The projects handled by the MLS Fulfillment Division usually fall into one of three categories. The first of these could be classified as pick and pack services with on-demand shipping. The second category would best be characterized by hand and/or machine assembly followed by shipping. And lastly, those projects where we provide finishing services needed to complete a project.

In the first instance, clients send us their completed marketing communication, sales promotion or e-commerce materials for storage. Each day we fulfill orders from their staff for these materials. Upon receiving an order, we will pick the requested items from their existing inventory, pack the materials, generate and apply shipping labels as required, and ship their materials via UPS using Third Party billing. We adjust the client's inventory records daily so we can submit an inventory report on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis depending on product usage and the client's need.

The second category of our fulfillment services generally invloves some combination of hand and machine assembly. In certain instances we may also be responsible for providing additional finishing services such folding. Custom sales kit assembly is a typical example of this type of fulfillment.

There's one client, for example, for whom we store roughly 30 separate items. From these materials the client's staff can order any one of 136 different variations of sales kits. Our job is making certain we pick the correct item for each kit from inventory, and then insert these materials in a predetermined order into a custom pocket folder. We shrink-wrap each completed kit, box them, batch generate and apply shipping labels and ship them out—all within 48 hours of receipt of the order.

It's not uncommon for a client to request that we include one or more special information sheets in a sales kit. Typically, the client will e-mail us the information and we use our high-speed digital copier to generate a quantity sufficient for the kits. In certain situations, a client will ask that our Print Division develop a layout for a special sales piece and have us produce the necessary copies digitally.

Sales Manual collation is typical of the last type of service our Fulfillment Division provides. Using our high-speed collating machines, we'll gather the individual pages of each section of the manual in their correct sequence. Our staff marries the sections together by hand to complete the manual. More often than not, we will insert the pages of the manual into a binder which means we must first three-hole punch the collated tabs and pages. If the binder is of the overlay cover variety, we also may insert cover and spine copy pages into the overlay areas. Usually, the completed manuals are boxed for bulk shipment although in certain cases a client will have us individually box and drop-ship the packages or have our Mailing Division mail the finished manuals to the recipients.

Regardless of what your fulfillment needs are, chances are the Magic Lantern Fulfillment Division has probably tackled something close to it at one time or another. And as those who have come to depend on us know, we seldom can't handle a client's project.

In fact, that's exactly how one client discovered that she could rely on our Fulfillment Division for a project involving the packaging of 3 million Christmas cards and corresponding envelopes. She needed to have 10 cards and envelopes shrink-wrapped into a package. The resulting 300,000 packages then needed to be inserted into displays that held 40 packages each. Each display had to be individually boxed and shipped to America's number one mass merchandising company in time for the holiday season. Not only did our client receive kudos from her customer for an excellent product and presentation, but more importantly, her company was awarded an order to produce twice the amount of product for the next holiday season. Needless to say, we proudly accepted this client's gracious request for our Fulfillment Division to process this subsequent order as well.

Following are just some of the services our Fulfillment Division offers:

- Order Entry plus Pick, Pack and Ship
- Hand Assembly
- Inventory Control with Customized Reports
- Machine Collation
- Folding
- High-Speed Digital Copying
- Three-Hole Punching
- High-Speed Label Application
- Machine Counting
- Padding
- High-Speed Shrink Wrapping
- Packaging