The High Price of Low Integrity

It only takes one mistake to lose a customer, and these days mistakes not only are a bad look, but may involve security breaches or worse. So Doc was pleased to read about the concept of "high integrity print-to-mail" environments (also known as the Automated Document Factory or ADF) over at the Marketing Powers Activate blog.  The guest editorial, from Don Dew at InfoPrint Solutions Company, a Ricoh Company, suggests that a comprehensive end-to-end document solution is necessary to ensure integrity from raw data to the final envelope hitting the mailbox.

The price of violating confidentiality via mailings today is more punishable than ever, with a recent flurry of regulatory changes in nearly every sector putting businesses on edge. As a result, outsourcing customers are becoming more interested in the level of integrity available from their providers. For PSPs, a high integrity print-to-mail environment with reporting capabilities is a growing requirement that will become a cost of entry as enterprises continue to look at outsourcing transaction print.

Without a high integrity workflow, the possibility of confidentiality and privacy violations are more probable.  The repercussions can be enormous. For your customer, this could mean potential identity theft, a damaged reputation for the intended recipient in the public, workplace or even at home.

When implemented properly, a high integrity workflow controls and tracks the creation of each document through the entire production process, from "host to post." A common view of this is Gartner's model of ADF 2.0. ADF 2.0 includes controlling, monitoring and collecting feedback from composition engines, printers, inserting or other finishing equipment and even coordination with the United States Postal Service. Connecting these systems provides rich information, which can be used for tracking, reporting and demonstrating compliance – as well as creating much more efficient workflows that can save time and money.

These days, no matter the industry, our customers are facing an increasing variety of regulations ranging from national financial and healthcare regulations to state and local laws, and even postal regulations — such as Intelligent Mail. Failure of compliance could incur significant fines. For example, the USPS can audit a mailer, and impose a fine in the form of retroactive billing for an improperly prepared mailing.

There are many resources out there on the Web for more information about the value of workflow, such as Gartner and WhatTheyThink.com. You can also check out InfoPrint's workflow blog ADFSavings. Doc knows that if you're going to get things right, you have to consider the entire process, not just one part. The Automated Document Factory does just that.