Organizing a mailing department for success
Dediemar, Nancy . In - Plant Printer ; Libertyville 42.6 (Nov/Dec 2002): 34-36.
ProQuest document link
ABSTRACT
A large measure of a mailing operation's success depends on its being organized around specific functions and
having qualified, well-trained people in place to perform those tasks. This is especially important when your
mailing staff also must function in other production areas such as bindery, or during temporary production
overcapacity. Mailing services separate into two distinct functional areas: database management and mailing
fulfillment. The database management area receives or constructs mail lists and databases, and prepares them for
output. The function of mailing fulfillment is to prepare each mailing using the database and the mailing pieces.
Because mailing fulfillment is the last step in the print production process, managing a mailing fulfillment
workflow efficiently can be a difficult task. The first step in managing workflow is to develop production standards
to determine how long work will be in process.
FULL TEXT
Headnote
MAIL PROCESSING
Headnote
Mail room authority Nancy DeDiemar provides in-plant managers with tips about managing mail production.
PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM
Page 1 of 6
Enlarge this image.
A large measure of a mailing operation's success depends on its being organized around specific functions and
having qualified, well-trained people in place to perform those tasks. This is especially important when your
mailing staff also must function in other production areas such as bindery, or during temporary production
overcapacity.
Two functional areas of mailing
Mailing services separate into two distinct functional areas: database management and mailing fulfillment. The
database management area receives or constructs mail lists and databases, and prepares them for output. In this
sense, the database function is similar to electronic prepress for documents.
Database management activities include verifying the data's quality and assessing its suitability for the task at
hand; improving, when possible, data quality by restructuring the database, including repopulating the fields in
individual records; using sound logic to detect and resolve duplicate records; developing a uniform data set and
file structure; enhancing individual database records with attributes such as gender; and postal coding.
The function of mailing fulfillment is to prepare each mailing using the database and the mailing pieces. Mailing
fulfillment activities might include mail list sortation; addressing; bindery functions such as folding and collating;
mailing services such as inserting, sealing and affixing postage; preparing mail to qualify for postage discounts;
and delivering the mail to the USPS.
Staffing: Database manager
A key staff position in the mailing department is the database manager. Just as a good prepress technician can
improve press productivity and help control image quality, so can a good database manager enhance mail
fulfillment productivity and improve the quality of each mailing. A good database manager is an excellent
technician who can troubleshoot and reformat files that are not presented as a database. A stickler for details, this
person has a passion for perfection and looks for elegant solutions to problems.
There are few training programs database managers can use to learn mail list management software or the many
PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM
Page 2 of 6
ancillary software tools available. Therefore, a good database manager must be able to selfteach on the job.
Because it is unlikely that you will be able to recruit an experienced database manager, I believe it is important to
use hiring aides, such as a personal profile analysis and basic intelligence test, as part of the hiring process. These
predictors of job success, while not perfect, often are useful for determining whether a job candidate inherently
possesses the attributes that correlate with the desired characteristics of a good database manager.
Managing the mailing fulfillment workflow
Because mailing fulfillment is the last step in the print production process, managing a mailing fulfillment
workflow efficiently can be a difficult task. Even more than printing jobs, mailing projects have firm due dates, and
a missed post-office delivery deadline sometimes can have dire consequences. Add to this the fact that the
mailing department might be making up for time lost during the previous steps in the print production process, and
the need for effective workflow management is clear.
The first step in managing workflow is to develop production standards to determine how long work will be in
process. One simple method is to allow one day for each operation and convey this to your customer. Once you
understand mail production standards, you can negotiate with customers for the desired amount of time. If the
time is not available, you are in a much stronger position to charge customers extra for guaranteed delivery earlier
than with normal production standards.
Organizing the work area helps manage the workflow: It reduces the number of times mail must be handled before
it goes to the post office. Mailing equipment (inkjet addressers, labeler/tabbers, inserters, strappers) should be
contiguous and placed close to where folding takes place in the bindery. Mailing supplies - sacks, trays, sleeves
must be readily available near appropriate machine workstations. Adequate space is necessary on both sides of
equipment, because both the loading and unloading ends of machinery will be required to accommodate the entire
volume of mailing.
