RFP 2020 - Research Proposal PDF

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Assignment 1 - Request for ProposalMKT504: Effective Persuasion Due: March 4th, 2019Pages Publications140 King St W, Toronto, ON, M5H 1JContacts:http://www. pagespublicationsPrepared for Ryerson University, MKTExecutive Summary Our philosophy guides us as we believe in bringing the best possible ser...

Description

Assignment 1 - Request for Proposal MKT504: Effective Persuasion Due: March 4th, 2019

Pages Publications

140 King St W, Toronto, ON, M5H 1J9

Contacts:

www. pagespublications.ca

Prepared for Ryerson University, MKT504

Executive Summary Our philosophy guides us as we believe in bringing the best possible service to both educators and students across Canada. Therefore, Pages Publications would like to submit a proposal to Ryerson University to enter into a 5 year mutually beneficial arrangement commencing January 1, 2020. Always following industry best practices, Pages Publications constantly looks at future industry trends in order to achieve your organization’s goals, while working alongside you to ensure that your needs are being met. That is why Pages offers multiple textbook bundles at different price points in order to ensure that partner universities are able to satisfy their requirements at a price that best suits their budgetary constraints especially due to the new tuition cuts ahead. Our goal is to provide the most cost value by introducing a variety of teaching

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material such as test banks for professors, customization of course material, online modules and assignments for enhancement of student learning and ultimately the provision of a representative to help guide both professors and students toward success. Additionally, our production facilities ensure that our partner universities are satisfied with their delivery as Pages Publications can deliver high quality products on time or when needed. Therefore, Pages Publications not only offers around the clock care, we also provide educational material at competitively lower rates than our competitors. We know that the quality of our relationships is more important than the number of clients we have, and so Pages Publications will like to help Ryerson University succeed in providing its faculty and students with superior tools to further advance its reputation and education of its students. Company Overview Pages Publications is an innovative industry leader, dedicated to textbook publishing services to universities across Canada for over 17 years. As a Canadian-based company, we provide exceptional educational textbook publishing and assessment services. Due to the fact that over 60% of our sales are within the Greater Toronto Area, the company is located in Toronto in order to better serve the needs of our vendors. For instance, our company provides publishing and assessment services to both York University and the University of Toronto’s three campuses at Scarborough, Mississauga and St. George. We strive to work closely with the professors and faculty to provide exclusive agreements catered to the needs of educators and students. That is why, along with the purchase of the textbook, we provide additional online tools such as the eBook, self-assessments, modules and test banks in order to benefit both the academic advisor and the student. We understand that students spend an extensive amount of money on textbooks each year and we want to change this. Our goal is to provide the most affordable and cheapest textbook alternative for universities. The company began in 2002 and worked with Tefler School of Management at the University of Ottawa to provide textbooks for business courses such as Marketing, Accounting and Finance. We were able to provide cheaper options for the University of Ottawa than their previous textbook supplier, McGraw-Hill Education. As a result, we were able to establish a mutually beneficial arrangement for the first 5 years of our business. This initial contract allowed us to 3

successfully expand into providing textbooks for Life Sciences and Engineering courses at the University of Ottawa according to the needs of the professors and students. In 2009, we introduced eBooks and online modules. We worked closely with the academic advisors to understand how students used our services. As a result, we were able to implement updates in a timely manner. This increased the quality of our services and allowed us to partner up with the Schulich School of Business at York University and the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Close collaboration between both our company and our partner universities, have allowed the firm to provide additional interactive online tools for students. As a result, we have been able to establish a mutually beneficial arrangement for the course of 10 years. We are constantly improving and updating the online tools we provide along with the textbook according to the annual feedback from professors and students. We have been in the textbook publishing industry for the last 17 years with professors and faculties from various programs in Canada choosing our company due to the superior quality of products and services we provide, at a rate lower than our competitors. Pages Publications is dedicated to providing quality textbooks and online tools to enhance the experience of students and professors. the owners of Pages Publications were students at Ryerson University and understand the financial struggle of students purchasing textbooks. As a result, they plan on providing students with affordable textbooks that can improve the quality of their education. At Pages Publications, we are determined to deliver the lowest prices that cannot be matched. We have a proven track record of providing reliable services at low costs. With this opportunity of partnering up, we hope to reach a mutually beneficial agreement that allows Ryerson University to maximize revenue and minimize costs for students to enhance their overall university experience.

Product & Service Overview At Pages Publications, we understand that learning is a two-way street. By providing quality textbooks, Pages Publications focuses on bridging the gap between professors and students. This makes us work even harder to enhance the overall learning experience at universities.

