Benefits For Office Managers

By /

How using a franking machine can make you a better office manager

Looking after the entire office is the preserve of an Office Manager and, in addition to implementing administrative systems, maintaining records, reviewing health and safety policies, managing staff, facilities and overheads, overseeing multiple projects and tasks, you may also be asked to report to senior management on ways of improving office efficiency and reducing costs.

One function of the office that can improve the work environment, increase productivity and minimise cost is mail handling.

In the first instance, consider how much time is spent every day

  • weighing and sizing every item of post
  • referring to the tariff chart
  • affixing the correct postage
  • purchasing postage stamps from the Post Office
  • visiting the Post Office to dispatch special delivery items
  • driving or walking to a local post box to deliver mail

 

You can then review:

  • how many items of mail  you send every day
  • your current monthly postage spend
  • the number of man hours devoted to handling the post

 

If you are posting as few as 15 items of post per week*, then you might consider a franking machine for your office. There are no restrictions to the number or size of items you can post and the benefits are significant:

  • enjoy discounted postage rates
  • reduce the cost associated with overstamping
  • keep track of your spend and prevent unauthorised usage
  • no surcharges for understamping or inconvenience and cost to the recipient
  • create a professional image
  • enhance your corporate identity when your franked stamp displays your company logo and  promotional message
  • save time with integrated scales that calculate the postal rate for you
  • no more queuing at the post office
  • departmental coding enables you to charge to profit centres

* based on mailing 90 second class letters per month versus the lowest monthly franking machine rental.

Franking machines can be rented from as little as £20 per month, have a small footprint so can be accommodated in most offices, new models do not require a phone line and franked mail attracts preferential postage rates for all mail types including:

  • First Class
  • Second Class
  • Recorded Delivery
  • Special Delivery
  • Parcelforce Worldwide Services
  • International / Airmail
  • Royal Mail Mailmark

 

On the flip side, you need to be aware of:

  • the cost of consumables such as ink and sticky labels; remember a replacement ink cartridge for your franking machine can be in the region of £75.00 and mailing labels are supplied in minimum quantities
  • hidden top-up charges; check your agreement to ensure your provider does not use premium-rate phone numbers to facilitate top-ups
  • to buy or not to buy; if your business needs are likely to change, selling on a franking machine can be problematic as it requires the licence to be carried over also
  • additional maintenance charges; make sure your contract is clear about the service and support you’ll receive from your franking machine provider

 

We did a case-study for a local print solutions provider that employs 50 staff; they post invoices and statements to their 500 clients every month by second class franked mail. It takes their office administrator about an hour to put them through the franking machine and they pay a small monthly fee for the Royal Mail to collect their mail at the end of each working day.

The cost of this one mail out each month is £277.58:
500 x second class franks @ 36 pence £180.00
one man-hour at £12 per hour £12.00
franking machines rental £20.00
mail collection service £65.58
*this service is free when you send over £15,000 per annum

Before they rented their franking machine, the same mail out would have cost £306.00:
500 x second class postage stamps @ 54 pence £270.00
Two man-hour at £12 per hour £24.00
An hour round trip to the Post Office £12.00

Staff are happier because they don’t have onerous task of driving out of their way to post the mail at the end of their working day or breaking into their busy day to go and purchase stamps. They enjoy greater job satisfaction because this routine task is carried out in a fraction of the time and the organisation saves money!

Whatever solution you choose, the exercise will have made you aware of the process of handling  mail within your organisation and enable you and your senior management team to make informed decisions in the future.

If you are interested in a franking machine, you can request quotes via our quote form.

 

Scroll to Top