I usually post production and fulfilment updates to Kickstarter and BackerKit, but I want to start keeping everyone updated here on the new hub site as well.
The development blog here will feature more detailed updates, but you'll always be able to get the most up-to-date shipping information from the shipping page.
Here are the major headlines, which I break down in detail below:
- The start of shipping is being shifted back 2-3 weeks due to an extra round of quality control we did on the print colours
- We are confirming a logistics partner to speed up shipping, reduce bottlenecks, and improve tracking and service
Updated production/delivery timeline
We were originally looking at finishing all deck production on July 10, but shortly after the last update, the factory got in touch with an issue they were running into: keeping card colours a perfect match across the separate print jobs of the main deck, expansion decks, and booster decks.
We decided to slow down and do three iterations of colour tests to make sure the match was as close as possible. This is especially important to ensure that the card backs are indistinguishable when you shuffle expansions and boosters in with the main deck.
Here's the final result, with photos of the uncut print sheets sent directly from the print crew. The main deck cards are being held to the left side of each image, with the uncut expansion cards are still part of the sheet below/to the right below/behind it, for comparison.
I was impressed with the factory's communication and commitment to getting everything perfect, and happy they prioritized the quality of the job over speeding through to delivery. I know some factories would rush to get the project off the line and hope there were no complaints. This project means so much to me, and I’m grateful to have a production partner that sweats the details as much as I do.
Right now, it looks like this has added 2-3 weeks to the finishing time. The factory expects to have everything ready to ship to our distribution centres by the end of the month. This will sync up with the book, which is finishing production and set to ship out at the same time!
While this will push back the start of the shipping period, I'm pleased to say I've been using the additional time to set up shipping solutions that will make fulfilment faster and with fewer hiccups once it starts.
We are onboarding a logistics partner!
After doing a lot of research and speaking directly with some companies, I’m bringing on the best third-party logistics partner I could find to help give backers and preorder customers the best possible fulfilment experience.
Please welcome to the project, Funagain Logistics!
Bringing on Funagain will be a huge benefit for this project for a few reasons:
- It puts one experienced professional in charge of arranging the freight, dealing with import issues, and stocking local fulfilment centres.
- It will allow us to ship from multiple local fulfilment centres for faster and more consistent local shipping with better tracking.
- Packing will be led by seasoned shipping professionals to minimize anything getting damaged en route.
- For Canada, the US, the UK, and the EU, it will allow us to fulfil without backers having to pay customs fees (and we’re hoping to upgrade some additional regions to customs-friendly shipping).
- It stops one shipping centre (e.g., probably me) from bottlenecking fulfilment.
The details are still to be finalized, but the current plan is:
- US and international orders will be fulfilled by Funagain Logistics
- UK and EU orders placed on or before Aug 1 will be fulfilled by Spiral Galaxy Games
- Canadian orders will be fulfilled by Jason Anarchy Games
Again, some of the details may change as final shipments are coordinated, but that's the plan as of right now. We are exploring regional Australian fulfilment as well.
I’m expecting that bringing on a partner may delay the start of the shipping period by an additional couple of weeks as shipments are allocated to different regional hubs, but overall it should lead to a shorter, more efficient shipping period. Rather than me frantically shipping out 500-750 parcels a week, we have multiple teams able to ship out thousands of parcels per week.
If you have any questions or need to update our address, don't hesitate to reach out through the contact form. I'll get back to you as soon as possible!