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Pages Publications provides a free interactive eBook that comes with the purchase of a hard copy textbook. This eBook is interactive, allows students to make study notes, search keywords, place bookmarks, highlight and make side notes, all while browsing through the course textbook.

Professors can also benefit from the eBook by giving students access to the available assignments, modules, and tests provided with the online portion of our package, allowing the professor to easily integrate the material into the course assessments. Pages Publications will provide all professors with two course codes, one for professor access and the other for student access. Professors can then distribute this code toward their students, granting them access to the online portion of the course. Professors will also be able to access the test-banks to generate questions for midterms and exams.

Although the textbook provides assessments, the professors oversee the material they teach. Therefore, a client representative from Pages Publications will be assigned to a professor so that they can make modifications to the student content as per the requirements of the professor, allowing Pages Publications to provide specific class content. We are currently in the process of transitioning this role to the professor so that they can may make small modifications on their own behalf, this feature will be available for the 2022 school year. The client representative will also be able to visit the university and provide a presentation on how to use the new eBook in order to make the transition into online learning as smooth as possible.

We understand that Marketing is constantly changing, so we work closely with professors to customize and add updated content. Further, our textbooks are revised every year with the latest Marketing examples and case studies. As a result, Pages Publications is the most updated publishing company in Canada with the latest information the industry.

We know that it is crucial that students receive their shipments of textbooks on-time at the beginning of each semester. We carefully manage the quality of our textbooks as they are being manufactured at our own manufacturing facility. Therefore, there are minimal to no errors in printing or spelling, compared to out of house publishing companies. Also, we have our own

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delivery system to ensure that textbooks arrive on time. Since we control manufacturing, supply and delivery, the quality of our products and services are managed end-to-end with great care.

Pages Publications is an environmentally-friendly company. Our textbooks are made from 100% recycled paper. We are constantly searching for ways to improve our methods. Most of our operations are online and do not require the use of paper. This is our way of reducing our carbon footprint and remaining environmentally cautious.

We take pride in being Canada’s number one textbook publishing company. At Pages Publications, we believe in our community, which is why we hire locally. We are proud in the way we conduct business as all our products are manufactured in Toronto and the services we provide are not outsourced. Like Ryerson University, Pages Publications shares the same values and takes pride that it is located in the heart of downtown Toronto. By partnering up with Pages Publications, Ryerson University will be supporting our local Toronto community and contributing to the Canadian economy. Product & Service Overview Pages understands that learning is a two-way street. By providing quality textbooks, Pages focuses on bridging the gap between professors and students. We strive to enhance the overall learning experience at universities.

Pages provides a free interactive eBook that comes with the purchase of a hard copy textbook. This eBook is interactive, allows students to make study notes, search keywords, place bookmarks, highlight and make side notes, all while browsing through the course textbook.

Professors can also benefit from the eBooks by giving students access to the available assignments, modules, and tests provided with the online portion of our package, allowing the professor to easily integrate the material into the course assessments. Pages will provide all professors with two course codes, one for professor access and the other for student access. Professors can then distribute this code toward their students, granting them access to the online

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portion of the course. Professors will be able to access the test-banks to generate questions for midterms and exams.

Although the textbook provides assessments, the professors oversee the material they teach. Therefore, a client representative from Pages will be assigned to a professor so that they can make modifications to the student content as per the requirements of the professor, allowing Pages to provide specific class content. We are currently in the progress of transitioning this role to the professor so that they can make small modifications on their own behalf, this feature will be available for the 2021 school year. The client representative will also be able to visit the university and provide a presentation on how to use the new eBook in order to make the transition into online learning smooth as possible. We understand that Marketing is constantly changing, so we work closely with professors to customize and add updated content. Further, our textbooks are revised every year with the latest Marketing examples and case studies. As a result, Pages is the most updated publishing company in Canada with the latest information the industry.

We know that it is crucial that students receive their shipments of textbooks on-time at the beginning of each semester. We carefully manage the quality of our textbooks as they are being manufactured at our own manufacturing facility. Therefore, there are minimal to no errors in printing or spelling, compared to out of house publishing companies. Also, we have our own delivery system to ensure that textbooks arrive on time. Since we control manufacturing, supply and delivery, the quality of our products and services are managed end-to-end with great care.

