Digital Mailroom
Contents
What is a Digital Mailroom?
Why use Digital Mailrooms?
What are the Advantages of Digital Mailrooms?
What is a Digital Mailroom?
A digital or virtual mailroom service transforms inbound paperwork into information that can be securely shared throughout your organisation. The system operates by centralising physical mail delivery for digital redistribution.
Large organisations usually employ digital mailrooms to manage mail at multiple sites. However, they are now seeing growth because of the ability to remove numerous locations as a delivery constraint to a hybrid work environment.
The digital mailroom seamlessly merges inbound mail and email to empower decision-making and improve customer outcomes.
How does a Digital Mailroom Work?
Physical Mail
1. Mail is routed to centralised location for digitisation.
2. Pre-checks are performed and mail is prepped for digitisation.
3. Routing rules and restrictions are applied.
4. The mail is scanned, quality checked and indexed.
5. Mail is delivered virtually to recipients via email inbox, or to a postmaster for further routing.
6. Paper mail is destroyed, returned, or stored. Precious mail is returned to sender.
1. Inbox monitoring scans attachments using OCR and AI tools to make routing decisions based on context.
2. Attachments are processed into desired format. Once attachments have been read they can automatically used to kick start workflows.
3. Shared appropriately.
4. Filed compliantly, records are archived digitally if they contain information that must be held under GDPR.
Why use a Digital Mailroom?
Promote Digitally Backed Efficiency
Now more than ever, businesses look to digital tools and automation to cut costs and creatively increase efficiency. Yet, due to their lack of profit production, back office operations are sometimes overlooked for digital optimisation.
Optimise All Roles
Embracing process optimisation in back offices is vital to sustainable business growth. Virtual mailrooms follow this philosophy by streamlining mail processing - delivering information, not paper.
Future Proof
A digital mailroom recognises a cultural shift in business, that automation is the future of improving outcomes and being flexible when faced with black swan events of economic downturn.
Empower Remote Workers
Digital mailroom services were a tool for easing lockdown pressures by enabling contactless mail redistribution; the free flow of information across all sites.
Now that ability to work at least partially from home is a factor in talent acquisition, digital mailrooms are here to stay.
Learn more by downloading our guide on the ways that document management best practices enable efficient remote working
What are the Advantages of a Digital Mailroom?
Automate Workflows
Digitised information is the engine of automation. By transforming mail, you directly import data into workflows.
Mail instantly triggers company-wide workflow tasks, such as invoicing, HR tasks, and record-keeping.
Productivity Gains
Digital solutions allow time reallocation into tasks that achieve company goals.
When information flows freely, it can be used reactively, aiding collaboration and nurturing customer relations with responsive engagement.
Scale
The cost of scaling is fixed by centralising and outsourcing your mailroom. Externalising the mail room allows growth to be managed independently, where monthly, weekly, even daily fluctuations in volume can be handled without expending resources or devoting excess time.
Go Green
Lowering your carbon footprint by reducing the distance physical mail needs to travel. In addition to this the need to duplicate documents is removed.
Reduce Costs
Outsourcing mailroom activities to a specialist lowers the cost of processing.
An automated process is an accurate one. Digital mailrooms lower the likelihood of extra expenditure on, fines for non-compliance, duplication, reproduction, and error correction. While completely removing the cost of redistribution.
Increase Security, Ensure Compliance
Mail is protected against loss and theft. Audit trails offer control and visibility, tracking mail from the letter box to inbox.
Physical mail is shredded or returned. When mail requires archival, its digital image can be stored securely and compliantly with GDPR legislation. An automatic retention schedule is applied so that it is erased when past the statutory requirement.
Instant Access, Anywhere
Redirection across sites, instantly. This makes digital mailrooms ideal for hybrid work environments and organisations with multiple locations.
Digital mailrooms give you the confidence that everyone is operating on the most current information, no matter where they are.
How to Implement a Digital Mailroom
Ideate
An appointed postmaster works with the mailroom service provider, defining rules for redirection, duplication, restriction, and return.
They can then provide CRM information that allows OCR to automatically index mail. Finally, the postmaster designs workflows with the service provider.
Improve
The reporting functions of virtual mailrooms, allow workflows to be evaluated, maintained, and elevated. Delivery can become more direct and workflows can become more complex once critical paths are identified and users are comfortable with the system.
Integrate
Using a virtual mailroom as part of a digital transformation strategy, you can expand process automation and further the collaborative potential across departments. Other digital enablements include invoice processing, eforms and electronic document management.
Digital Transformation
VMS + AIP
Automated invoice processing (AIP) naturally integrates with virtual mailrooms. By using a virtual mailroom to facilitate the digitisation of paper invoices, they can then be fed directly in to the AIP system.
VMS + EDMS
Electronic document management systems (EDMS) form the core of digital strategies. They are designed to maximise automation capabilities, secure your records, and provide remote access all within GDPR guidelines. This function enables inbound and outbound mail automation, meaning that all mail information can be actionable by anyone within your organisation.
Get started with Virtual Mailroom
We understand that communication is at the heart of business. That's why each of our services evolves and scales with your needs.
With years of experience in digital enablement, you can ensure that your mail is delivered securely and on time.
We pride ourselves on the ongoing support and constant development we offer alongside our bespoke digital solutions.
Get in touch for a free consultation with digital transformation experts, or give us a call today!