Whether sending important documents in the mail or engaging customers through direct mail marketing, a modern mailing process keeps business functions smooth. Even though many offices often embrace modern technology in their workflows, the mailing process remains fundamentally manual.

Little may a business know, that long gone are the days of laborious envelope-stuffing and writing out addresses by hand. Innovations in printing and mailing tech reduce labor, increase savings, and help businesses keep their mailing under control. Here’s what a dated mailing process looks like, and how updating methods can reduce the chore of sending mail.

Signs a Mailing Process is Outdated

It may be time for an update to the mailing process if any of the following are true:

1. Employees are folding and inserting mail by hand.

Inserting and stuffing envelopes are time-consuming chores which leave fingers cut and raw. It also introduces the opportunity for imperfect folds, finger smudges, and potentially the wrong person reading confidential information.

To avoid tying up office staff, some companies may resort to hiring temp workers to manage the quantity of mailing which needs to occur. Temporary staff can drive up the cost of the process, but of course, companies which try to hire people to do this job also quickly run into the fact that envelope stuffing jobs are a well-known scam in the US.

2. The postage meter is analog or nonexistent.

Still guessing at the exact cost of a piece of mail? Postage overpayment is such a big problem for business mail that USPS has a special Business Mail Entry manager to assist with over payment claims which don’t get caught by postal service workers.

3. Counting and tracking mail volume happen manually.

Like other manual processes, counting and tracking mail manually introduces room for errors. A customer may receive marketing material twice. Or, a customer may receive the wrong bill, leading to more serious repercussions.

4. Total mailing costs remain unknown.

Businesses without a strongly organized mailing process may operate unaware of the true costs of their mailing practices. From printing to supplies and response rates, unknown metrics represent missed opportunities for cost saving and efficiency.

5. Regulatory compliance for mailing is a new concept.

The USPS has special rules for business mailing, including volume limits, permit requirements, and postage recommendations. If this comes as a surprise, then it is well past time to update the mailing process the business is using.

Solve These Common Problems with New and Modern Fixes

Introducing modern technology into a mailing system brings many advantages. Critically, such technology allows a business to leverage the power of automation to present flawless documents and direct marketing material to customers.

1. Digital postage meters eliminate incorrect postage payments.

Digital postage meters weigh and calculate postage automatically to ensure over payment never again inflates an organization’s mailroom budget. Many models possess Wi-Fi capabilities which make updating rates a matter of pressing a button. Digital postage meters give small businesses a major leg up in their operations.

Additionally, organizations may benefit from a model which calculates or one which prints return addresses and applies postage in one go. Digital postage meters amplify mailroom productivity for businesses large and small.

2. Folder-inserters reduce labor and time spent on mailroom processes.

Reduce security risks and unprofessional mail appearances with automated letter folding and envelope stuffing. Folder-inserters produce perfectly folded, packed mail every time at rates exceeding 1,000 envelopes per hour.

More robust models, including some options from Xerox, not only fold and stuff mail impeccably, but they handle a wide variety of document and mail types. Likewise, advanced features such as touch screens provide previews and enable highly-customized settings.

3. Mailing software simplifies tracking for costs, volume, and mailing addresses.

Mail tracking software eliminates mistakes, uncertainties, and unknowns in the mailing process. For organizations which engage in both regular and high-volume mailing, tracking software is not just smart: it’s a must-have for the modern mailroom.

From keeping addresses updated to tracking costs over time, a solid mailing management software clarifies the process and shows an organization where it can tighten its operations. Never get left in the dark again as to just how much mail your company is sending out.

Mailing Processes for 2019

Traditional mail remains a backbone of communications for professional and marketing purposes. Direct mail often prompts the most responses from customers – a shocking fact in the age of digital marketing.

The introduction of advanced technology has revolutionized the modern mailroom. Small and large businesses alike can take advantage of these powerful tools to streamline the mailing process and increase the impact of mailroom tasks without tying up their employees’ valuable time.

Ready to ramp up your mailing processes? XMC is pleased to work with FP Solutions to bring order, efficiency, and scalability to your company’s mailing solutions. Reach out to one of our mailing system experts and get started today.