Mailing Systems Technology - July/August 2008 - (Page 19)

Envelopes and Packaging People don’t trust the old string and button interoﬃce envelopes for anything important. These envelopes are not trackable; no one really knows when an envelope will reach the recipient, they’re not secure, the address information is not always legible, etc. We decided to use simple sealable envelopes like the national overnight carriers. These envelopes are secure compared with traditional string and button interoﬃce envelopes. Our interoﬃce envelopes are made of cardboard with a plastic envelope in front to hold the internal waybill. We decided not to print anything on the envelopes to reduce their cost. Employees print a traveler (an internal waybill) using our eShip system that integrates Star Receiver, Accuship (an online shipping service) and Sprint internal applications. The traveler is folded and put into the plastic sleeve, similar to what’s done for overnight carriers. The traveler has the sender and recipient addresses and other shipment information including a barcoded internal tracking number. This barcode makes the mailpiece easy to track since scanning a barcode is quick and easy. Also, the traveler has the internal routing information for the receiving site printed on it. When the AIOM piece is received, there is no data entry needed other than a single scan — then it’s ready to be sorted and delivered. Going Live with AIOM Service Our supervisors spent extra time focused on the AIOM service during the ﬁrst couple of weeks as it went live. They monitored the process with our tracking system to ensure that AIOM pieces were being picked up, pouched and delivered correctly, and that our mail center staﬀ was meeting service levels. We also tried to nip any service problems by resolving support calls and complaints about the service before they impacted interest in and use of the service. Since the service went live, we monitor traﬃc levels on each lane using our tracking system and by reviewing our freight bills. We’re looking to see that employees use the service or whether there are many envelopes being sent directly via overnight carriers. The AIOM service at Sprint is an example of an internal logistics service. It was conceived as a corporate-wide service, and although the service does not operate at every Sprint site, it could if traﬃc warrants. We monitor traﬃc levels between Sprint sites to see if the service should be put in place between two sites or if the traﬃc is no longer there. We set up an accountable interoﬃce mail service to reduce our shipping costs and to provide a value-added service to employees that enables desk-to-desk tracking. We’ve been doing this at Sprint since 2003. Our savings are in the six-ﬁgures and the employees who use the service are happy with the additional tracking capabilities. Bob Barrette is currently the Manager of Enterprise Business Services within the Enterprise Real Estate organization at Sprint headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas. Anthony Meadow is a founder and President of Bear River Associates. Visit www.bearriver.com. WWW.MAILINGSYSTEMSTECHNOLOGY.COM | JULY-AUGUST 2008 19 http://www.bearriver.com http://www.mailingsystemstechnology.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Mailing Systems Technology - July/August 2008

Mailing Systems Technology - July/August 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Peer to Peer The Economics of Inkjet Addressing Virtual Mailstream Management Guarding Your Internal Documents Top It Off With Training Implementing Digital Mail Saving You Money Kate’s Slate Products & Services Advertiser Index Sho Time Who’s Who Company Profiles BCC Software BÖWE BELL + HOWELL Collins Ink Corporation Datatech SmartSoft Endicia Hasler, Inc. Kern, Inc. Kirk-Rudy Mail Quip, Inc. MCS, Inc. Melissa Data MidSouth Technologies, a NPI Company Neopost NPI Parascript Pitney Bowes Inc. Rena Systems Satori Software, Inc.

Mailing Systems Technology - July/August 2008

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