The number of organisations opting to utilise transactional mail, also known as transactional print, is ever-increasing, with the appeal of printed communications as significant as ever. The trust associated with physical mail is especially important where personal communications are concerned, and this blog will look to cover the basics of what transactional mail is, as well as what makes it so effective. Discover why organisations are opting to outsource their transactional mail requirements, with the promise of enhanced security and cost savings.
Transactional mail refers to any interaction or opportunity to engage with different audiences where a transaction is involved. This may be as simple as sending a notification which requires no action or a statement that directs audiences to further information. At scale, it includes the processing and sending of multiple documents to different audiences, often in the thousands, providing an automated, manageable way of sending personalised documents in bulk.
Unlike other mail processes, transactional mail is focused on effectively utilising customer data on a large scale and has an official purpose for its delivery. This transactional process is often outsourced to print and post specialists, who can streamline the production, management and sending of large volumes of documents at any one time.
The process is utilised across both the private and public sectors to send large bulk mailings, that can vary in output including A4 letters and A3 documents. The service is a hassle-free method of sending and managing the print and post of organisational documents through an effective, robust print solution.
There are many different elements to producing and sending transactional mail, with the end goal often to drive engagement or encourage response from the recipient. The process includes identifying an audience, curating the content with personalisation, producing the document, printing, enclosing and sending it with the aim of reaching a required goal.
Whilst the process sounds simple, when there is a large volume requirement, for example a revenues and benefits letter, statement or invoice or financial end of year overview, the challenge of managing transactional mail requirements in house becomes unmanageable.
Many organisations opt to outsource their transactional mail requirements, to a specialist print partner who can provide a tailored process to send their communications. They take the process identified and automate this, providing organisations with a hands-free approach.
When working with a third party, the transactional print process becomes streamlined and more extensive with the ability to include additional inserts, leaflets and bespoke requirements to be utilised with ease.
Organisations who offer the ability to facilitate transactional print requirements, as processers of data, should have the relevant data security accreditations to keep data and output secure.
Print providers should be at a minimum accredited against ISO: 27001 Information Security Management and ISO: 9001 Quality Management, with many providers adhering and complying with other industry standards including Cyber Essentials Plus.
This ensures that when you utilise third parties to manage and send transactional print documents, your data and communications are handled with care and produced within an environment of security and expertise.
There are many organisations who are accredited transactional mail partners, who can support your print and mail requirements.
At CFH we have been managing, producing and fulfilling transactional mail requirements for over 47 years with our print and mail solutions. Working across the public, private and third sectors we support organisations to achieve the results they need whilst producing and sending their communications in the best possible way.
Through innovative technology and processes, we can process thousands of your documents within minutes.
To find out how we can support your transactional mail requirements please get in touch, and we’d be happy to talk you through the solutions we have to support your printed communications.
