What are the benefits of automating mail processing? Automation can help mail center managers do more with fewer staff and less space, while lowering costs and reducing errors. To work toward these benefits, focus on three main strategies:
Mail center managers face challenges such as a reduced labor force, limited workspace to accomplish the same or more work, and migration to new technologies. As mail centers strive to meet growing demands and technical changes, managers must adapt to stay ahead. Whether overseeing a corporate mail center or an outsource mail facility, actions like increased automation, equipment “rightsizing,” and a thorough review of operational procedures and policies offer significant opportunities.
Mail center managers can implement the ideas below to optimize workflows, reduce errors, and ensure efficient operations. Here is how to keep the mail center current with the latest hardware and software technology.
We recommend an assessment of your mail center’s postage meters, scales, inserters, inbound tracking, chain of custody system, mail openers, and even sorting bins and dump tables. Determine what isn’t working as it should. What equipment do team members dread operating? Research the latest advances in mailing at the National Postal Forum (Tritek will be there!) or a local Postal Customer Council event, where exhibitors display and demonstrate the latest innovations in mail center technology. Upgrading your technology will significantly boost processing speed and accuracy, reduce manual labor, and increase employee morale. Up-to-date equipment and furnishings communicate to employees and customers that mail communications and parcel management are essential to the organization’s success.
Transitioning from existing full-scale legacy mail sorting platforms should be a primary consideration as an investment in new technology. Legacy systems need frequent repairs. Escalating costs of parts and the dwindling number of qualified technicians and operators are a concern. See “10 Signs It’s Time to Replace Your Mail Sorter”. The Tritek M Sorter and the Tritek Compact Sorter are perfect options. Each Tritek sorter is custom-built and easily upgraded if volume or applications change. Our sorters process commercial, inbound, and presorted mail.
Optimizing mail center design and layout goes hand-in-hand with rightsizing sorting systems. New mail sorter technology is more space-efficient than its legacy predecessors. As mail centers transition from mail-only to mail and package centers, space is at a premium. A clear and uncluttered workspace optimizes workflow, promotes safety, and reduces employee frustration.
Digital mail is a scanning process that converts incoming paper mail into digital form. The mail is delivered to the addressee electronically. These mail systems create a digital record of each incoming mail piece, tracking the progress, history, and delivery method. Digital routing accelerates delivery, enhances tracking, and facilitates hybrid or remote work environments. A digital postal mail solution is perfect for reaching a dispersed workforce. Employees receive their postal mail via email, regardless of their geographical location. The Tritek Oasis automatically scans the front and back of each mail piece or document, directs it to the correct recipient, and archives it for future use.
Chances are, you barcode your outbound postal mail. Part of that barcode is called the Mailer Identifier number or “MID” for short. Tracking services can use that number to track mail from ingestion at a USPS facility until the day it arrives at the Sectional Center Facility and is out for delivery. Tracking increases accountability and provides an answer for lost or delayed items. This is especially important when the US Postal Service makes adjustments to its distribution network infrastructure. The status of your mail is an important data point to capture.
Mail center managers can automate the entire print and mail process, from designing the printed document to delivery to the Post Office, with contemporary workflow automation applications. Automation speeds the process, reduces errors, and frees knowledge workers from repetitive and manual tasks.
Track metrics such as mail volume, processing times, and error rates. This data identifies bottlenecks and helps mail center managers make informed decisions on staffing and system upgrades.
Reward mail center staff for suggesting improvements to process mail faster and more accurately while also increasing customer satisfaction. For a corporate mail center, “customers” are often the departments they serve, but could easily include the organization’s customers. For example, when a customer calls and asks, “When will you mail my policy?” A quick and definitive answer is an example of outstanding customer service. Management can empower employees to take ownership of their roles in mail communications.
Tritek engineers, patents, and manufactures field-proven production mail automation solutions to enhance productivity and mailroom efficiency for mail service providers and in-plant mail centers across the nation. Tritek’s menu of mail services includes biohazard screening, digital mail delivery, returned mail processing, inbound mail, presorted mail, and parcel processing. Company clients include mail service and print providers, Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, educational institutions, financial services, healthcare organizations, insurance companies, and fulfillment operations.
Here are answers to common questions about automating mail processing for a corporate mail center.
The benefits of automating mail processing include faster processing speeds, fewer manual errors, and better tracking of mail as it moves through your organization. Automation also frees staff from repetitive sorting tasks so they can focus on higher-value work, while giving managers the data they need to make informed decisions about staffing and system upgrades.
The best mailroom automation systems depend on mail volume and available space. The Tritek Compact suits moderate volumes in space-constrained mailrooms, processing up to 15,000 pieces per hour in a footprint starting at just 12 feet long. The M Sorter handles higher-volume operations at up to 30,000 pieces per hour for mailrooms processing significantly more mail. Both systems are custom-built and can be upgraded later if your volume or applications change.
Automating your mailroom can help save money by reducing the manual labor needed for sorting and routing, cutting down on errors that lead to rework, and right-sizing equipment so you’re not paying to maintain oversized systems. Digitizing incoming mail can add further savings by supporting a distributed workforce without the added cost of physical mail routing across multiple locations.
Automating mail processing can improve security by creating a documented, trackable record of each piece of mail as it moves through your facility. That consistent record-keeping reduces the risk of lost or misrouted items compared to relying on manual handling alone.
Mail automation impacts employee productivity by removing repetitive, manual tasks, like sorting and routing, from staff workloads, freeing them up for more valuable work. Managers can also use the data automation generates, such as processing times and error rates, to identify bottlenecks and adjust staffing or workflows accordingly.