Processing expands mail by a factor of six, so a large staging area might be necessary to accommodate prepared
mail that is not yet scheduled for delivery to the post office. If the staging area is not carefully planned, then
prepared mail might clutter the production floor, inhibiting efficiency and increasing the risk of error.
Because sacked mail is often heavy and bulky, it is a good idea to keep it on wheeled carts throughout the
production area. Not only does this help reduce handling of partially processed mail, it also allows staged mail to
be moved out of the way. Wheeled carts sized especially for mail trays and sacks make stacking easy and safe,
and promote efficient use of floor space. For very large, sacked mailings, the USPS will allow mail service providers
to pickup and use USPS mail cages at the mail provider's location. Contact your bulk-mail acceptance clerk for
more information.
Managing handwork
Several common mail fulfillment activities - inserting into catalog or booklet envelopes, perfectly matching mailmerge letters and envelopes, affixing live stamps require handwork in in-plant mailing departments. This work can
be a particularly insidious productivity killer, as it requires a relatively large amount of floor space for an extended
period. It is common for worktables to be set up wherever there is room, regardless of proximity to the mailing
materials or supplies, perhaps even blocking normal passageways in the production area. Work might even spill
into storage areas if space cannot be found elsewhere.
Managing for efficiency in these conditions means taking the time to assess optional approaches to each task. For
example, it might be less disruptive to set up several small workstations manned by one or two workers, rather
than concentrating all workers in one area. For a large job, an assembly process (hand insertion, rubber banding)
that normally would be done by one person might require several people. It is important to look at the entire
production picture to see whether intentionally introducing inefficiency into mailing is more than compensated by
the lack of disruption in another production unit, such as the pressroom.
In most in-plants, mailing fulfillment requires a disproportionate amount of space - for instance, mailing might
contribute 20 percent to chargebacks but require 33 percent of available space. Recognizing this and planning for
both normal operations and overcapacity contingencies will prevent the mail room from compromising the rest of
PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM
Page 3 of 6
the shop's efficient operation.
Sidebar
Organizing the work area helps manage the workflow: It reduces the number of times mail must be handled before
it goes to the post office.
AuthorAffiliation
Nancy DeDiemar is the president of Printing Resources of Southern California, an instant print shop in Upland, CA,
offering printing, copying, electronic prepress and mailing services. Approximately 23 percent of the shop's annual
sales volume comes from mailing services. DeDiemar chairs PrintImage Intl.'s Mailing Services Group. Contact her
at 909-981-5715, or visit www.printingresources.com.
DETAILS
Subject:
Printing industry; Mailrooms; Productivity; Mailing lists; Data base management;
Production planning
Location:
United States US
Classification:
9190: United States; 8690: Publishing industry; 5310: Production planning &control;
5240: Software &systems
Publication title:
In - Plant Printer; Libertyville
Volume:
42
Issue:
6
Pages:
34-36
Number of pages:
2
Publication year:
2002
Publication date:
Nov/Dec 2002
Publisher:
Innes Publishing Company
Place of publication:
Libertyville
Country of publication:
United States
Publication subject:
Printing
ISSN:
1071832X
Source type:
Trade Journals
Language of publication:
English
PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM
Page 4 of 6
Document type:
Feature
ProQuest document ID:
209664307
Document URL:
https://search.proquest.com/docview/209664307?accountid=40921
Copyright:
Copyright Innes Publishing Company Nov/Dec 2002
Last updated:
2014-05-25
Database:
ProQuest Central
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Bibliography
Citation style: APA 6th - American Psychological Association, 6th Edition
Dediemar, N. (2002). Organizing a mailing department for success. In - Plant Printer, 42(6), 34-36. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/209664307?accountid=40921
Copyright 2017 ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved.
Terms and Conditions
Contact ProQuest
PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM
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Organizing a mailing department for success
Dediemar, Nancy . In - Plant Printer ; Libertyville 42.6 (Nov/Dec 2002): 34-36.
