Print & Promotional Materials
A standardized process for requesting, approving, ordering, paying for, and receiving printed and branded items across SGA Dental Partners.
Why this SOP exists
Establish a standardized process for requesting, approving, ordering, paying for, and receiving business cards, printed materials, signage, swag, and other promotional items across SGA Dental Partners.
What this SOP fixes
Clear ownership at every step — from the practice request through vendor payment — so Marketing does not become the default intermediary for ordering, invoicing, shipping, or inventory.
Who owns what
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| The Studio | Creates and approves production-ready artwork. |
| Growth Manager | Coordinates content and artwork approval with the practice. |
| Office Manager | Places the order, confirms the shipping address, reviews the order details, and manages delivery. |
| ROD / Practice Approver | Approves the location-level expense in Ottimate. |
| Accounts Payable | Processes the invoice, applies the correct coding, and routes it through the appropriate Ottimate approval policy. |
| Vendor | Produces and ships the materials and submits a compliant invoice directly to AP. |
What Marketing does not do
Marketing and The Studio are creative and coordination partners — not the operations, finance, or fulfillment desk for print orders.
- Place routine orders
- Approve location-level expenses
- Reconcile invoices
- Track shipments
- Manage physical inventory
- Serve as the default approval intermediary
Escalation exception
Marketing may assist when an issue is caused by supplied artwork. Shipping, fulfillment, payment, and inventory issues remain with the practice and vendor.
Submit the request
Who submits & when
The Office Manager submits a Marketing Request Form for any new or revised item, including:
- Business cards
- Flyers, brochures, postcards, and referral pads
- Banners and signage
- Apparel, swag, and promotional products
- Any item requiring new artwork or changes to an approved design
Reorder shortcut
A reorder that does not require artwork changes may be placed directly through the approved vendor storefront — no request form needed.
Required fields on the request
- Practice and location
- Requester's name
- Item and intended use
- Quantity
- Needed-by date
- Correct shipping address
- Preferred vendor
- Vendor product link and production specifications, when applicable
- ROD approval for swag, unusual items, large quantities, or unbudgeted purchases
Create and approve the artwork
The Studio builds the file
Retrieves, updates, or creates the required artwork.
OM supplies vendor specs
For nonstandard products, the Office Manager provides dimensions, bleed, file format, resolution, color requirements, and any vendor template.
Status → Pending Approval
The Studio flips the task status when the artwork is ready for review.
Growth Manager coordinates approval
Reviews the file and routes to Office Manager, doctor, or ROD as required.
The Studio releases final file
Provides the production-ready file plus recommended print specifications.
Handoff complete
The practice now has everything needed to place the order.
Place the order
The Office Manager places the order directly with an approved vendor — such as Quality Printing or Mprints.
Verify before submitting
- Practice and provider information
- Item and quantity
- Final proof
- Shipping address
- Requested delivery date
- Estimated cost
- Required budget approval
Order accuracy is on the placer
The person placing the order is responsible for correcting order-entry or shipping-address errors and communicating directly with the vendor.
Approved vendors (examples)
Quality Printing · Mprints · plus other approved storefronts for reorders.
Invoice submission & approval
Quality Printing, Mprints, and other approved vendors will submit invoices directly to Accounts Payable.
Accounts Payable will
- Enter the invoice into Ottimate
- Code the expense to the correct practice and GL
- Route to the designated ROD, Office Manager, or practice owner per the approval policy
- Hold the invoice from payment until all required approvals are complete
Ottimate policies will be configured so approvers only receive invoices for practices they oversee.
Standard process
Office Manager
Places and verifies the order.
ROD / Practice Approver
Approves the expense in Ottimate.
Accounts Payable
Processes payment after approval.
Marketing / The Studio
Not routine invoice approvers — only when a specific policy requires review of a vendor, GL, or centrally funded project.
Interim invoice process
Until Ottimate is active for all SGA divisions, vendors may send invoices to AP for manual distribution to the appropriate ROD or practice approver.
AP obtains approvals
AP will obtain the required approval before processing payment.
Marketing is not a tracker
Marketing should not maintain a separate invoice tracker or serve as the default approval intermediary during this period.
Invoice requirements
Each invoice must include
- Vendor name
- Remit-to address
- Total amount due
- Practice / location receiving the materials
- Ship-to address
- Item description and quantity
- Any information needed to split the expense among multiple locations or GL accounts
Coding & splits
Single GL
If the entire invoice is coded to the same GL, additional GL instructions are not required.
Split invoices
If an invoice must be divided — e.g. Office Supplies, Advertising, Technology — the allocation must be clearly shown on the invoice or in supporting documentation. AP should not be expected to determine the split.
New vendors
Must provide a completed W-9 before payment.
Expense coding
Routine print materials for both SGA East and SGA West code to Office Supplies.
Non-routine
Anything that should code elsewhere (e.g. Advertising, Technology) must be flagged on the invoice or in supporting documentation.
Vendor payment
Check
Standard payment method.
ACH
Vendors receive an enrollment invitation from AP; banking info entered through the approved process.
Virtual credit card
Available where supported by the vendor.
Practices without corporate purchasing cards
This invoice-based workflow applies to practices without corporate purchasing cards — including applicable Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama locations. A location credit card is not required to order approved printed materials.
Shipping & delivery
Shipping notifications should go directly to the ordering Office Manager or receiving practice whenever the vendor supports this option.
Office Manager owns
- Confirming the shipping address before ordering
- Monitoring shipment notifications
- Confirming receipt
- Locating materials after delivery
- Reporting damaged, incorrect, or missing shipments to the vendor
When Marketing steps in
Only when an issue is caused by the supplied artwork.
Not Marketing's issue
Shipping, fulfillment, payment, and inventory issues remain with the practice and vendor.
Swag & promotional products
ROD approval required first — for
- Business purpose
- Vendor
- Quantity
- Estimated cost
- Budget availability
Reminder
A lack of a practice credit card does not move ordering or invoice-management responsibility to Marketing.
After approval — sequence
Office Manager
Submits the Marketing Request Form with product link + specs.
The Studio
Creates the artwork.
Growth Manager
Coordinates proof approval.
Office Manager
Places the order.
Vendor
Invoices AP.
Ottimate
Routes the invoice to the appropriate approver.
Task completion
The Growth Manager marks the marketing task complete once all three of the following are true:
Artwork approved
All required approvals collected.
Production-ready file delivered
Final file + recommended print specs handed off.
Ordering instructions delivered
Practice has what it needs to place the order.
The task does NOT stay open through
Printing · shipping · invoice approval · delivery. Those are operational and financial workflows owned by the practice, AP, and the vendor.
Information needed for Ottimate setup
Before launch, the implementation owner should provide AP with the following:
- Approved vendor list
- Current ROD and practice-owner list
- Office Manager approvers, if applicable
- Location-to-approver mapping
- Default Office Supplies GL
- Exceptions requiring Advertising or another GL
- Any dollar thresholds requiring additional approval
- Any centrally funded vendors or projects that still require Marketing approval
Local verification. Location approval. AP payment.
The Office Manager places and verifies the order · the ROD or designated practice owner approves the expense · AP processes payment through Ottimate.
Why this works
Preserves local verification without making The Studio responsible for practice spending or invoice administration.