#DaysOfAutomation
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October 11, 2023
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Days of Automation 2023
23 Days, 23 Ways to Automate Mailing, Shipping, and Document Preparation
For the next 23 days, we’re highlighting all the ways to improve mail processing with automation. Companies that take the leap and invest in solutions actually wind-up reducing costs by more than twice the amount of those that don’t automate.1
There are new and better ways to get communications to customers that can drastically reduce operational costs while also driving growth for your company. Here are 23 ways you can make mailing a little bit easier for your business.
1. Look for gaps in your processes.
Manual, repetitive tasks (like processing mail by hand) cause gaps and errors. Errors cost you money. Start by seeing if there are costly gaps in your mail prep process.
2. Identify time-wasters.
Nearly 94% of small business employees say they perform mundane, repetitive, time-consuming tasks. Are you ready to give up on preparing mail by hand? It's a productivity killer! Let your employees focus on high-value tasks like connecting with customers and driving new business. They'll thank you!
Click here for happy employees
3. Get statements and invoices out 20X faster!
Invoicing doesn’t have to be tedious and time-consuming. You can automate mail preparation and get the job done faster and more accurately, resulting in a better workflow and faster payment times.
4. Take advantage of Informed Delivery.
Did you know that over 40 million households have signed up for Informed Delivery from the USPS to get previews of their mail and packages sent to their email or phone? If you send monthly invoices or direct mail, this is a unique opportunity for your business. With Informed Delivery, you can include a digital companion message with every mail piece you send, as long as your mail is processed through automation equipment at the Postal Service.
Learn about Informed Delivery
5. Assemble a monthly mail run in less than an hour!
If you’re a new business just starting out, you’re probably working on a tight budget with limited resources. If you need an extra set of hands to get the mail done, check out a folder inserter. We'll test your mail on our machines to show you how your mail can be assembled.
6. Create a more complete view of invoicing.
Monthly expense reporting is one of the most necessary functions to your business. Can it ever be accurate if you rely on manual reporting? There’s a better way to manage postal accounting that can also uncover postage dollars that would otherwise slip through the cracks.
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7. Unify printed and digital communications.
Some customers prefer print mail or email, and many want both! You can deliver on those customer preferences with mail automation software. All your communications, all in one place.
Check it out >
8. Rely on barcodes to sort mail.
Merging, sorting, collating, grouping and pulling exceptions...sound familiar? There’s a better way to prepare mail. You can add barcodes to customer communications and simply load your documents into a folder inserter. The barcodes will get the right mail into the right envelope—every time!
9. Empower your remote workforce.
We’re all working from everywhere these days, but that shouldn’t be a hurdle! The sooner your employees can get invoices out, the faster your business will get paid. Empower your teams to mail from anywhere, at any time.
10. Read up about mail automation.
Be in the know! Automating your mail process will significantly impact your workflow and may even help you get invoices and statements out in 80% less time, resulting in shorter days sales outstanding.
11. Audit your postal address data.
Can your business afford to send invoices that never get delivered or paid? The end of the year is a great time to address your postal address data. In a 6-month period, nearly 10% of addresses in your files have the potential to be inaccurate. You can easily put an end to return-to-sender mail and get mail piece level tracking, just like a FedEx!
12. Put an end to mail mistakes.
No one wants to make mistakes, but they happen! Research shows that we all make between 3-6 mistakes per hour at work. Not a problem. You can prevent errors in mail prep.
Prevent errors
13. Improve payment times & billing cycles.
Nearly two-thirds of small businesses are affected by late payments due to invoicing delays and errors. With the right software, you can reduce errors while speeding up invoicing and payment times.
14. Have your mail done for you.
Some mail jobs are too complex to be handled quickly and effectively in-house. With outsourcing, you can have your critical communications prepared for you from any office, at any time. Bonus: It also gets you access reduced postage rates.
15. Start thinking about presorting mail.
With the right mail volume, you can take advantage of USPS® presort discounts. Sorting invoices, bills and statements by zip code is advantageous and extremely cost-effective. See how we helped a healthcare billing company save $250,000 in postage costs in less than 10 months, just by automating their process with presort software.
16. Speed up payment time.
More than a third of all invoices are paid late. But your business doesn’t have to be okay with overdue payments. Check out 4 ways to automate your mail process so you can speed up payment time and reduce Days Sales Outstanding (DSO).
17. Join us in the fight against manual mail prep.
We were curious, so we recently asked businesses how they prep mail. Nearly 54% told us they are still managing their customer communications process manually. That set us on a mission to put an end to manual mail prep.
18. Debunk some of those myths.
If you still use those hard-copy green cards to send Certified Mail, it is time to smash some common myths! You don’t have to do mail by hand to make sure it’s done right. You can automate the process and get your mailings done in just 4 easy steps. Plus, you’ll unlock 38% savings using a digital solution!
19. Make an impact on late payments.
About 61% of late payments are due to mistakes and errors. Mail automation can reduce errors while speeding up the process. Learn how Columbia University reduced errors and their outgoing mail run by two whole days!
Speed things up
20. Find out if you qualify for workshare.
Your mail may be eligible for USPS Workshare programs that you may not know about. Improving how you process, handle and deliver your mail could get you serious price discounts from the Postal Service. Postal optimizations, like bundling mail by zip code, using Intelligent Mail® barcodes, or dropping mail at a bigger Postal Service facility, could save you money and improve mail deliverability.
21. Get up to speed on postage technology.
Have you heard about Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI)? It’s the next generation of mailing technology that helps the Post Office automate more of the behind-the-scenes work that goes into delivering the millions of mail pieces and shipments sent every day. IMI will improve mail delivery times and give you better account security and tracking on mail pieces and shipments.
22. Avoid cost barriers.
Cost shouldn’t be a barrier to transformation. We may be able to help you automate your mail processes even further using some of the tools you already have.
23. Plan for the future.
2024 is right around the corner. We reached out to experts in customer communications for their forecast of the future of mail. Read their top 5 predictions!
Check it out
Want to talk about mail automation with a Quadient Expert?
Talk with a Quadient mail expert about ways to improve your mailing processes that can impact your business and improve your bottom line. Include a note about what type of automation you are most interested in.
Sources:
1 https://www.bain.com/insights/automation-scorecard/
2 https://smallbiztrends.com/2021/05/small-business-automation-pandemic.html#:~:text=94%25%20say%20they%20perform%20repetitive,in%20their%20place%20of%20work
3. https://hdo.utexas.edu/risky-business-human-error-organizational-resiliency/#:~:text=Our%20organizational%20missions%20simply%20cannot,under%20extreme%20stress%20or%20fatigue.
4. https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/small-businesses-hurt-by-unpaid-invoices#:~:text=Nearly%20two%2Dthirds%20of%20small,unable%20to%20hire%20new%20employees
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