Procurement for Housing has launched a postal services deal which could save housing organisations up to 58 per cent of their mail delivery costs and reduce their environmental impact.
PfH’s research showed that housing organisations spend an average of around £41,000 per year on the stationery, printing, collecting, processing and postal costs involved in sending mail. PfH’s research also indicated that there was little awareness of the true total cost of sending mail via ‘traditional’ routes and there was a lack of understanding about other mail options now available through advancements in technology.
PfH’s Postal Services Agreement will help housing organisations reduce their costs and environmental impact through the use of electronic mail (as distinct from email), a service which uses email to transmit documents for the greatest part of their journey before they are printed at the supplier’s plant, ready for final delivery.
TNT is providing its TNT-it service for the Postal Services Agreement, which is based on the innovative PDQit ‘hybrid mail’ system which enables organisations to send post direct from their PCs. Users simply create their letter, invoice, mailshot or statement using standard office applications. Then, by clicking on the PDQit icon from applications such as Word, Sage and Quickbooks, the document is encrypted, compressed and sent direct to the mailing facility where it is printed, folded, placed in an envelope and posted.
Housing organisations using the Postal Services Agreement can make up to 58 per cent savings on the true cost of sending one letter by using PfH’s electronic mail service. Significant savings are also available on traditional mailings, with PfH’s prices 40 per cent cheaper than normal franked first-class deliveries and 13 per cent less than normal franked second-class items.
Alongside TNT’s service, the Royal Mail and Inkfish (in partnership with DeskDirect Global) have also been appointed to PFH’s agreement.
Julie Craig, director, Procurement for Housing, said, “We want to provide housing organisations with clear ways in which they can reduce their impact on the environment through procurement. The postal services agreement presents the sector with an opportunity to reduce their postal costs AND meet their green objectives.”
