23rd March 2020 is a day I will always remember for 2 reasons:

• It would have been my father’s 76th birthday and was his 2nd birthday since he passed
• It marked the start of Covid Lockdown in the United Kingdom

Five years on and we all still reflect on those scary, sad times when our world was under the huge cloud of the Covid Pandemic. Today at Formara, we also reflect on events of five years ago that shaped our company for the following two years and beyond.

Born out of a 20-year-old relationship of trust

Ipsos (then Ipsos MORI) had partnered with Formara on many market research projects over a 20-year history prior to 2020. Gary Welch, Research Director at Ipsos, reflects on the partnership.

"We wouldn’t have approached anyone else to deliver the REACT Study to monitor the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Formara's reliability and proven capabilities made them the obvious choice when we needed to scale up operations quickly and handle such sensitive data." - Gary Welch

At the beginning of April 2020, we received a call from Gary at Ipsos UK “Are you able to take on printing letters, instruction booklets, translation sheets and labels to fulfil around 20,000 Covid home testing kits each month?” Of course, our answer was Yes!

Having agreed to be part of the REACT Study commissioned by the British Government via Imperial College and Ipsos, Formara began building the process and accepting articulated lorry loads of component parts for test kits. A little ‘fly in the ointment’ a couple of weeks later was a subsequent call from Ipsos to say, “the number of kits per month has gone up – it’s now around 230,000!”

Undeterred, we continued with the plans we had implemented and ramped up production. Additional supplies were ordered. We sought the services of an existing supplier to assist with fulfilment. Our staff were briefed, additional safety measures were implemented, and shifts extended.
Formara basically ‘rolled up our sleeves’ and got stuck in to do our bit to help!

The Fulfilment Partnership with The Finishing Line

As the project grew, we partnered with The Finishing Line in Basildon to manage the increased demand for fulfilment. Andy Mead, Managing Director at The Finishing Line, shares his perspective on this collaboration.

"The skills we've developed over the years are adaptable for a variety of supply chains. When we were approached to help with the largest survey of its kind in the UK, we knew Formara was the right partner. Their efficiency and ability to scale rapidly allowed us to seamlessly contribute to fulfilling and distributing millions of kits, even under tight deadlines." - Andy Mead

The Finishing Line supported us with manual fulfilment, handling up to half a million packs per month over six months. Their contribution was vital in managing the logistical challenges that came with such a massive project.

ISO Certification & Data Protection

Both Formara and The Finishing Line held key certifications, including ISO 27,001 for data protection and ISO 14,001 for environmental management. These certifications ensured that we could maintain high standards for sensitive NHS data and environmental sustainability. Gary Welch comments on this commitment.

"With such sensitive data involved, ensuring secure and responsible handling was paramount. Formara’s ISO certifications gave us confidence that they were up to the task, protecting both the data and the environment throughout the project." - Gary Welch

Quality Control & Accuracy Measures

As the project scaled, Formara’s commitment to quality control became even more crucial. To ensure every home testing kit was assembled accurately, we implemented strict measures, such as weighing each pack to avoid human error. Every label was matched to the letter, and sequencing was carefully monitored. Andy Mead emphasises the importance of data integrity.

"Ensuring that each pack was correct and contained the right information was critical. The meticulous attention to detail shown by Formara helped us guarantee that every package that left the warehouse was in perfect order." - Andy Mead

Covid Lockdown Remembered - Impact and Reflection

The scale of the project was staggering, 2 million packs, 16 million items. However, the team at Formara never lost sight of the human side of the project. Gary Welch explains.

"This project was more than just a business opportunity for us—it was an opportunity to contribute to something meaningful. The data we collected didn’t just help contain the spread of the virus; it influenced critical decisions made by the government, and Formara played a huge part in that." - Gary Welch

As we look back five years later, we’re incredibly proud of our role in this historic effort. The REACT Study was not only an operational achievement but also a meaningful contribution to the fight against the pandemic. This project demonstrated Formara’s ability to rapidly scale, manage sensitive data with the highest level of security, and collaborate with trusted partners to deliver results under pressure.

Could We Do It Again?

When asked if we could deliver the Covid REACT Study again today, I confidently say Yes! While we would, of course, not wish for another pandemic, Formara is now more prepared than ever to tackle high-profile, complex variable data print and fulfilment projects. We’ve learned valuable lessons and strengthened our operational capabilities, enabling us to handle future challenges even more efficiently.

Timeline of Key Events:

• April 2020: First batch of Covid test kits sent out.
• July 2020: Peak volume – 230,000 kits per month.
• May 2022: The REACT Study concludes with over 4 million Covid test kits delivered.

Reflecting Back:

Delivering this project between April 2020 and May 2022 was not unlike many others we work on with a wide variety of clients. However, we would argue this print and fulfilment project was one of, if not the, most important direct mail campaigns of our generation. Over 4 million Covid test kits delivered to homes to monitor and help contain the spread of the virus. The data collected from REACT influenced decision-making at the highest levels in the British Government.

And Formara played a huge part in that effort – something that, five years on, we are still very proud of, read our case study for more info - Covid React Study Case Study