Looking to make office efficiencies? Start with a mailroom audit
The start of the new working year is an ideal time to look
at how efficiencies can be made in the office.
Making simple changes can add up to big savings over a whole 12 month period.
Streamlining office processes can seem like a daunting task. However, the mailroom is a good place to start as there are lots of simple measures that you can quickly reap saving benefits from. Once you start to make efficiencies in one area of the business following the same process in other areas becomes more straightforward. It’s also a very positive and motivating task to complete at the start of the year.
Mailroom audits
The first step is to take a look at your mailroom as a whole and to carry out a full mailroom audit. This should take into account:
– How many letters and parcels are sent weekly or daily
– What sizes of letters and parcels are being sent out at what frequency
– How the mail is currently sent (Royal Mail or courier)
– How you are paying for your mail
– How long does it take to collate and package outgoing mail?
Larger organisations should also consider how often they are communicating with each customer and if separate departments are sending out different types of mail communications to the same customers.
8 letters a day
Any organisation that sends out more than 8 second class letters a day of any size can make postage savings by using a franking machine rather than using stamps. Businesses sending this level of may can save in excess of £395 a year as a minimum and much more if the mail volumes are higher.
There are a number of other benefits to using a franking machine. Many modern franking machines have an automatic feed system for added efficiency, and it saves a great deal of time previously spent at the post office.
Marketing messages can also be added onto the envelope via the franking machine via most franking machines.
Learn more
Here are some examples of some organisations large and small who have made savings by taking a closer look at their mailroom:
The Group Property division of Lloyds Banking Group saved a six figure sum by looking at their whole mailroom operation and making small improvements across the board. This was achieved through consolidating mailroom suppliers, auditing and redeploying machinery and through savings made of postage ink. Read more here.
Many SMEs have made savings through taking a look at their mailroom and switching suppliers. Here several accounting firms talk about their experiences.
The public sector can also benefit from a mailroom audit. Here a school outlines how it saved 36% on postage.
