Pennington, N.J. – August 2, 2007 – Direct Group, a fully integrated direct marketing solutions provider, announced today that it has adopted two new digitally based postal processes that will make clients’ mailings more highly automated, resulting in greater efficiencies, lower costs and even-more-targeted in-home delivery dates for direct marketing pieces.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has awarded Direct Group full certification as a PostalOne! lettershop. In addition, Direct Group has been granted the authority to extend yet another drop shipment management system (DSMS) approved software within its Swedesboro facility. Direct Group will use the sophisticated Postal Logistics Services’ EAGLE software package to preload
mail into the numerous PLS mail consolidation facilities around the country.
These new processes will become part of Direct Group’s Postal Optimizer product line, the industry’s most comprehensive package of postal-cost-savings solutions.
PostalOne! is a paperless, electronic statement preparation program that presents customers with a streamlined alternative to many of the manual documentation processes traditionally used in business mailing. The system allows Direct Group to integrate mail planning and production with work flow, and allows automated postage payment, mail entry scheduling and
reconciliation.
Direct Group can now submit client postage statements electronically within the PostalOne! system, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In turn, Direct Group clients will have the ability to view their postal statements electronically virtually in real time. The PostalOne! certification lays the groundwork for Direct Group to move towards becoming a fully integrated
Seamless Acceptance facility for the USPS.
Seamless Acceptance is the USPS long-term strategy to streamline all processes related to business mail acceptance, eventually moving to an entirely electronic system that enables customers to transact all mail entry without the need to submit paper documentation.
“For our clients, this is a major leap forward in terms of providing highly effective, cost-efficient ways to manage their mailing programs,” said Chris Ryan, Direct Group Chief Operating Officer. “By reducing time-consuming paperwork and expediting handling while enhancing account-management capabilities, PostalOne! will help us continue to deliver ROI-driven solutions to our clients.”                            
DSMS Approval Speeds Delivery
In addition, Direct Group’s approval from Postal Logistics to use their proprietary EAGLE software allows the company to ship and stage standard mail from a production facility prior to postage payment. It will also soon allow Direct Group to preload mail destined for copalletization in the PLS Aurora, Ill., facility. Direct Group has also been a longtime DSMS mail preparer with
R.R. Donnelley Logistics.
By taking advantage of the DSMS process, Direct Group effectively prestages pallets of mail in a consolidator’s location before postage payment. Once postage is paid, mail is distributed to USPS facilities nationwide.
By combining this program with their already aggressive Postal Optimizer product, Direct Group brings major-mailer postal advantages to even small and mid-sized direct-mail campaigns. Now, nearly all Direct Group customers can see meaningful postal drop-ship discounts and benefit from cost savings, improved cash flow and faster, better-targeted in-home delivery dates.
“More precise in-home delivery dates allow our clients to better plan and coordinate response-related resources such as fulfillment, advertising or inbound call-center capabilities,” said Pat O’Brien, Direct Group Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing. “Adding PostalOne! and DSMS to our Postal Optimizer capabilities allows us to continue providing clients with the
smartest delivery strategies for their direct marketing programs.”