailQ. Which software do you use to access your company email?

Desktop 63% Cloud 37%n=419

SpendPaid 84% Free 16%n=422

WebsiteQ. Does your company have a website?99% of supplier and distributor companies say they have a website.n=413

Page 11: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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Q. Which of the following features are included on your website? (Distributor Only)

About Us 86%

Navigation Bar 85%

Product Catalog 74%

Ecommerce Capabilities 46%

FAQ 41%

Terms & Conditions 35%

Secured Connection 28%

Sitemap 27%

Privacy Policy 25%

Reporting Tools 20%

Career Page 15%

Live Chat 7%

None Of The Above 6% n=295

Product Catalog Capabilities

Product Search Box 90%Product Description 77%Product Sort 72%Pricing Information 72%Featured Products 69%Add-To-Cart Button 58%Zoom Feature 43%Related Products 27%Consumer Reviews 16%None Of The Above 4%n=215

Ecommerce Capabilities

Shopping Cart 81%Customer Login 60%Online Checkout 60%Billing Address & Shipping Address 58%Payment System Icons 48%Shipping Information 46%Return / Exchange Policy 30%Security Seals 25%Wishlist 22%Automated Quote 22%Order Tracking 20%Promo Code Field 19%None Of The Above 12%n=132

Privacy Policy

70% of distributor companies have a privacy policy that specifies how their company will collect and use the data.n=74

Page 12: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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Q. Is your website optimized for mobile users? Suppliers Distributors

2015 n=113 2018 n=86 2015 n=297 2018 n=321

Yes 49% 76% 65% 75%

Separate Mobile Site 6% 2% n/a% 0%

No 45% 22% 35% 25%

Q. How often do you plan and budget to update your website’s framework or design?

Website Updates Suppliers Distributors Annually 29% 24% Every other year 55% 7% Every 3 years 6% 7% As needed 10% 62%

Website Development

Q. How was your company’s website developed?

52% 32% 16%

Industry-Speci�c Platform

Global Platform

Custom

n=396

Industry-Specific Website Platform Providers

73% 10% 8%

SAGE 148

202

19

16

4

3

2

2

2

2

4

1

1

1

1

DistributorCentral

ASI ESP

2%

2%

1% 1% 1% 1% 1%

Facilis @ease

ArtworkServicesUSA

InkSoft

Marketing Ideas For Printers

DecoNetwork

BrightStores

TOTAL 100%

Other

Other Mentions

Web Jaguar

Antera Software USA

PrinterPresence

PromoBullit

Page 13: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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Global Website Platform Providers

63% 11%

6% 6% 4% 3%

3%

WordPress

Wix.com

Shopify

Magento

SharePoint

Squarespace

Umbraco

Weebly

TOTAL 100%

Other

Other Mentions

Rain Retail Software

BigCommerce

Znode

PrestaShop

2% 2%

77

14

7

7

5

4

3

2

4

123

1

1

1

1

6% 6% 4% 3%

3%

Custom Website Platform Providers

61% 9% 4% 4%

26%

Don’t Know 28

4

2

12

46

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

GoDaddy

ASP.NET

Other

Hostway

LightCMS

SAP Hybris

Adobe Muse

TOTAL 100%

Powerweave

Other Mentions

Web�ow

Craft CMS

WebSite X5

Vivial

LemonStand

HubSpot

OmegaNet

Company Stores

Q. Does your company offer company stores?

64% of distributor companies say they have company stores.n=294

Page 14: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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Website Development For Company Stores

Q. What platform does your company use for company stores?

69% Different from company website

31% Same as company website

n=188

Industry-Specific Website Platform Providers

70% 8% 7% 2% 2% 1%

1% 7%

7%

7%

SAGE 99

11

9

3

3

2

2

2

2

10

1

1

1

ASI ESP

BrightStores

e-Quantum Quantum Net

InkSoft

DistributorCentral

Web Jaguar

SanMar

AGP e-Solutions

Other

Other Mentions

OrderStream Pro

DecoNetwork

143

1

1

1

1

TOTAL 100%

Facilis @ease

PrinterPresence

1

1

1

1

PromoBullit

OrderMyGear

iCoStore

1

1

1

1

Marketing Ideas For Printers

Antera Software USA

1CompanyPromoStore.com

1% 1%

Page 15: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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Global Website Platform Providers

29% 20% 15%

9% 9%

18%

Shopify 10

7

5

3

3

6

34

1

1

WordPress

Wix

Magento

Four51

Other

Other Mentions

SharePoint

Umbraco

1

1

1

1

TOTAL 100%

PrestaShop

Page�ex

CS-Cart

AbleCommerce

Custom Website Platform Providers

67% 33%

4

2

6

1

1

Don’t Know

Other

Other Mentions

WebSite X5

ASP.NET

TOTAL 100%

SoftwareSoftware was originally, and rightly, seen under the domain of the IT department, but today it serves a multitude of functions and is used by many different business units. The rising penetration of process automation and workflow management solutions has not only led to an increase in enterprise productivity, but it has also radically reduced the cost of production and time to market.

