Document Solutions is here to help you get the best order outcome for your promotional items. By planning just a couple of months in advance, you could save money and have more options and product availability.
Custom manufactured items can sometimes take up to two months or more from start to delivery. Also, orders placed during peak times, such as before the semester begins and near the end of the fiscal year, may take additional time for completion.
Getting a head start on planning is key to the ordering process. Start by using the Document Solutions Promotion Checklist to help you plan your project. If you wait too long, you risk items being out of stock or production taking too long to meet your deadline. Below are the typical steps in placing an order.
- Discovery: We work together to decide what items you want and details such as quantity, color, art, costs and estimated delivery time. We can also provide mockups of most items and samples upon request.
- Trademark and Proofing: Projects with UT copyrighted art (e.g., logos) should be submitted to Trademark and Licensing. Once your artwork/mockup is approved by Trademark and Licensing, we will work with the vendor to provide a proof of your order. Changes to your order during this stage may move your order back into the Discovery phase.
- Production: After you approve the proof, the vendor puts your order in their production queue. Production times may be impacted by major holidays, vendor labor shortages, extreme weather or other crisis situations. After your project has moved out of Trademark and Licensing and you have approved a proof from the vendor, the order cannot be canceled.
- Shipping: When your order is completed and ready to ship, the vendor ships to UT’s Central Distribution facilities. Shipping may sometimes be delayed due to extreme weather or other unforeseen situations.
- Fulfillment: We will notify you when your order has arrived at our warehouse at MRC. Your promo representative will inspect your order for accuracy and quality. Next, your order will be invoiced and ticketed for delivery per your instructions. Providing accurate delivery information is very important. Undeliverable packages will be returned to Central Distribution.
- Final Delivery: We’ll enter your order into the Campus Tracking System, and you’ll receive an e-mail alerting you that the order is ready for delivery with a link to check the status. A Document Solutions driver will deliver the order per your instructions.
