Magic in the Mailroom: A Tale of Transformation

Between managing a fast-paced network of operations and optimizing logistics, businesses today face a myriad of challenges in keeping their workflows cohesive and efficient. For one company, a major player in the entertainment industry with a global presence, maintaining crucial and routine day-to-day functions proved to be a struggle only intensified by their growing scope of operations. With a cumulative responsibility of 8,000 end-user deliveries across studio sites and offices, a persistent issue of widespread disorder burdened their mailrooms. To address these challenges, IST stepped in with a goal to not only restore organization and efficiency to the mailroom, but to implement a long overdue overhaul of outdated systems to enable future growth and ensure lasting improvements. 

Method-less Madness 

Large-scale sites, more often than not, require considerable manpower to run, leading to unique operational challenges that serve as a roadblock to success. For our client, the consequences of the resulting disorder in the mailroom came in many different forms that necessitated strategic and thoughtfully tailored solutions to tackle from all sides. One prevalent problem was a lack of standardization in formal processes as well as a lack of continuous training from the client’s previous facilities provider. This led to a disconnect in team-wide coordination and a lapse in the execution and quality of customer service delivered. A glaring absence of benefits such as holiday pay and PTO for staff also triggered a widespread lack of morale amongst workers and exacerbated these issues, greatly affecting performance and efficiency; two crucial fundamentals of successful operations. 

In addition to staff performance, the functionality and quality of equipment utilized on site can also impact site operations. Outdated or degraded equipment and vehicles significantly hinder an employee’s ability to perform their duties to the expected standard, and our client’s sites were negatively impacted by a mismanaged fleet of delivery vehicles and golf carts that had fallen into disrepair through insufficient maintenance. This accelerated the vehicles’ aging, disrupting the longevity of operational abilities. The client’s mailroom also suffered from inefficient mail handling processes, which culminated in both missing and mis-delivered mail along with a considerable backlog of undelivered mail. Meanwhile, service and accountability were further hampered by a paper-only, chain of custody for mail. 

While digital mail systems also help bypass the requirement of needing to be physically present to receive mail, there are several other benefits that can help a business from the sharing of documents with a wider group to having all important information stored digitally, not to mention the sustainability benefits of reducing paper. In workplace environments that retain a large remote or hybrid scope, digital mail works as a means to stay connected where it may otherwise be difficult. IST’s quick responsiveness to the new remote and/or hybrid workforces have helped clients effectively meet demands for alternative mail solutions, creating a shift in operations that coincided with realizing a multitude of benefits including: 

• Increased support for departmental workflows 
• Minimized cost impacts by utilizing existing infrastructure 
• Enhanced speed of delivery with expanded receiving hours 
• Reduction in overall costs and an increase in market competitiveness 
• Maximal document integrity and security 
• Increased productivity with immediate task engagement 

Though the implementation of digital mail can encounter its own unique challenges, IST’s DocStor counters these with preemptive action on integration and training to better manage the end user experience. These systems are further enhanced by IST’s flexibility in adhering to the retention policies and specific needs of a business or organization. 

Security Concerns and IST’s Solutions 

One of the leading concerns clients may have about digitizing their physical mail stems from questions surrounding security and ensuring any documentation is safeguarded. By incorporating IST’s digital mail solutions with our proprietary DocStor software, users are able to receive a digital version of their mail via a web-based system, allowing users to access their mail from anywhere in the world. DorStor’s system is routinely updated and maintained to withstand new cyber threats to give clients peace of mind, knowing their data is secure. 

Once the mail is received in the mailroom and scanned into DocStor, an email is sent to the end-user with instructions on how to access that document. These files are locked behind password-protected software that users cannot access without proper permission. Additionally, companies can set unique requirements and criteria for certain types of mail to be delivered to more than one individual, should documents be routinely shared. This can lower the delays associated with trying to share documents among departments around and reduce waste is making multiple copies of the same file. Even if a document needs to be shared in a one-off situation, the new recipient will still require a temporary password to access the information. Security is of the utmost importance to IST and IST clients, so we ensure all data is only accessible to those who the mail is directed to or have permissions established based on departmental requirements. 

A Shift in Modern Trends and Workflows 

In recent years, many industries have faced a sort of digital transformation. Businesses underwent significant changes that were primarily driven by shifts in work culture, consumer behavior, and technological advancements. This widespread pivot towards digitization invited a higher acknowledgement for the need of virtual services such as virtual mailboxes and forwarding services, which ultimately helped jumpstart the rapid development of solutions to a more digitally inclined and flexible work environment. The ongoing adoption and optimization of digital alternatives to traditional mail have so far consequently sparked a surge in the implementation of system overhauls, spanning services such as e-billing, digital signatures, and cloud storage, making for more flexible streams of correspondence. Because of this, existing systems that rely heavily on hard mail can experience significant delays in workflows and interruptions when unprepared for the shift into a digital market. 

These changes in consumer demands and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) signify that the evolution of digital mail is far from over, with AI poised to drive the next wave of transformations as working trends inevitably evolve. As workplace trends shift, IST’s customizable Digital Mail solution remains the flexible and proactive option for adapting to widespread digital transformations in a dynamic market.