The U.S. software sector is currently the main driver of the overall technology market, and associated costs may include a combi-nation of subscriptions, licenses or support contracts, typically with a set price on a fixed term. Software technologies may include applications, operating systems or middleware.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Q. Does your company use an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)?21% of supplier and distributor companies say they use ERP software.n=384

ERP System Type

46% 43%

On-Premise

Hosted Subscription-Based

11% Hosted Co-Location Facility

n=81

Page 16: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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Q. Which ERP system provider does your company use?

37% 25%

Industry-Speci�c Provider

Global Provider

18% Separate Applications

20% Custom-Built Solution

n=81

Industry-Specific ERP System Providers

43% 25% 11%

7% 14%

12

7

3

2

4

28

1

1

SAGE

ASI SmartBooks

Facilis @ease

Xetex Business Systems (Xebra)

Other

Other Mentions

Pro�tMaker

Antera Software USA

1

1

TOTAL 100%

DemandBridge

e-Quantum Quantum Net

Global ERP System Providers

20% 15% 10% 10% 10%

4

3

2

2

2

20

1

1

Infor

35% 7NetSuite

Epicor Software Corporation

Microsoft Dynamics AX/D365

SAP

Other

Other Mentions

SYSPRO

IBM iSeries (formerly AS/400)

TOTAL 100%

AccountingQ. Does your company use accounting software?82% of supplier and distributor companies say they use accounting software.n=379

Accounting Software Type

9% Industry-Speci�c Provider

78% Global Provider

6% Integrated Provider

7% Custom-Built Solution

n=335

Page 17: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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Industry-Specific Accounting Software Providers

17% 17% 13% 13%

3% 3%

5

5

4

4

1

30

1

Xetex Business Systems (Xebra)

37% 11Pro�tMaker

ShopWorks

e-Quantum Quantum Net

ASI SmartBooks

Other

Other Mentions

Facilis @ease

TOTAL 100%

Global Accounting Software Providers

2% 2% 1% 1% 1%

5

4

3

2

3

257

1

Wave

2% 6Sage 50 Accounting (formerly Peachtree)Sage 50 Accounting (formerly Simply Accounting)*

91% 234QuickBooks

AccountEdge Pro

Xero

Quicken

Other

Other Mentions

Acomba

1FreshBooks

1Moneydance

TOTAL 100%

*Canadian Version

Integrated Accounting Software Providers

19% 19% 10% 10% 14%

4

4

2

2

3

21

1

Sage 500 (formerly SAGE MAS 500)

28% 6NetSuite

Infor

SAP

Epicor Software Corporation

Other

Other Mentions

Microsoft Dynamics GP (formerly Great Plains Software)

1Microsoft Dynamics NAV (formerly Navision)

1SYSPRO

TOTAL 100%

Page 18: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Q. Does your company use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software?66% of supplier and distributor companies say they use CRM software.n=374

CRM Software Type

64% 10%

Industry-Speci�c Provider

Global Provider

10% Integrated Provider

6% Local / Desktop Provider

10% Custom-Built Solution

n=247

Industry-Specific CRM Software Providers

6% 5% 3% 1% 3%

9

7

4

2

5

153

1

commonsku

8% 6% 5%

8% 13ASI ESP

74% 113SAGE

Facilis @ease

Xetex Business Systems (Xebra)

DistributorCentral

Other

Other Mentions

DecoNetwork

1InkSoft

1DemandBridge

1Antera Software USA

1Cyrious Control

TOTAL 100%

Global CRM Software Providers

40% 15% 10% 10% 25%

8

3

2

2

5

20

1

Salesforce

HubSpot

Close.io

OutboundEngine

Other

Other Mentions

SugarCRM

1Pipedrive

1Solve360 By Norada

1EPESI

1Sales�are

TOTAL 100%

Page 19: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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Integrated CRM Software Providers

13% 8% 8% 8% 5%

3

2

2

2

1

24

1

Epicor Software Corporation

29% 7Zoho

29% 7NetSuite

Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Insightly

Infor

Other

Other Mentions

Infusionsoft

TOTAL 100%

Local / Desktop CRM Software Providers

92% ACT! 11

1

12

8% 8% Goldmine

TOTAL 100%

Page 20: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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Order Management System (OMS)

Q. Does your company use Order Management System (OMS) software?64% of supplier and distributor companies say they use OMS software.n=363

