Distribution of a Prospectus in Bulk and On Demand
A prospectus had to be distributed in stages: after a mailout of several thousand documents on one day there were going to be daily requests for books to be sent out. These mail outs had to be documented and tracked. At the same time it was important to keep an overview of the number of remaining books to be able to organise reprints to warrant a continuous supply of books.
SOS offered a simple, yet effective system to organize this project: The bulk mailout was run from a database supplied by the customer and a system was developed that allowed re-orders one book at a time.
Bulk Mailing
SOS used Australia Post software to process the data, pre-empt faulty address data, add the Australia Post barcode and sort the items by distribution centre. This way we were able to take full advantage of mailing discounts. At the same time SOS developed a website which allowed the upload of data, the tracking of sent documents and the control of stock levels. The site facilitates the upload of additional files. The files were then cleaned and sorted online. This is often necessary to make sure that the data can be read by Australia Post software. Errors are flagged. At the same time an email alert is sent to SOS IT, who process the data, resolve address conflicts and add the Australia Post barcode. The addresses are then sent to Digital Print, sorted by Australia Post distribution centre. Flysheets are printed. The order has also triggered an alert to the warehouse, which release the required number of books. These books were plastic wrapped with the flysheets and the order posted.
Tracking:
The tracking page on the website allows for the tracking of recipients of books. It shows who received how many copies at what date and is searchable by name or address.
Reporting:
The system shows a trendline which illustrates the volumes of mailouts over a given period. It also displays the mailing cost of every order.
Summary:
SOS made it easy to mail out thousands of prospectuses. A customized online system gave our customer full control over items mailed, recipients and costs.
SOS was able to offer a perfect solution by combining conventional printing, digital printing, mailing services and a customized IT solution.
