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TAKE THIS JOB AND STUFF IT! |
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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Mike Porter
Join me! I'll be speaking at the following document industry events:
XDU
Lunch & Learn
Free Webinar
June 25
Xplor Roadshow
Dallas, TX
July 14
Document Strategy Forum
Chicago, IL
October 6 | |
Greetings!
As you may have noticed, we've changed our newsletter format a bit. After using the same design for nearly three years, we decided it was time for a facelift!
We've also begun publication of two separate newsletters. "Practical Stuff", to which you are currently subscribed, will include articles, announcements, tips, and discussions of industry trends that are of interest to document production centers. This is similar to what we've done in the past, but we'll be adding some new features, too.
If you work in or manage in-house print and mail centers, service bureaus, or letter shops then this is the newsletter for you. Journalists will also likely find the content of this newsletter to be the most relevant to their needs.
Our second newsletter is for the vendors and suppliers who sell the hardware, software, materials, and services to high volume document centers.
If you believe you've subscribed to the wrong list, just click HERE to be taken to the signup page where you can change your preferences by selecting a business type that more closely matches your interests. |
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Old Fashioned Quality Control - Reading! I do a lot of reading. It's part of my job to be an informed resource about trends, products, and strategies. So I read magazines, newsletters, blogs, press releases, books, newspapers, white papers, and industry studies to keep up on what is going on in the document industry. I even try to keep up on developments in the industries that our clients work in, like utilities or insurance. When clients call with questions, I can usually help them out.
There is so much information available, that it's overwhelming. You probably feel the same way. Sometimes, the last thing you want to do is more reading. But doing so might just make you a hero. Here's how.
One company I was working with was mailing out documents that were all similar in appearance and had the same basic messages. What made it tricky was that there were several dozen versions, pertaining to a variety of products and pricing plans.
Imagine my surprise when I started reading some of the pages we printed and realized that some referred to products no longer offered, and others included dates that were two years in the past! How embarrassing!
Note that these documents were regularly passing the quality control processes in place - addresses were correct, barcodes were readable, the right number of pages got printed, batches balanced, etc. But no one had bothered to actually read the body of the cover letters. It was a glaringly obvious mistake.
These documents were being mailed to active customers every day until we removed from the production library. Customer perception was diminshed and there were extra calls to customer service from confused customers.
How many documents in your operation might fall into this category? If you don't know for sure then it's time to do an audit! Settle into a comfortable chair with a pile of paper and catch up on your reading. You could be on the verge of recovering significant costs for your organization. These days, that's something that can get you some recognition!
Sending out mail that wastes resources or even worse, causes extra work can give document operations a black eye. What would happen if a VP or other executive is the one that finds the bad documents?
Not all document content errors are as obvious as the example above. Sometimes it takes time to track down the people with the answer to the question, "Is this right?" If you don't have the time to do this research yourself, then call us today. We can help you be a hero tomorrow. |
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This Month's Question  How can document center managers justify the cost of converting to the USPS Intelligent Mail Barcode?
For many mail center managers, the answer is, "you can't". That's because the greatest benefits of the IMB aren't really postal-related. The postage discounts are too small to result in a positive ROI all by themselves.
Our clients that reap IMB benefits have gone outside the mail center to other departments such as marketing, legal, customer service, or accounts receivable to find workflow improvements or cost savings that can be realized by enabling the mail piece tracking capabilities of the IMB. These benefits aren't always obvious, especially to non-mailing people in your organization. They might be missing a big opportunity!
Lots of companies need an outside source to help facilitate the research, coordinate efforts among departments, and compose the ROI documentation required for budgetary approval. Give us a call to take advantage of our expertise in these areas.
I'll be taking part in a panel discussion on the IMB hosted by Xplor Document University on Thursday, June 26th. Click HERE to register for this free webinar.
Have a question? Got a nagging operational problem that won't go away? Want to know about best practices?
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 Print/Mail Coaching
We know how difficult it is to get budget approval for things that you need - especially today.
Maybe you're struggling with some of the problems discussed in our newsletters. Or you know you need a strategy for evolving your operation, you just don't know what it should be.
Well, we've got the answer! We're offering expert support for document center managers and others who have responsibility for vital customer communications - all in an affordable 'just in time' delivery structure. Our exclusive coaching program is another way for document industry professionals to move their organizations forward during difficult economic times. Our monthly support program includes one private phone consultation per month as well as phone and e-mail support throughout the month for quick questions. The benefits include: Access to expert advice on your toughest mail and print questions, resources to help you solve lingering problems or capitalize on key opportunities, monthly planning, and regular review which will certainly lead to process improvements. Click HERE for more details and to sign up for your first 1:1 meeting. PS. Participation is limited and we anticipate selling out quickly. If you want to take advantage of this offer, please don't delay!
SPECIAL NO-RISK OFFER FOR NEWSLETTER READERS!
For a limited time, we're waiving the fee for your first consultation. This offer expires next Sunday, so make sure you sign up using the exclusive link above to be included in this promotional offer. | |
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Sincerely,
Mike Porter
Print/Mail Consultants
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