OMS Software Type

69% Industry-Speci�c Provider

2% Global Provider

8% Integrated Provider

21% Custom-Built Solution

2% n=231

Industry-Specific OMS Software Providers

1% 1% 1%

9%

2

2

2

2

14

156

1

ISIS (Integrated Sales Information System) AIA

1% 2ShopWorks

3iPROMOTEu

Kaeser Central

Printer’s Plan

1% Intelliform

Other

7% 7% 5% 4% 5% 4% 3% 2%

11

10

7

6

4

commonsku

7% 11ASI ESP

51% 80SAGE Online

Xetex Business Systems (Xebra)

Facilis @ease

DistributorCentral

Pro�tMaker

Other Mentions

PriceIt Software

1DocketManager

1OrderMaster

1OrderStream Pro

1e-Quantum Quantum Net

TOTAL 100%

1shopVOX

1DecoNetwork

1DemandBridge

1Antera Software USA

1InkSoft

1ASI SmartBooks

1Cyrious Control

1Lakeshore Group

1BizWizard Order Manager

Page 21: The Promotional Products Industry Technology Report · The sample includes a diverse spectrum of the promotional products industry from both supplier and distributor companies; however,

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Global OMS Software Providers

1

1

Other Mentions

Salesforce

HubSpot

1

1

Unleashed Software

Invoice2go

Integrated OMS Software Providers

37% 21%

10% 16%

16%

7

4

3

3

2

17

1

NetSuite

Infor

Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Other

Other Mentions

Zoho

SYSPRO

1

1

TOTAL 100%

SAP

Epicor Software Corporation

Order Process

Product Search Tools

Q. Which of the following product search tools does your company use?

93% 62% 34% 18%

SAGE

Suppliers n=73 Distributors n=280

ASI ESP

DistributorCentral

PromoMarketing

86% 28% 24% 15% 15%

SAGE

DistributorCentral

ASI ESP

Promo Marketing

1% PromoHunt 3% PromoHunt

Q. What percentage of purchase orders are submitted via the following options?

60% 8%

9%

Suppliers n=65

Hard Goods Soft Goods

Distributors n=270 Suppliers n=61 Distributors n=270

Email

Fax

Phone

5%

53% 3%

4% 9%

60% 7%

11% 6%

11% 13% Order Management System 29% 13% 26% 13% 13% 26%

47% 3%

5% 16% Website

5% 2% 3% 3% Direct Integration

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Data Security

Data Collection

Q. Which of the following do you store or retain for employees, customers or partners?90% of supplier and distributor companies store data on employees, customers or partners.n=358

99% 97%

Email Addresses

Phone Numbers

92% Billing Addresses

28% Home Addresses

16% 14%

Date Of Birth

Credit / Debit Card Numbers

10% Social Security Numbers

6% 6% Bank Account Numbers

n=323

Those that selected Credit / Debit Card Numbers were asked about PCI (payment card industry) security standards compliance. The Payment Card Industry Data Security

Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of security standards designed to ensure that all companies that accept, process, store or transmit credit card information maintain a secure

environment.

Q. Is your company PCI compliant?

66% 5%

Yes

No, but plans in future

4% No plans, but aware of it

25% Unaware of PCI

4%

n=53

Cybercrime Experience

Q. Has your business experienced any of the following attacks?65% of supplier and distributor companies have experienced a cybercrime attack.n=348

70% 59%

Virus

Phishing

22% Hack

12% Lost Device

12% 10%

Communication

Ransomware

9% Snail Mail

5% Web Intrusion

n=192

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APPENDIX

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Special ThanksThank you to every respondent who has completed our survey. We cannot thank you enough for taking the time to help us build this living resource for our industry. We would also like to thank those who completed the 2011 and 2015 surveys. The combined results were used for comparative trend analysis.

Technology Work Group

We wish to thank the members of the Technology Work Group who were involved in the survey design and review of the results.

Bille Walcheck, SAGEJamie Watson, MAS, Certified Marketing Consultants, Inc.Mark Abels, SELCOSam Hornstein, EXtendTechTony Wavering, Promo HuntDaniel Becker, Kotis Design

About

About PPAI

Promotional Products Association International (PPAI) is the trusted leader delivering essential knowledge, resources and community to ensure the success of its members and the promotional products industry itself. With over 15,000 member companies worldwide (based on 2018 figures), PPAI has served supplier, distributor and business service companies since 1903.

For more information, visit PPAI.org, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and follow @PPAI_HQ on Twitter.

About PPAI Research

ResearchThe promotional products industry’s first and trusted source for research. Available exclusively to members, visit PPAI.org/Research to login and access the most current collection of PPAI Research.

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