Attention, Printers: Your Check Is in the Mail
According to the National Association for Printing Leadership (NAPL), mailing systems and equipment will be the No. 3 capital investment priority for printers in 2009. And no wonder. The opportunity in mailing can be substantial, notes Dennis Killion, national director of marketing, Graphics, xpedx®.
Since a large percentage of what’s printed and finished is destined to enter the mail stream, he points out, it’s natural for printers to want to capture that portion of the work too. By acquiring mailing capability, printers not only broaden their service offerings but add a revenue stream that can represent a real competitive advantage.
“With the correct mix of hardware and software the return on investment can be rapid,” says Bill Koch, director of marketing for Secap, a mailing solutions company that distributes its products through a network of authorized dealers, including xpedx.
The best news, he adds, is that “you don’t have to find customers” for in-house mailing and fulfillment. For the most part, they will be accounts that the printing company already is serving. No longer sharing their clientele with outside fulfillment houses, printers thus reap an additional benefit in customer retention.
What, Why, and How?
The opportunity clearly is attractive, but mailing is a complex process that many printers have little or no experience with. A poorly planned investment in a mailing system could turn into a painful loss—an unacceptable outcome in today’s unsparing economic climate. The question: how can printers who are new to mailing make the right decisions about equipment, software, and training?
Part of the answer lies in everyday operations. Koch notes that some printers, especially those who have outsourced their mailing to trade lettershops, know more about mailing and fulfillment than others. But all printers understand that the process begins with identifying the kinds and the volumes of mailable material flowing through the plant.
Then, says Koch, with the help of a needs analysis by xpedx, it’s a matter of matching the right equipment to the workflow. A basic mailing and fulfillment system consists of an addressing printer, mailing software, and, depending on the kind of mail being processed, machines for tabbing, folding, and inserting. Specific requirements will vary: for example, if the mail volume consists mainly of postcards, a folder probably wouldn’t be needed.
Killion says that xpedx aligned with Secap because of its comprehensive equipment offering—from desktop addressing machines to complete systems for high-volume mail processing. Together, Secap and xpedx can help printers grow their mailing capabilities as volumes increase.
Another xpedx supplier, FMA Inc., provides offline UV coating systems that are very useful in mailing, particularly when the pieces have been printed digitally with toner. UV coating protects the printed surface and helps the pieces stand up to the rough handling they sometimes experience in their journey through the mail stream.
The USPS Connection
Equipping properly is half of what’s essential for success in mailing and fulfillment. The other half is mastering the regulations and requirements of every mailer’s public overseer—the U.S. Postal Service. For most printers, this introduces a learning curve, but one that is overcome with a modest time investment.
Koch says that although the prospect of dealing with the USPS “is a little bit daunting when you first look at it,” it’s a step that can be taken without fear. To begin with, mailing software embodies postal regulations and procedures the way do-it-yourself tax preparation software incorporates tax codes. This enables the user to perform the necessary tasks without detailed knowledge of the process. xpedx will distribute what Koch calls a “tried-and-true” mailing application from Secap that can, among many other functions, create bundle breaks (delivery groupings), print bar codes for traying, and generate reports.
Koch notes that help is available from the USPS itself, which offers online training and other information for mailers. He also recommends cultivating relationships with local USPS representatives and joining the
Mailing & Fulfillment Service Association, the national trade association for the mailing and fulfillment services industry.
”To get started in mailing and fulfillment, a printer doesn’t have to know all there is to know on day one,” Killion says. “It’s a capability that can be developed over time with the ongoing help from xpedx and Secap. We are committed to post-sale service and support, because it’s critical to all parties that the investment is successful for the customer.”
xpedx is a registered trademark of International Paper Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
