We have rethought postal procurement. Mail buying is now a complex decision process, that goes beyond a weight and format commodity. With 50+ UK Postal Operators, offering an increasing range of postal services, and around 200 packet and parcel companies with hundreds of product options means you need to know the market to procure effectively.
With contracts usually lasting for 3-5 years it’s difficult to be an informed buyer in the market place. PLCWW know the operators in the market place and have buyers who know how the market place is changing. We can support and inform your buying professional or negotiate the contracts for you.
Finding a mail and parcel distributor is a key part in the communications process but the real savings and benefits come from analyzing what communications you need to make and choosing the most effective electronic or physical communications process whether it be Internet, Email, SMS, Leaflet, Newsletter, Magazine, Direct Mail, Business Letter or even the simple Postcard.
We know how to assess communications needs and choose the appropriate medium and we know how to choose agencies and mailing houses to produce your physical communications pieces.
We know the UK Mail and Parcels Market, International Mailing Options and also the challenges of procuring Mail Production Overseas.
We are professionals in Postal Audits and with a combined focus on production, preparation and distribution we ensure you get real value for money. You can buy support for your in-house staff or employ us to deliver the total operation.
We know how to deliver market studies assess the value of outsourcing and can provide Mailroom Certification. All this in a changing postal environment where lean focussed procurement looks to the next age for mail. (also see section on Procurement).
For further information please contact us
Training Ofcom in postal matters... PLCWW has been training Ofcom staff in postal issues and operations to assist them as they take over responsibilities from Postcomm. Ofcom are experts in Regulation but some staff are not familiar with the workings of the postal industry and wanted to be better informed. A number of training sessions were undertaken to help staff understand the market better. A PLCWW paper on postal regulation is available in the papers section below.
CHASING DOWN THE MARKET... USPS and Poste Italiene add their names to the growing list of postal operators seeing profits squeezed as they chase ever declining volumes. The volume mail postal business model is under challenge across the world. Who can find a new model that secures profitability in a declining market with a fixed USO. Will Swiss Post’s venture into personal newspapers be a new dawn for the industry?
PLCWW speaks at Post Expo Copenhagen... Steve Hannon CEO will be delivering a paper entitled "The Beginning of the end for parcel delivery operators in consumer delivery".
Independent Procurement gains ground... Posters are increasingly seeking to leverage enhanced value for money through the independent procurement of mailing contracts. Public and private sector mailers with 2-5 year postal contracts find it increasingly difficult to keep ahead of the changes taking place in the UK market before the next round of negotiations. Using independent procurement contractors (like PLCWW) ensures the latest developments are included in any negotiations.
THE SHRINKING POSTAL SECTOR... Canada, USPS, and Royal Mail are just 3 of the latest postal operators who have announced plans to restructure their businesses or seek significant job losses. Across the globe the industry is trying to come to terms with a changing or shrinking marketplace. Rightsizing is never easy and USO obligations simply add further complications. What is clear is that mail has entered a significant decline phase and operators look to each other to see who is coping best with these new demands.
These articles are only available to individuals and organisations who have registered for this service.
Postal Regulation in the UK has not worked. Who says so? No other than Ofcom, who took over the mantle of UK postal regulator from Postcomm on 1st October 2011.
The Home Delivery Conference in London was very much around e-retailing and covered the whole supply chain and customer experience. Read about the key conclusions.
Problems and Opportunities offered by the Xmas Mail Market Why do postal operators ignore the marketing opportunities of Xmas?
Is there a future for mail. Is the electronic bandwagon the death of mail?
Advice Centres. An article produced for PTI showing the value of taking advice on mail issues.
Postal Address data, an underperforming revenue stream. PLCWW discuss the opportunities for non postal revenue generation from the use of address data.