outsource that portion of your mail processing. If your volumes don’t warrant postal discounts, a nearby consolidator or presort bureau may be a good alternative. Along with low volumes, another hurdle is the lack of funding for mailing equipment and software. Inserting, inkjet addressing, and tabbing equipment can be pricey. There’s also the cost of mailing software plus annual equipment maintenance and software updates. Another common option is the outsourcing of mail handling personnel. By having another company process your mail, you free up existing manpower for other tasks. It also transfers the headaches that often come with hiring, firing, and training new employees.
BY MAILING WHAT YOU PRINT AND PRINTING WHAT YOU MAIL, YOU GAIN BETTER CONTROL OF THE ENTIRE PROCESS AS WELL AS THE FINISHED PRODUCT. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR MAINTAINING A POSITIVE CORPORATE OR COMPANY IDENTITY.
CAN I INSOURCE? If you can bring in additional work, you can make more efficient use of existing equipment. It allows you to spread depreciation and/or operational costs over a greater base. In many cases, it would also allow you to qualify for additional work-sharing postal discounts. By spreading labor costs over a broader workload, it would also assist in right-sizing your organization for the peaks and valleys that often come throughout the year. Another reason that companies may choose to insource is due to bad experiences with outsourcing. “One reason for insourcing to occur is if a company had previously outsourced a certain task, but was no longer satisfied with the work being done on that task, so the company could therefore insource the task and assign it to someone within the 24
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2018 | MailingSystemsTechnology.com
company who they believe will do a better job,” as explained by Merriam Webster. By keeping the work in-house, you’re able to maintain better control over operational processes. This can provide for better customer satisfaction. And with seasoned staff, you maintain better control of institutional memory and corporate identity, something that is often overlooked when management is simply looking at numbers. TRUST THE SCOUT MOTTO: BE PREPARED How do you prepare your operation to be the most qualified to handle your organization’s mail? Start with your staff. Keep them motivated and constantly seeking innovative ways to process your mail. All the players should have a vested interest in the success of the operation, whether outsourced or not. Make sure you keep all employees, especially those up the line, aware of the good that you do. When things run smoothly, little notice is given. It’s ok to brag, but you have to be able to back it up with solid proof consisting of actual monetary and time savings, efficiencies, and problems solved. When something bad happens — and trust me, it will — look at it as an opportunity to exceed expectations. A customer’s or department’s mis-delivered or delayed letter or package is seemingly never forgotten. If a mistake is made, own it, learn from it, and implement changes to prevent it from occurring in the future. Look for ways to exceed that customer’s expectation. Perhaps have a supply of movie tickets, gift cards, or restaurant vouchers that you can offer to an unhappy customer. (These are also good for rewarding individual employees for going above and beyond.) One critical aspect of any mail operation is knowing your costs. EVERYTHING must be measured. Count everything that is touched each time it is touched. Count containers, not individual pieces. Use standard volumes, either industry or your own, to identify those quantities. Most operations will use 500 letters per full tray, 150 flats per full tub, 75 parcels per full hamper, and 100 parcels in a full cage. Your numbers may differ. Regardless of which numbers you use, make sure you use the same numbers throughout the year, allowing you to compare “apples to apples.”
Measure all mail streams: incoming mail and packages from all carriers, internal mail and packages, outgoing mail and packages, both domestic and international, and, of course, outgoing bulk mail, or Marketing Mail. It’s also critical to keep track of costs and expenses: salaries, benefits, equipment (both acquisition and maintenance), vehicles, and supplies. NOW WHAT? As more companies shift from hardcopy mail to digital, mail volumes will continue to decline. One aspect of mail processing that is rising is the volume of both inbound and outbound packages. Look for opportunities to provide package services. Work with state government or industry associations to qualify for discounted shipping rates. Add a processing fee that keeps the price lower than the published price and make a little profit while providing the customer a discount. Look for ways to improve secure delivery using tracking systems. There are several excellent companies that provide tracking software and hardware. Look for additional services that you may be able to provide. What about your not-so-typical mail services? Over the past several years, many mail operations have either been brought into the printing processes or mailers have now added printing to their list of services. By mailing what you print and printing what you mail, you gain better control of the entire process as well as the finished product. This is especially important for maintaining a positive corporate or company identity. Not everything in life runs smoothly. Be patient, be diligent, work to improve processes, and as you continue moving forward, remember the words from the movie Galaxy Quest: “Never give up! Never surrender!” And leave the dirty words to R-rated movies. ¾ Thom Roylance has served as the Assistant Director of Brigham Young University for almost 30 years. He also served as the president of the National Association of College and University Mail Services (NACUMS) from 1995-1997. This article on the “Ins and Outs of Sourcing your Work” is taken from a presentation given at both the National Postal Forum (NPF) and at NACUMS.