ProQuest document link
ABSTRACT
A large measure of a mailing operation's success depends on its being organized around specific functions and
having qualified, well-trained people in place to perform those tasks. This is especially important when your
mailing staff also must function in other production areas such as bindery, or during temporary production
overcapacity. Mailing services separate into two distinct functional areas: database management and mailing
fulfillment. The database management area receives or constructs mail lists and databases, and prepares them for
output. The function of mailing fulfillment is to prepare each mailing using the database and the mailing pieces.
Because mailing fulfillment is the last step in the print production process, managing a mailing fulfillment
workflow efficiently can be a difficult task. The first step in managing workflow is to develop production standards
to determine how long work will be in process.
FULL TEXT
Headnote
MAIL PROCESSING
Headnote
Mail room authority Nancy DeDiemar provides in-plant managers with tips about managing mail production.
PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM
Page 1 of 6
Enlarge this image.
A large measure of a mailing operation's success depends on its being organized around specific functions and
having qualified, well-trained people in place to perform those tasks. This is especially important when your
mailing staff also must function in other production areas such as bindery, or during temporary production
overcapacity.
Two functional areas of mailing
Mailing services separate into two distinct functional areas: database management and mailing fulfillment. The
database management area receives or constructs mail lists and databases, and prepares them for output. In this
sense, the database function is similar to electronic prepress for documents.
Database management activities include verifying the data's quality and assessing its suitability for the task at
hand; improving, when possible, data quality by restructuring the database, including repopulating the fields in
individual records; using sound logic to detect and resolve duplicate records; developing a uniform data set and
file structure; enhancing individual database records with attributes such as gender; and postal coding.
The function of mailing fulfillment is to prepare each mailing using the database and the mailing pieces. Mailing
fulfillment activities might include mail list sortation; addressing; bindery functions such as folding and collating;
mailing services such as inserting, sealing and affixing postage; preparing mail to qualify for postage discounts;
and delivering the mail to the USPS.
Staffing: Database manager
A key staff position in the mailing department is the database manager. Just as a good prepress technician can
improve press productivity and help control image quality, so can a good database manager enhance mail
fulfillment productivity and improve the quality of each mailing. A good database manager is an excellent
technician who can troubleshoot and reformat files that are not presented as a database. A stickler for details, this
person has a passion for perfection and looks for elegant solutions to problems.
There are few training programs database managers can use to learn mail list management software or the many
PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM
Page 2 of 6
ancillary software tools available. Therefore, a good database manager must be able to selfteach on the job.
Because it is unlikely that you will be able to recruit an experienced database manager, I believe it is important to
use hiring aides, such as a personal profile analysis and basic intelligence test, as part of the hiring process. These
predictors of job success, while not perfect, often are useful for determining whether a job candidate inherently
possesses the attributes that correlate with the desired characteristics of a good database manager.
Managing the mailing fulfillment workflow
Because mailing fulfillment is the last step in the print production process, managing a mailing fulfillment
workflow efficiently can be a difficult task. Even more than printing jobs, mailing projects have firm due dates, and
a missed post-office delivery deadline sometimes can have dire consequences. Add to this the fact that the
mailing department might be making up for time lost during the previous steps in the print production process, and
the need for effective workflow management is clear.
The first step in managing workflow is to develop production standards to determine how long work will be in
process. One simple method is to allow one day for each operation and convey this to your customer. Once you
understand mail production standards, you can negotiate with customers for the desired amount of time. If the
time is not available, you are in a much stronger position to charge customers extra for guaranteed delivery earlier
than with normal production standards.
Organizing the work area helps manage the workflow: It reduces the number of times mail must be handled before
it goes to the post office. Mailing equipment (inkjet addressers, labeler/tabbers, inserters, strappers) should be
contiguous and placed close to where folding takes place in the bindery. Mailing supplies - sacks, trays, sleeves
must be readily available near appropriate machine workstations. Adequate space is necessary on both sides of
equipment, because both the loading and unloading ends of machinery will be required to accommodate the entire
volume of mailing.
