The Future of Mailing
- Connectivity Made Easy
Adam Lewenberg - Background and Experience
• President of Postal Advocate Inc.
– The only mail audit and recovery firm in the US and Canada
– Manage a portfolio of over 70,000 pieces of mailing equipment for the
largest US and Canadian companies.
– Speak and teach nationally on mail savings and industry trends.
• Industry Co Chair- Boston Postal Customer Council/Mail Systems Management
Association member. CMDSS and MDC Certifications.
• Featured Writer for Mailing Systems Technology Magazine.
• Worked for one of the largest mailing vendors for over 18 years
– Director of national sales for presort, tabletop inserters, addressing
hardware/software and green offerings.
– Was one of the top 5 account managers nationally working with some of
the nations top accounts.
• Not affiliated with any mailing vendor - Unbiased advice.
March 22, 2017 2
What We’ll Cover:
• What’s all the fuss about?
• Benefits of networked meters
• Challenges getting meters connected
• Resources where you can go for help
March 22, 2017 3
The Evolution of Getting Funds On Your
Postage Meter
Go to Post Office to Add Funds
Download Funds Using Analog Phone
Line
Meter Connected to the Network
March 22, 2017 4
What’s all the fuss about?
• Phone companies are planning on stopping analog line
service.
• Postage Meter providers are requiring that future meters
get connected to the network to fill and update rates.
• Most postage meters are connected to analog phone
lines that cost $300-600 per year to maintain.
– Many analog lines are only used to refill meters every 1-3
months as well as annual rate increases.
– Analog line charges can cost more than small level meters.
March 22, 2017 5
Benefits of Network Enabled Mailing Systems
• Time Savings/Increased Speed and Reliability
– With the use of a digital connection, postage refills, rate changes, and other
software updates will be updated much faster than through an analog line without
the interruption of a fax or incoming analog call interrupting.
• Automatic rate updates
– Network enabled devices may be able to push the correct rates to your system
vs. needing to wait for the next time you refill your meter. This would have been
especially important with this last rate change where the pricing went down.
• Web accounting
– One of the biggest developments with mailing systems is being able to enter
department accounting information on the meter and access on the web through
the vendor’s website. You used to need expensive accounting systems or have
printers connected that required retyping information into your business system.
Now you can access this data from the web and then export it into Excel to be
used internally.
March 22, 2017 6
Benefits of Network Enabled Mailing Systems
• Mailing Vendor Cost Savings
– Extra fees ranging from $100-400 per meter. Meters no longer have analog modems
included and they are an additional fee.
• Analog Line Savings
– Many organizations are keeping analog lines for their postage meter and fax machine
without other uses. In other words, their main phone system is digital and run through
their network. As fax machines are replaced by digital multi-functional devices, the mail
machine may be the only thing used on the $300-600 per year analog line.
• Mail class detail
– You can now see the details of the mail classes used at each meter. You can use this
information to find savings strategies for the future. For example:
1. Certified Mail with Return Receipt – By switching to electronic versions saves $1.35.
2. First-Class Mail® - If the volumes exist, could you use a presort service or barcode
your mailings internally to reduce costs?
3. Priority and Express Mail® - By moving from Retail to Commercial can save up to 55%.
March 22, 2017 7
Benefits of Network Enabled Mailing Systems
• Increased tracking capabilities
through USPS
• Package level detail for all
shipments.
– If you can provide the 4X6 shipping label with
the destination address and barcode, you are
able to get Commercial Base vs. the Retail
rates offered in postage meters and at the Post
Office counter. The meter vendors have
developed network enabled software that can
generate these rates and labels.
March 22, 2017 8
Retail Commercial Base
Weight LB's January 22, 2017 January 22, 2017
% Savings
over
Retail
1 $6.65-10.50 $5.95-9.89 6-13%
5 $9.85-30.25 $7.17-28.72 5-27%
10 $12.65-52.10 $9.09-50.17 4-28%
25 $22.55-99.10 $18.11-90.77 8-25%
50 $32.55-156.95 $26.74-143.71 8-19%
Flat Rate Envelopes $6.65 $5.95 11%
Small Flat Rate Box $7.15 $6.45 10%
Medium Flat Rate Boxes $13.60 $12.40 9%
Large Flat Rate Boxes $18.85 $17.05 10%
Retail Commercial Base
Weight LB's January 22, 2017 January 22, 2017
% Savings
over
Retail
1 $23.75-46.20 $21.18-41.19 11%
5 $24.95-74.45 $22.14-64.76 11-13%
10 $37.60-109.80 $33.35-95.48 11-13%
25 $67.25-183.85 $59.95-163.85 11%
50 $119.20-340 $106.22-303.02 11%
Flat Rate Envelopes $23.75 $21.18 11%
USPS Priority Mail®
USPS Priority Mail® Express
This shipping feature is called the following:
- FP – Ship.it MailOne™ 2.0
- Hasler – Commercial Rates App
- Neopost – NeoShip
- Pitney Bowes - SendPro™
Challenges Getting Meters Connected
• It sounds complicated
• No network connection near the machine
• Firewall/Network Security Issues
• What if you have multiple locations
March 22, 2017 9
Is there a network connection near the meter?
