Maximize your mailing intelligence with Track N Trace®
The Intelligent Mail® barcode and Track N Trace allows mailers to improve their mailing intelligence. BCC Software customers have demonstrated some creative ways to leverage this intelligence to improve their mailing and non-mailing business operations. Below are just a few ways that our customers utilize mailpiece visibility.
Proof of mailing
Once the USPS® scans the Intelligent Mail barcode on a mailpiece, that scan is reported to Track N Trace and is made visible through the Track N Trace website or scheduled reports. This first scan identifies the hand-off between the mailer and the USPS, and can be used to demonstrate that the mailer has done their part in the mailing process. There are even some state laws and business rules that allow the scan data to be used in lieu of a certificate of mailing.
Optimize delivery performance
Using Track N Trace to view the various scan data reports can help improve future mailings by allowing the mailer to easily identify delivery patterns throughout the USPS network. Armed with this information, mailers can make better decisions on when and where to drop their mailpiece. For mailings that depend on timing, the information from the scans and Track N Trace reports allow mailers to predict in-home dates with a higher degree of certainty.
Improve business operations
Getting an early indication of Business Reply Mail (BRM) pieces that are inbound can be used to gain advanced business intelligence, improve collection efforts, call center staffing, and even cash flow management. Knowing a few days in advance when the BRM pieces will arrive allows businesses to determine appropriate levels of staffing as well as a degree of certainty that the check really is in the mail. The visibility of in-bound BRM pieces is essential in order to properly schedule pick-ups when running a drop box operation.
Improve Marketing campaigns
Marketers can use a combination of Track N Trace Destination and Track N Trace Origin to get an early indication of response rates, as well as how many inquiries are coming back, based on when the mailpieces arrived at their original destination. Effective marketing involves multiple channels, utilizing the visibility in the mail can drive greater response rates when combined with other channels. Picture the emotional impact an email sent telling a customer they have something important in the mail, or a phone call that asks specific questions around a direct mailpiece. In addition, this information can be used with demographic information to optimize future marketing campaigns by analyzing the response trends.
Mail Fraud reduction
Companies have leveraged mailpiece tracking to identify high-value pieces, such as credit cards and checks that have not been scanned or appear to be delayed as potentially fraudulent. The visibility Track N Trace reports provide on the mail flow allows companies to identify potential fraud before it becomes a liability.
Electronic Verification and Full Service
In April 2015, the USPS plans to start electronic verification of full-service mailings to identify non-compliant mailpieces and assess the associated permit. Track N Trace and mailpiece scanning can be used as a tool to help defend against claims of inappropriate charges to a permit, and demonstrate the mailpiece was actually compliant.
These are just some of the ways our customers use the Intelligent Mail barcode and Track N Trace to improve their mailing and business operations. What are some of the creative ways you use Track N Trace today? We would love to hear from you! Log in to the portal and share your story on the Customer User Forum.
