In 2008, York County sought out the services of Higher Information Group. Since communication with county residents depended on regular mailings, the cost of postage was becoming a hindrance to keeping costs low. Change was necessary.
Straightforward Yet Essential: Presort Mailing Services
HIG identified a simple option for radical savings: presort mailing services.
By changing the method behind mailings – picking them up, consolidating when possible, sorting and then processing it into the USPS network most relevant to the final destination – the HIG team was confident that measurable, sustained savings would result. As an added benefit, the complexity associated with the existing process would become less challenging.
Even better: York County’s mail would be more reliable than ever before. Sometimes, when local post offices are overloaded, certain mailings – including bulk mailings – are not processed that day. Because of an agreement between HIG and USPS, HIG mail that arrives at the post office by 8 a.m. is guaranteed to be processed that day. York County could be sure timely information would be processed and delivered as expected.
Cost Savings, Time Savings, and Speed Improvement
The benefits were immediate, covering three major areas: reduced costs, reduced staff time and effort, and increased speed to delivery.
York County has seen dramatic savings over the last decade by relying on HIG’s presort services. In 2018 alone, HIG saved York County:
- $.026 per letter on regular-sized mailings, for a total of $18,824, and
- $.099 per letter on flat mailings, for a total of $3,648.
As anticipated, the benefits of switching to HIG’s presort services did not stop at costs. Personnel time spent on mailings has been reduced dramatically. In fact, three of York County’s four buildings handled metering their own mail prior to the beginning of the presort services. Staff time has been eliminated, allowing the York County team to focus on what matters most.
Additionally, the delays that seemed unavoidable prior to the start of services were eliminated thanks to the aforementioned agreement with the post office and an efficient process that includes barcoding and sorting mail by zip code prior to dropping it off. Instead of adding an additional step to the mailing process, York County has seen dramatic time savings that would be impossible to achieve without targeted service based on both expertise and experience.
With the right presort service in place, saving time, cutting costs and eliminating delays can be observed, measured and expected.