Here are the most common solutions:
• Yes there is a network connection close by.
• Getting a longer cord. (Sorry if this is obvious)
• If there are no open ports, consider a splitter.
• Can you plug into the back of an IP Phone, or Multi-functional
Device (Copier, printer).
• Can you get a Wi-Fi connector from your meter provider. (Extra
Charge)
• Can IT add a network drop close to the unit.
March 22, 2017 10
Common Networking Issues
• Have not received approval to connect the meter to the
network by the IT Dept
• Network port/data line is not set up
• Network administrator has not opened the port/data line
to communicate on the network
• Missing information to connect – For example: IP
Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway
Common technical definitions available on our FAQ page on
www.postaladvocate.com
March 22, 2017 11
Steps to Connect
• Follow the steps listed in your mailing equipment
operator’s/installation guide.
• Plug meter into network.
• Test to see if you get a connection.
• If still no connection:
– Reach out to your IT/Network department for support.
– Call your mailing vendor for support if still not connected.
• For new installations and equipment renewals:
– Smaller units are typically self installable – Follow steps above.
– Larger units are installed by the vendors who can offer support.
March 22, 2017 12
Multi-Location Challenges
For clients who have meters scattered through their locations this
can be a challenge. These are our recommendations:
• Create an inventory of all equipment and which locations are
already connected (Many high volume units may already be on
the network).
• Work with IT to make sure that the meters are approved to be
on the network.
• Look at the expiration dates of your equipment, focusing on
the locations coming up within the next 12 months and
owned/rented equipment.
• Update the locations that have service issues and may not
be getting support. (Meter vendors may not support connection
issues from analog phone lines)
• Update remaining locations as time allows or as they renew.
March 22, 2017 13
Options if you cannot get meters onto your network
• Mailing Vendor Provided 3/4G Connections – Separate data plan
charged per meter.
• Mobile Phone Connection – Some meter manufacturers have a way to
connect your meter to a mobile phone and use its data plan to refill and do
rate updates.
• Wi-Fi Connection to your visitor open access hotspot – Some
companies have open Wi-Fi available for visitors when onsite. This may
have less security restrictions.
• PC Postage – For low to mid volume mailers (or high volume shippers) this
may be a great option. Solutions offered can be accessed through the
cloud and start at $16 per month.
March 22, 2017 14
Resources where you can go for help
• We help our clients get their mailing fleet connected to the
network
• Our website – FAQs – Connecting your postage meter
– Provides a quick guide with step-by-step instructions to simplify the
process
Link:
• Reach out to your vendor (Each have good documentation)
– Links:
March 22, 2017 15
FP Francotyp Postalia
Neopost/Hasler
Pitney Bowes
Postal Advocate Inc.
Helping multi-locationorganizations streamline
their mailing costs
70,000 pieces ofequipment, managed
by Postal Advocate
Recovered over$4,700,000
in lost postage, vendorovercharges and fees
ENTERPRISE-WIDE MAIL AUDIT AND RECOVERY
OVER $27,000,000 IN CLIENT SAVINGS
$697K
60%
Average Client
Savings
Average Equipment
Savings
HOW WE DO IT• 200+ years of industry experience
• Comprehensive web-based tool
providing visibility of all mail
and equipment spend
• Time Savings - Assistance
in fleet management
visit www.postaladvocate.com or call (888)977-MAIL(6245)
Sign Limited AgencyAgreement/Kick-Off Call.
Provide copies of vendor invoices, AP export,
location list, equipment inventory list.
Present savings opportunities and get client approval.
Postal Advocate provides ongoing support,
manages renewals, billingand vendor compliance.
Provide enterprise visibility of all spend, costs and
documented savings through enterpriseAdvocate.
Provide client log-in.
1 2
3
4 5 6
HOW ITWORKS
Work with current vendor to build population report, contract terms/start/end dates,
postage volumes, costs.
Analyze spend, check for contract compliance, billing errors, vendor fees/overcharges, lost postage.
Identify savings opportunities.
Submit vendor credit requests, lost postage forms and
eliminate avoidable fees.
Negotiate pricing. Create catalog.
Work with locations -asset validation, rightsize, termination…
Full implementation of savings.
visit www.postaladvocate.com or call (888)977-MAIL(6245)
Conduct Analysis
NO COST – AUDIT PHASE CONTRACTED CLIENT
Upcoming Webinars
• Wed May 17, 2017at 11AM EST – The Main Event – PC Postage vs
Postage Meters
• Wed June 14, 2017 at 11AM EST - Top 10 Common Mail Mistakes -
How it could affect your bottom line.
March 22, 2017 18
Check out www.postaladvocate.com
to register
Contact info: (20pt)
March 22, 2017 19
Questions?
Contact: Adam Lewenberg - President
888-977-MAIL X 501
March 22, 2017 20