Leaders in statement printing and mailing services have been quietly reinventing their operations to improve speed, quality and efficiency. They are leveraging new technologies to digitally transform and automate, refocusing workforce roles and responsibilities and introducing new ways for machines and people to get work done together.
The result: Smarter, more unified, more flexible and more efficient printing and mail facilities and services. With this foundation, statement printing companies are establishing new best practices to drive better performance for clients and the print and mail providers themselves.
Why innovate in statement printing?
The fact is, printed and mailed transactional communications remain a force to be reckoned with, making them an integral part of any customer communications program. The USPS delivered 44.3 billion pieces of First-Class Mail in fiscal year 2024, the primary category for personal correspondence and business mail including statements.
Staying on the cutting-edge with statement printing has helped sustain significant demand for billing and other transactional mailings even amid surging digital communications. The key is delivering paper communications experiences comparable to the secure, effortless, and personalized digital ones.
Statement printing best practices in action
To keep up with digital communications, leading statement printing companies have moved to an end-to-end, integrated, largely automated operation from file processing to printing and mailing. This approach minimizes manual steps and discrete workstations to increase production speed and efficiency and reduce human errors. Sophisticated equipment and software make it possible to produce highly individualized statements and other mailings while improving turnaround times.
Best practices optimize these innovations. They include:
Seamless print and digital integration.
It starts with a cloud-based customer communications management (CCM) platform that enables companies to develop, update, approve, track, analyze and report on every paper, email and text communication. This single, omnichannel communications hub helps ensure consistent messaging and smooth customer experiences at every touchpoint and across channels. It also makes it easier to bridge between print and digital, such as adding a QR code on a printed statement that links to a payment site or special offer.
Hyperpersonalized communications.
Companies can use their CCM platforms to customize images, logos, messaging and other content in every statement. Continuous-feed color inkjet printers then produce customized billing statements, welcome letters, payment reminders, election materials and other transactional print and mail communications with variable color for each document at the same cost as black-and-white and without sacrificing production speed.
Automation and touchless workflows.
Workflows are highly automated, from data handling and file processing to printing and mailing. High-speed, continuous roll-fed inkjet printers produce complex designs and incorporate color simplex or duplex printing at over 50,000 sheets per hour. Statement printing companies then use high-speed inserters that accept rolls straight from the printing equipment. This integrated print finishing automates folding, inserting, and sealing envelopes.
Data-driven quality control and insights.
Advanced camera systems linked to printing equipment read 1,200 pages or more per minute, confirming color, logo, and even dollar totals for checks printed. Every mail piece is printed with a variable barcode, which is scanned by a barcode camera as they exit the inserter to verify the addressees receive the intended communications.
Enhanced security.
Statement printing and mailing providers employ advanced encryption technologies and physical protocols that safeguard personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI) and other data at every stage, supporting fully HIPAA-compliant printing and mailing operations. AI tools are beginning to add new layers of protection, including real-time threat detection and response.
These best practices deliver direct and lasting benefits to statement printing clients, including greater reliability, scalability, speed and flexibility to drive strategic CX-focused communications programs. These benefits will only expand as innovative statement printing companies expand their use of AI.
Key takeaways:
- Statement printing best practices focus on improving production efficiency, accuracy and turnaround times through automation and integrated workflows.
- A cloud-based CCM platform is essential for unifying print, email and text communications and ensuring consistent, compliant customer experiences.
- Innovations like hyperpersonalilzation, data-driven quality control and enhanced security measures are helping printed statements remain relevant in a digital-first world.
Discover how Nordis can help you modernize statement printing to achieve greater speed, accuracy and CX impact. Request a demo of our CCM platform, Expresso, today.
