PPM4™

PPM4™, our proprietary software application and database, enables us with the information to match jobs to the supplier in our network best suited to produce the job at a highly-competitive price while also efficiently managing all critical aspects of the print procurement process.

PPM4™ combines an advanced order management system with a powerful procurement application comprised of two key databases. The first includes detailed supplier information and equipment specifications and the second houses more than one million historical pricing records. Using this data, InnerWorkings is able to select optimal suppliers, negotiate favorable pricing and efficiently procure high-quality products and services for our clients.

PPM4Caster

InnerWorkings’ proprietary database provides real-time cost estimates for potential print jobs within our major product categories.  These estimates are used by our account executives during the sales process and procurement managers to compare bids and negotiate favorable pricing. It is used by our clients to prepare budgets and run “what if” scenarios.

Customized Order Management

PPM4™ automatically generates customized data entry screens based on product type and guides the procurement manager to enter the required job specifications.  For example, if a procurement manager selects “envelope” in the product field, the job specification screen will automatically adapt so that the procurement manager is guided to specify the correct size, paper type, window size, placement and display style.

Cost Management

PPM4™’s cost management module stores and reconciles supplier invoices to executed orders to ensure the supplier adhered to the pricing and other terms contained in the order.

Standardized Reporting

InnerWorkings’ technology generates transaction reports that contain quote, supplier capability, price and customer service information regarding the jobs the client has completed.  All reports can be customized, sorted and searched based on a specified time period or the type of printed product, price or supplier.  In addition, the reports give InnerWorkings’ clients insight into their spend for each individual job and on an enterprise-wide basis, which allows the client to track the amounts it spends on paper, print, products and logistics.

Historical Price Baseline

Many of InnerWorkings’ larger clients have provided us with pricing data for print jobs they completed before they began to use InnerWorkings’ services.  For these clients, PPM4™ automatically compares our current price for a print job to the price obtained by the client for a comparable historical job, which allows us to demonstrate, on a job-by-job basis in real-time, the cost savings it has achieved for the client.