All About Digital Mailrooms: How They Work and Why You Need One

Keeping up with how quickly this world changes, is not the easiest thing in the world. Especially when it comes to business, the key is to prioritise efficient operations and flexibility. Digital mailrooms is a way to make your life and your business operations a lot more efficient. So, how does it work? And why does your business need one?

What Is a Digital Mailroom?

A digital mailroom is the most up-to-date way of handling incoming mail. This system registers and controls all sorts of inward mail and automates most of the process. Instead of manually sorting, distributing, and managing physical mail, it is all scanned and converted into digital format. You can then receive your mail in a digital format, saving a lot of time and resources.

How Does a Digital Mailroom Work?

The process of a digital mailroom can be broken down into several key steps:

1. Mail Reception
   All incoming mail is directed to a centralised location, which could be an in-house mailroom or an external service provider. This way, no incoming mail ever gets lost and all mail can be accounted for.
2. Scanning and Digitisation
   Then, all inbound mail is scanned with very high-resolution scanners. Any document can be converted to a digital document, generally in PDF format or another widely usable format. Documents can be extracted with very high accuracy using modern optical character recognition (OCR) solutions.
   
   
3. Categorisation and Indexing
   Once digitised, it is tagged and categorised based on criteria such as the type of document, the sender, and any keywords within the text. This means the digital documents would all be searchable and retrievable.
   
   
4. Distribution
   It is then sent to the intended recipient(s) on the safe digital mailing list (where all this is set up electronically). This could be via email, cloud storage or integrated into the company’s document management system.
   
   
5. Storage and Archiving
   All digital documents are stored in a digital archive and can be accessed from anywhere off-site by authorised employees of your company at any time. This means employees can work at home, but the documents won’t be lost.

Why You Need a Digital Mailroom

• Efficiency
  One of the advantages of digital mailroom development is that the process becomes more efficient. Manual management of mail can be slow and inaccurate. Digital mailroom allows that process to be automated and the sorting/distribution to be quicker, making sure all of the papers reach the correct destination in a timely manner.
  
  
• Saves on Cost
  Owning a physical mail room includes expenses for storage, handling and delivery. Migrating to a digital mailroom reduces the costs of storing mail, as well as limiting the amount of manual labour involved down the line. If cost-cutting is the goal, the long-term savings can add up.
  
  
• Security
  Security is high on the list of priorities of all enterprises. Digital mailroom guarantees security as, unlike physical mail that got lost on its way, electronic documents are much less likely to be misplaced or stolen. Since electronic documents can also be encrypted and access-controlled, registering and issuing access will guarantee the strictest confidentiality for sensitive data.
  
  
• Remote access and flexibility
  Digital mailrooms are an efficient way to handle letters and mail. Employees can access essential documents easily and at any time from any workplace. Whether your workers are on a business trip or are simply working from home, they will always be connected and efficient.
  
  
• Environmental Benefits
  It goes without saying that using less paper is better for the environment and beneficial for business sustainability targets. As any office owner knows, a digital mailroom saves considerable amounts of paper, which helps create a greener, more eco-friendly workplace.
  
  
• Better Compliance
  Finally, many companies must adhere to regulatory and industry requirements for how data is stored and its subsequent handling. A digital mailroom simplifies the management of these requirements by creating a secure, organised, and easily auditable way to manage documents. Such requirements are common in banking, healthcare, and legal services.

Contact us today to find out how we can help set up a Digital Mailroom for your business