There is something pleasingly traditional about franking machines, which have been around since 1884, but the digital age has brought these stalwarts of the mailroom bang up to date. If businesses don’t want to miss out on substantial cost savings and performance perks, they should definitely consider switching to a digital machine if they haven’t already done so.
1. COST
Cost is the obvious benefit. Rather than connecting via an analogue phone line, which incurs a monthly rental fee as well as call charges, a digital machine connects via a LAN or WiFi connection. You can ditch the analogue line charges simply by switching to a digital machine, and instead utilise the broadband internet you are most likely already paying for. The world has already gone digital, there is no reason for your franking machine and mailroom processes to be left behind.
2. SPEED
It’s not going to come as a surprise that moving to a digital franking machine will considerably speed up your mail and shipping processes. To put this into context, using an analogue machine, it can take anything up to an hour to download software and postage rate updates from the internet; with a digital machine we are talking a matter of minutes. Time is money and delays are costly and frustrating.
3. RELIABILITY
A digital connection not only delivers a faster service, it is far more constant and reliable too. An analogue connection is not only slower but it can also often stall, at which point the user needs to start the download all over again.With digital Local Area Network (LAN) connectivity, your franking machine can automatically connect to the internet to update its software and postage rates, and progress can be paused and resumed if connectivity drops out. If a digital connection gets lost for a second or two, there is no delay because downloads start right back from where they left off.
4. CONNECTIVITY
Digital franking machines connect to the internet via a LAN or WiFi connection. This offers your business flexibility. Using wireless options, business can move their digital franking machines anywhere; they don’t even need to be in the same room! Analogue customers have sometimes been unable to find space or their machines near a phone line, and so they’ve had to move their franking machines to near their fax machines every time they want to add postage. They then have to reinstall the franking machine before they can finally complete their mailings. This is definitely NOT the future.
5. MAILMARK-READY AND FUTURE-PROOFED
Royal Mail’s Mailmark technology, a machine-readable 2D barcode that carries information on the user and the mail being sent, is quickly becoming the modern standard for franking. It allows you to monitor and track your post, access analytics and gain more control of your mail processes, giving you a competitive edge. In order to benefit from Mailmark, you need to have a digital franking machine that is Mailmark franking-enabled. It’s a simple as that.
If you have any questions about franking machines or Mailmark, please complete the form below.
Peter Kiddle
Mailroom Specialist