What is a mailing system?
A mailing system is a piece of equipment designed to automate the preparation, processing, output and delivery of your businesses outgoing mail.
There are two main classes of mailing systems: addressing systems and folder/inserters. The exact capabilities of each class depending on the size of the device (small, mid or production volume) but in general, an addressing system can print labels and postage then seal an envelope. Some addressing systems are even able to weigh and apply postage to packages.
A folder/inserter, on the other hand, specializes in the selecting, sorting, folding and inserting of documents into envelopes. Organizations that mail large volumes or regularly include insertions in their mail find these most useful.
What are the benefits of using a mailing system?
There are a few primary reasons why you might want to add a mailing system to your current mailroom. First and foremost, it can drastically reduce the amount of repetitive manual labour involved in processing mail. The ability to automate and streamline a predominantly manual process is the number one reason many of our customers cite when buying a new mailing system, especially if they send a large volume of mail each month.
Canada Post prefers when business mail is addressed, and postage is applied with an addressing system than by hand. When postage is applied automatically by the system, it ensures that the appropriate postage is paid for each letter or parcel, reducing wastage, and the mail with precise, consistent addressing as printed by a system is processed more quickly in Canada Post mail facilities.
Finally, you can customize or standardize the appearance of your mail. Since the labels are automatically printed and not handwritten, you can reduce the frequency of spelling errors and unclear handwriting as well as enhance the aesthetic of your mail with a custom design.
How do I select the right mailing system?
The first step to choosing the mailing system that will benefit your business most is to evaluate your current mailing situation. Here are the five questions that you need to ask yourself to decide if you need a mailing system, and if so, what mailing system is right for your business:
- What are you sending (letters or parcels)?
- How many pieces are you sending?
- How often are you sending mail?
- How much time is spent sending mail?
- How many returns do you get?
Answering these questions will help you determine how much your mailroom is costing you now, what potential cost savings you could discover with a new mailing system, and what device is going to best match your mailing needs.
What does a mailing system cost?
As there is a mailing system for almost every size business, the range of prices is also quite extensive. To help you determine where you might fall in this range, we decided to break the devices into “sizes” based on their ideal mailing volume.
We have also included a few of the key features/capabilities you should expect from a device of each “size.”
Small Volume Business: 15-30 envelopes/day ($20-$60/month)
- Entry-level postage machine
- Typically rented, not purchased
- Self-install w phone support
- Semi-automatic
- Hand-feed
Designed with small offices in mind, there is the entry-level mailing system that is a perfect way to access all the benefits of a mailroom without the added cost. This compact size machine allows you to weigh, rate and print postage all without even touching the console. Once you weigh your envelope, simply insert it into the printing path and watch as the correct postage is automatically calculated and printed onto your label.
Mid to High Volume Business: 30-200 envelopes/day ($130-$700/month)
- Purchased or leased
- Semi-automatic to fully automatic
- Power feed
- Additional features as volume increases
This intelligent operating system has a simple to use navigation menu that puts the occasional user in control. Thus, eliminating errors and improving productivity with an abundance of smart functions and menu prompts. Do you need to process different sizes and shapes of envelopes? Not a problem for the Load ‘N’ Go Auto Feeder.
Production Volume Business: 200+ envelopes/day ($700+/month)
- Purchased or leased
- Equipped with Mail Accounting Software (MAS)
- Fully automatic
- Power feed
Designed to be the next generation of mailing systems. These machines set the new standard for user experience, efficiency and productivity. Automatically measure, weigh, rate, meter, seal and stack large amounts of mail in a matter of minutes. Production volume systems can be broken down again into two “sub-sizes,” Standard and Pro. The two primary differences between Standard and Pro mailing systems being that Standard devices are not usually able to access the internet and will generally cap out at processing 210 envelopes per minute. A Pro mailing system will often be able to access the internet through a Control Touch Screen and can handle 300 envelopes per minute.
Features common to most mailing systems
Regardless of which size mailing system best meets your need, be sure to look for them to include these common features:
- Online Postal Expense Management
- Dynamic Weighing
- Differential Weighing
- Automated Low Ink Alerts
- Load ‘N’ Go Mixed Mail Feeding
Are there any downsides to using a mailing system?
There are not many inherent downsides to having a mailing system in your office; after all, it is ultimately an optional tool to enhance productivity. However, there are a few situations where might want to reconsider before buying one.
Situation #1 – You send very few pieces of mail per week
Will having an unused mailing system sitting in your office harm productivity? No, but there is not much point in paying for a device that you will not be able to get much use out of either.
Situation #2 – You live in an area without a mailing system service provider
If you live in an area that does not have a local service provider and your system malfunctions (as all technology will, eventually), you may find yourself very frustrated and without anywhere to turn. Before investing in a mailing system, be sure that there is a reliable local service provider.
Looking to buy a new mailing system?
These versatile and integrated letter mail and parcel processing machines are the authority in mail centre management. No matter the level of production in your office you can depend on these mail and ship stations to bring your mail, parcels, documents and postage funds together into one powerful package.
Whether you are ready to buy now or have a few more questions you want to answer first, we have you covered. Our team of office technology experts have been working with one of the world’s leaders in mailing systems, Neopost, for decades.
If you have a question about whether a mailing system is right for your business, we are here to help.