Processing expands mail by a factor of six, so a large staging area might be necessary to accommodate prepared
mail that is not yet scheduled for delivery to the post office. If the staging area is not carefully planned, then
prepared mail might clutter the production floor, inhibiting efficiency and increasing the risk of error.
Because sacked mail is often heavy and bulky, it is a good idea to keep it on wheeled carts throughout the
production area. Not only does this help reduce handling of partially processed mail, it also allows staged mail to
be moved out of the way. Wheeled carts sized especially for mail trays and sacks make stacking easy and safe,
and promote efficient use of floor space. For very large, sacked mailings, the USPS will allow mail service providers
to pickup and use USPS mail cages at the mail provider's location. Contact your bulk-mail acceptance clerk for
more information.
Managing handwork
Several common mail fulfillment activities - inserting into catalog or booklet envelopes, perfectly matching mailmerge letters and envelopes, affixing live stamps require handwork in in-plant mailing departments. This work can
be a particularly insidious productivity killer, as it requires a relatively large amount of floor space for an extended
period. It is common for worktables to be set up wherever there is room, regardless of proximity to the mailing
materials or supplies, perhaps even blocking normal passageways in the production area. Work might even spill
into storage areas if space cannot be found elsewhere.
Managing for efficiency in these conditions means taking the time to assess optional approaches to each task. For
example, it might be less disruptive to set up several small workstations manned by one or two workers, rather
than concentrating all workers in one area. For a large job, an assembly process (hand insertion, rubber banding)
that normally would be done by one person might require several people. It is important to look at the entire
production picture to see whether intentionally introducing inefficiency into mailing is more than compensated by
the lack of disruption in another production unit, such as the pressroom.
In most in-plants, mailing fulfillment requires a disproportionate amount of space - for instance, mailing might
contribute 20 percent to chargebacks but require 33 percent of available space. Recognizing this and planning for
both normal operations and overcapacity contingencies will prevent the mail room from compromising the rest of
PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM
Page 3 of 6
the shop's efficient operation.
Sidebar
Organizing the work area helps manage the workflow: It reduces the number of times mail must be handled before
it goes to the post office.
AuthorAffiliation
Nancy DeDiemar is the president of Printing Resources of Southern California, an instant print shop in Upland, CA,
offering printing, copying, electronic prepress and mailing services. Approximately 23 percent of the shop's annual
sales volume comes from mailing services. DeDiemar chairs PrintImage Intl.'s Mailing Services Group. Contact her
at 909-981-5715, or visit www.printingresources.com.
DETAILS
Subject:
Printing industry; Mailrooms; Productivity; Mailing lists; Data base management;
Production planning
Location:
United States US
Classification:
9190: United States; 8690: Publishing industry; 5310: Production planning &control;
5240: Software &systems
Publication title:
In - Plant Printer; Libertyville
Volume:
42
Issue:
6
Pages:
34-36
Number of pages:
2
Publication year:
2002
Publication date:
Nov/Dec 2002
Publisher:
Innes Publishing Company
Place of publication:
Libertyville
Country of publication:
United States
Publication subject:
Printing
ISSN:
1071832X
Source type:
Trade Journals
Language of publication:
English
PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM
Page 4 of 6
Document type:
Feature
ProQuest document ID:
209664307
Document URL:
https://search.proquest.com/docview/209664307?accountid=40921
Copyright:
Copyright Innes Publishing Company Nov/Dec 2002
Last updated:
2014-05-25
Database:
ProQuest Central
PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM
Page 5 of 6
Bibliography
Citation style: APA 6th - American Psychological Association, 6th Edition
Dediemar, N. (2002). Organizing a mailing department for success. In - Plant Printer, 42(6), 34-36. Retrieved from
https://search.proquest.com/docview/209664307?accountid=40921
Copyright 2017 ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved.
Terms and Conditions
Contact ProQuest
PDF GENERATED BY SEARCH.PROQUEST.COM
Page 6 of 6
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