Mailroom Magic: Save Time, Money, and Backaches by Migrating to Digital Mail Processing

Nearly every type of organization receives mail, and the larger the organization, the more complicated and critical the mail delivery process can become. Opening and logging in mail as it is received, sorting and labeling incoming documents, photocopying materials that have multiple destinations, and delivering the mail is a time-consuming process. Outgoing mail that has been returned means paper records or databases need to be updated. Incoming mail needs to be date- and time-stamped, and time-sensitive material needs to be delivered to its destination as quickly as possible. Interoffice mail means valuable information is constantly in transit, keeping the mailroom staff and records managers on their toes. Sometimes, mail is transported in mail bags and on carts or moved to file storage, requiring constant movement and occasionally heavy lifting.

Although many organizations today employ data entry clerks as a cursory nod to electronic record keeping, the potential for the digital mailroom goes far beyond logging in mail. This article outlines ways that scanning, digital storage, and process automation can help organizations save time, money, and backaches associated with traditional mailroom processing. It also shares ideas for reallocating mailroom staffs to parallel duties in a digital world, ensuring their skills are maximized for the good of the organization, and enabling organizations to do more with existing resources.

Centralizing information: creating electronic documents and transaction records
Good business decisions depend on complete and timely information. From accounts receivable through policy renewal, loan approval, and signed contracts, time is of the essence. Unfortunately, mail that is “in process” means that all too often, decisions are made as critical, decision-changing information awaits processing in the mailroom. Even the quickest and most efficient staff still has to get the mail from the mailroom to where it is needed, and that takes time.

Document scanning puts all of a company’s paper-based information – including letters, forms, photographs, and other images – into a centralized system that provides instant access. Also, it has the advantage of letting an organization pre-designate which documents, and even which pages of documents, can be viewed by which persons. In addition to date- and time-stamping the receipt of materials, it tracks who has accessed or had any interaction with the records, facilitating organizational compliance while requiring minimal human involvement.

Matching like documents for speedy delivery: bar codes and batch scanning
Companies that process loan applications, insurance claims, patient admissions, or student applications have to process a high number of similar documents every day.

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