What Is Mailroom Automation?

Businesses of all sizes manage important documents. Mailroom automation is the process of converting physical mail into digital form, simplifying storage, sorting, and security. The digitization process involves several steps.

Processing

A third-party collects critical business correspondence such as invoices, faxes, and payments. Sorting and packing are then taken care of before documents are prepared for conversion to an electronic format.

Digitization

Documents are converted to PDFs or other electronic formats. Typewritten or clearly printed text can be validated and made searchable through OCR and indexing. Further quality control procedures may follow.

Delivery

The company receives its electronic data and can store it on local hard drives or servers for easy access. Some mailroom automation providers offer secure cloud storage, physical storage, or storage with physical document destruction.

Benefits of Mailroom Automation

Automating data management helps businesses boost overall efficiency. Here are some of the ways mailroom automation produces various benefits.

Better Security

Physical file storage systems require assets and on-site equipment, including locks, keys, and surveillance cameras. However, digitized documents are safeguarded by passwords and encryption, so secure servers are the only requirement.

Increased Productivity

Manual labor used to sort, store, and deliver incoming mail is reduced, allowing staff to focus more on critical business objectives. Less data entry also decreases human error and saves time.

Easier Access

Custom access protocols streamline document retrieval without compromising a company’s internal security.

Quicker Response Times

Physical mail often involves lengthy processing times and even delays. Eliminating these parts of the mailing process results in quicker response times.

Which Industries Use Mailroom Automation?

Given the benefits previously outlined, many industries take advantage of mailroom automation. The following industries are common examples.

Retailers

Retailers have to track customer orders, maintain inventory, pay other vendors, and deal with many other forms of business correspondence. Digitizing these documents simplifies this process and lowers personnel costs.

Manufacturers

Manufacturers handle a range of purchase orders, shipping, and logistics documents. Mailroom automation ensures the accuracy and speed the manufacturing industry demands.

Healthcare Providers

Hospitals must adhere to strict standards such as HIPPA when handling confidential patient information. Managing data using a centralized system with controlled authentication secures patient records and allows seamless transmission of key information.

Financial Institutions

Banks and other financial institutions process an enormous amount of highly sensitive customer data every day. Quick and secure processing of financial documents supports an efficient workflow to handle diverse customer accounts.

Governments

From census data to tax forms, government entities rely on efficient handling of many document types. Secure storage, fast turnaround times, and fewer errors are a few reasons government organizations automate mailroom management.

Learn More About Digital Mailroom Solutions

If traditional mail service has left your business with missing documents, tardy deliveries, and bloated labor costs, choosing an AI-powered solution can help optimize mailroom efficiency. Contact Scanoptics today to learn more about our digital mailroom service.