Pages is an environmentally-friendly company. Our textbooks are made from 100% recycled paper. We are constantly searching for ways to improve our methods. Most of our operations are online and do not require the use of paper. This is our way of reducing our carbon footprint and remaining environmentally cautious. We take pride in being Canada’s number one textbook publishing company. At Pages, we believe in our community, which is why we hire locally. Also, all our products are manufactured in 7

Toronto and the services we provide are not outsourced. We are proud in the way we conduct business. Just like Ryerson, Pages Publications takes pride in being located in Toronto, sharing the same values. By partnering up with our firm, Ryerson University will be supporting our local Toronto community and contributing to the Canadian economy. Pricing/Financial Proposal At Pages, we try to satisfy all our vendor needs. As seen below, our costs per textbook are as follows: Contract Costs per Textbook Total cost per textbook Express cost per textbook Shipping Cost Costs per standard 250 textbook contract

Standard Colour

Premium Colour

Paperback

Paperback

$40

$47

$50

$43

$51

$53

$350

$350

$350

$10,350

$12,100

$12,850

$13,632.50

$15,960.00

$16,957.50

$15,205.50

$17,809.50

$18,925.50

B&W Paperback

per year Cost per 350 textbook contract per year at a 5% discount Cost per 400 textbook contract per year at a 7% discount

Contract Costs per Textbook Total cost per 8

B&W Hardcover $55

Standard Colour

Premium Colour

Hardcover $62

Hardcover $65

textbook Express cost per textbook Shipping Cost Costs per standard 250 textbook

$58

$67

$68

$350

$350

$350

$14,100

$15,850

$16,600

$18,620.00

$20,947.50

$21,945.00

$ 20,785.50

$ 23,389.50

$ 24,505.50

contract per year Cost per 350 textbook contract per year at a 5% discount Cost per 400 textbook contract per year at a 7% discount Costs Many factors may alter the overall cost of your order such as the type of book and the interior colour. Pages Publications offers both paperback and hardcover selections with the ability to print in a format that is most beneficial to you such as black and white, standard color or premium colour. While premium color printing offers superior color quality, the price for each textbook will increase. The cost of the textbook will include perfect bound binding for paperbacks and/or adhesive case bound binding for hardcovers. At no extra cost to Ryerson, the cover can be finished in a gloss or matte lamination. Additional Feature Fees While the cost of the textbook and eBook are included in our base price, additional features of our online component will require activation. The activation and representative fee include access to Pages Publications platform, allowing us to provide students and professors with the following features: online modules, self-assessments, test banks, and course modification by representative. The following fees are shown below: Type of Fee Activation Fee for online module Representative Fee 9

Yearly Fee $425 $600

Total Cost

$1025

Packages At Pages Publications, we offer three distinct contracts from which our vendors can choose from. While our standard contract is that of 250 textbooks per year ranging from $10,350 to $16,600, vendors will also have the option of entering into a 350 or 400 textbook contract. This allows the academic advisors we partner with to be able to select the best option for their scholarly needs. However, while our maximum contract is that of 400, Pages Publications is willing to negotiate contract terms on a case by case basis to ensure customer satisfaction. Additionally, Pages understands that textbook requirements may change yearly and that not all textbooks may be sold by our partnering university within the year, therefore, if a higher quantity contract is selected, a 5% or 7% discount will be applied to the purchase order amount. In comparison to McGraw Hill, Pearson and Cengage, Pages Publications offers superior service at a rate much lower than our competitors. Terms of Sale: Payment terms are as follows: 1. 2/20 Net 90: Net payment is due 90 working days from the invoice date however a 2% discount will be applied to the purchase order amount if payment is received within 20 days of the invoice date. 2. Lump sum payments can be made through electronic fund transfer, cheque or by Debit/Credit, however if payment is not received within the specified date, 4% interest will accumulate weekly. 3. If the vendor has entered into the 400 textbook contract and is in need of additional materials within 6 months of the invoice date, a contract of 100 textbooks will be made available at a 2% discount.

Shipping terms are as follows: 1. Orders must be made at least 3 weeks before the semester commences due to a high volume of orders we experience during that period, any order made after that period will be charged the Express Cost per textbook.

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2. The amount of time it takes Pages to prepare the order for shipping and the amount of time is takes for the order to leave the distribution centre and arrive at its desired location will be around 5-7 business days. 3. Textbooks will be shipped in two installments, once in the first semester and once in the second. Vendors will be charged a flat rate shipping fee of $175 per semester for a total charge of $350 for the school year. However, vendors will be given the option to ship all textbooks at the beginning of the semester to its chosen destination, allowing Pages to waive the second fee of $175. 4. If a defective item is received by the vendor, we require immediate notice of the details of the product and the defect. Pages will handle the shipping arrangements to collect the defective items and will send out replacements within 1-2 business days at no extra cost to the vendor.

Return/Refund Policy The vendor has 20 days to return an item from the day it was received. In order to be eligible for a return, the order must be unused and in the original packaging. Once received, Pages will inspect the order and will notify the vendor on the status of the refund within 24 hours. If approved, a refund will be issued using the original method of payment. The vendor is responsible in handling shipping costs and the amount will be deducted from the refund.

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