Branded Merchandise
Systems building, cost-reduction, and design

Rutgers University–New Brunswick's career services department had vast and varied promotional needs, ranging from giveaways for students to gifts of appreciation for campus and employer partners. However, there was no system in place to know what merchandise was on-hand, where the merchandise was going, or who was using it. The department’s closets were overflowing with merchandise, yet the staff was constantly frustrated because they did not have the merchandise they actually needed. Purchase orders were displaced, and there was no tab on spending. It was obvious that a complete overhaul was necessary. 

I started by creating an inventory database of all promotional merchandise across the department's two office locations. I collected any available purchase orders from past vendors, and was able to conclude that the department spent at least $35k on promotional merchandise the previous year.

Consulting with nearly every member of the 40-member staff, I got a realistic idea of the department's needs. Using this information, I implemented smart ordering practices, such as bulk purchasing, finding new uses for old merchandise, and selecting items that could be used across multiple teams and for diverse audiences. I also rigorously renegotiated prices with vendors to get the best deals. 

After reorganizing the physical storage spaces, I trained full-time administrators at each office to maintain their respective inventories. Finally, I developed new protocols for requesting merchandise utilizing an in-house project management software, and then educated the department's staff about these protocols. The new rules created a more streamlined, self-sustaining system, ultimately saving the department $25k in just one year. 

Finally, I designed all of our branded merchandise. I conceptualizing the department's signature "You Can Work" campaign, which featured a stacked "word-cloud" graphic applied to promotional merchandise such mugs, water bottles, gloves, folders, drawstring bags, and more. The department distributed the merchandise to students across Rutgers University for contests and giveaways at events.