MAILCOM ‘15 Atlanta - March 15-18, 2015

CRS#: OS305

Title: From Mail Services to Support Services

Day/Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2015Round/Time: Round Eleven, (10:15-11:15 am)

Presented By: Marlene O’Hare, CMDSM, MDPLinde North America, Inc.

James P. Mullan, CMDSM, EMCM, MDC, MDP, CSSGB Consultant @ JPM Consultants

Please be courteous to others and turn Please be courteous to others and turn all communication devices to silent modeall communication devices to silent mode

What we are covering today…

• Rules for our session• Office Services/Support Services• What is Support Services • Think about images• Approach for Today and Tomorrow• Change Perceptions• Great concept – but how do I get there?• Have some fun

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Mail/Office Services may include:

• Mail Services• Courier Services• Cafeteria Services• Records Management• Procurement• Company Store• Office Supply• Recycling

• Shipping• Receiving• Warehouse• Copy Machinery• Copy Center• Inventory Control• Janitorial Services• Maintenance Services

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Support Services may include:

• Mail Services• Courier Services• Cafeteria Services• Records Management• Procurement• Company Store• Office Supply• Recycling

• Shipping• Receiving• Warehouse• Copy Machinery• Copy Center• Inventory Control• Janitorial Services• Maintenance Services

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What Is the Difference?

• Mail/Office Service implies anything related to the office environment

• Support Services implies anything related to supporting the business

• Support services implies processes and functions that support the core business services. It is NOT an area that is a ‘catch all’ for non-core services

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What Is Support Service

• How do you pick and choose what should be included?

• Focus on three fundamental concepts1. The processes support business critical function

2. Functions that are not core business functions

3. The processes, if not done, will have a negative impact on the business (NOT the employee)

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What Is Support Service

Support Services• Business Mail• Courier Services• Copy Center• MFD/Printer Service ‘no tool

repairs’• Records Management• Shredding• Shipping/Receiving/ Warehouse• Reception/Hospitality

Not Support Services• Personal Mail/stamps (employee)• Personal copying (employee)• Laundry/Dry Cleaning (employee)• Company Store (HR/Benefits)• Cafeteria Services (HR/Benefits)• Janitorial/Recycling (Facilities)• Maintenance (Facilities)• Procurement (Finance)

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The Difference Between Office Services and Support Services Is

YOU!

Education is key to being successful. Educate your leaders on what functions could and should fall under your umbrella and

which should not. Fundamentally there needs to be a conscious decision that, just like the core business functions,

Support Service functions are there to support business need. Often the line is blurred between a company service and a

service which benefits an employee.

What is Mail/Office Services

• Very task driven• Focus on the “menial” work

(anyone can do it)• NOT adding value to the

business• Minor quality improvement• Back room operation• Ignored until something

goes wrong

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What is Support Services

• Focus on expertise• Don’t accept all tasks• