The University of Dayton Bookstore recently began using MBS’ new ordering tool SimpleSource. We sat down with Textbook Manager Kevin Poindexter to discuss his experience with SimpleSource and the features that have worked well for his store.
How did your store get started with SimpleSource?
When we were asked if we were interested in trying out SimpleSource, I immediately said yes. Our rep Todd Biggs and Lil Brooks got us all set up.
What made you want to try MBS’ new ordering tool?
One of the things that we had been struggling with was that more and more faculty wanted to stay with older editions. Our store had always sourced, but as the list of books we had to look for grew, it became more time consuming.
What we really like about SimpleSource is that it all happens at once. It is wantlisting the traditional way and sourcing at the same time. We set our parameters and send in our wantlist, and then the tool starts to work for us. You can watch the cycles and get real time updates on your wantlist fulfillment.
I also thought it was really cool that I could either make big, broad changes that affect everything, or I could go down to the title level to make any changes I want to just one title. You have total control of it. There are times when I may be really active changing my parameters, but then other times I can say, “I am just going to let it play out and see what happens.”
How was the quality of your order?
That was another benefit of using SimpleSource. When it all came in, I didn’t have to worry about if the books were going to be trash or water damaged or if the covers were going to be falling off. All the books go through the vetting process at MBS, so I knew I would get good books that weren’t going to be counterfeit. When you are sourcing on your own, sometimes books come in and you are like, “Seriously, I paid for that?” Then you have to go through the process of sending the books back and getting your money back.
With this, you know you are going to get good books. Anybody who sources will tell you that you get wrong books, junk books, you overpay for books, etc. This eliminates all of that. It was super simple and really easy to work with.
Has SimpleSource saved you time?
I would say it is definitely a time saver. Every store devotes a different amount of time to looking for books, but what I like about this tool is I didn’t have to do that anymore. I could work on setting up other programs, work on inclusive access or anything else I needed to do. It’s one less thing to worry about doing. It’s pretty cool.
What result do you think surprised you the most?
We started using the tool a couple weeks later than we normally would have, and we still saw tremendous results from both the traditional bin and hold side and the sourcing side. It was cool to log in every day and see that we got a ton more books added to our bin. You can check it however often you like and its pretty much in real time. I saw a ton of books, and I got the old editions I was looking for at a good price. That’s what I liked most about it. I can pass that savings onto students whenever possible.
Would you encourage other stores to try it?
Absolutely. I think anybody who does anything in textbooks is probably sourcing. This is just another way to keep the used books flowing in. Another one of the bigger benefits to SimpleSource was that it made receiving and invoicing so much easier. It’s been great. I am looking forward to starting my summer and fall adoptions so I can get it fired up again.
