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Home > About Gung-Ho > Our Evolution
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Our Evolution |
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Industry History
In 1982, John Wade co-founded one of the largest independent turnkey software companies. Initially, the company utilized third-party manufacturers to provide its clients with printing, packaging, software, and turnkey manufacturing services. Although not a manufacturer itself, the company continued to grow based upon the strength of its program management and the ability to "do whatever it takes to get the job done." At that time (mid 1980s), turnkey software manufacturing was in its infancy. As the market evolved and matured, client expectation levels increased faster than third-party suppliers were able to satisfy those expectations. Consequently, the company was "forced" to do its own in-house manufacturing in order to meet the clients' acceptable standards of performance.
Today, client demands and expectation levels are higher than ever. Beyond turnkey manufacturing, clients may expect their suppliers to provide order management, forecasting, fulfillment, etc. In an attempt to satisfy these demands and gain market share, suppliers have added additional in-house services. In other words, suppliers have reacted by trying to "be all" to everyone. Unfortunately, most suppliers are not good at everything. And as they have strayed from their original core competencies, their overall quality of service has suffered and their clients have become dissatisfied.
An obvious problem with this "be all" mentality is that projects of different size and scope require different solutions. A client may want their work to be performed in geographic locations where the supplier does not have a facility; or a project may be too small or too big to efficiently fit into a supplier's established infrastructure. As a result, the client is forced to either deal with an inefficient supplier – "fit a square peg into a round hole" – or find a new supplier. Since working with additional suppliers is more difficult for the client, most clients choose to struggle with their existing supply base even though they may not be utilizing the best suppliers for their unique requirements.
Gung-Ho – a "Virtual Company"
In 1998, John Wade decided to create a new organization that more accurately delivers the solutions that today's clients require. The result was Gung-Ho – a "Virtual Company" that emphasized the best attributes of manufacturing and service. The new model, described as follows, was the result of over 20 years of in-depth experience of what works and what doesn't work in the ever-changing world of turnkey software manufacturing. (The term "turnkey software manufacturing" is being used in its broad sense which includes all types of printing, packaging, and media products.)
Gung-Ho Manufacturing and Distribution – "Best-of-Breed" Suppliers
Based on the assumption that a single supplier cannot "be all" to everyone, we believe that a network of suppliers is necessary to truly satisfy all of the various unique client requirements. Gung-Ho's supplier network spans the entire range of products and services a client may desire. The network includes suppliers located in key geographical areas worldwide. Gung-Ho suppliers are selected based upon their core competencies. In fact, Gung-Ho typically uses only some of the products or services offered by a particular supplier because even the best suppliers are only the best at some of the things they do. Since the Gung-Ho supplier network only includes the best products and services of a given supplier, we refer to this network as "Best-of-Breed."
Selection criteria for determining "Best-of-Breed" suppliers is conducted by Gung-Ho's industry experts that have a minimum of 20 years' experience in turnkey software manufacturing and fulfillment. These industry experts, with the Program Managers described below, also determine which suppliers will be used for a particular client, program, or project. Manufacturing & Distribution Locations
Gung-Ho Service – "Only-the-Best" Program Managers
The most critical factor to the success of any project is Program Management. Gung-Ho employs only the most skilled Program Managers available. New Program Managers are thoroughly educated regarding the nuances of turnkey software manufacturing. They are supplied with the proprietary tools necessary to work with Gung-Ho's network of suppliers. Program Managers work directly with Gung-Ho's supply-base experts to ascertain the full extent of the clients' requirements and provide the most appropriate solutions.
Gung-Ho's Program Managers are fully empowered to execute as necessary. Many companies use the term "empowered" but we actively encourage it. Program Managers do not need to ask permission and get approval to make things happen. For example, if a client needs after-hours production or overnight international shipping, a Program Manager can arrange it. We believe it is better to give them full power and risk the consequences (which are extremely rare given their knowledge) than to "tie their hands" and limit their effectiveness.
Gung-Ho's Program Managers work as required by the project, not the workday. They are available whenever the client requires. Differences in time zones are not an issue because Program Managers are located near the client or work according to the client's business hours. Program Managers may be placed on site at the client's location or in a designated manufacturing facility to provide immediate attention to and resolution of any issues that may arise. After hours, Program Managers are "on call" during critical periods such as first-customer-ship dates, end of month, end of quarter, and end of year.
Gung-Ho's dedication to providing the best Program Management is the reason for our tag line: We Manage Your Success... Gung-Ho Gets It Done!
Gung-Ho Information Systems – GENIE and GOLD
The key to Gung-Ho's success as a virtual company are its two proprietary information systems that interconnect Gung-Ho's clients, "Best-of-Breed" suppliers, and "Only-the-Best" Program Managers.
GENIE, the "Gung-Ho Enterprise Network and Information Exchange" system, seamlessly integrates Gung-Ho's worldwide manufacturing and distribution operations via the Internet. GENIE is maintained in a secure data center environment designed to provide high system availability, rapid scalability, and redundancy.
GOLD, the "Gung-Ho On-Line Data" system, is a secure Web portal to GENIE that enables Gung-Ho's clients to use a Web browser to manage their orders on-line and receive real-time information and reporting regarding virtually every aspect of Gung-Ho's manufacturing and distribution operations. Clients with a GOLD account can easily check order status, track shipments, enter new orders, change orders, check inventory, add and update bills of materials and assembly instructions, run MRP, process returns, and generate reports. Gung-Ho's clients, suppliers, and employees can also use GOLD to create, view, modify, and exchange artwork files, documents, spreadsheets, etc. All on-line integration and information is provided at no charge and is password protected.
Gung-Ho and its award-winning GENIE and GOLD information systems have been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and Outsourcing Journal; and have been the subject of case studies published by companies including Microsoft, Citrix Systems, Surebridge, and NaviSite.
For additional information call 1 800 Go Gung-Ho (1 800 464 8644) or send e-mail to info@gung-ho.com. |
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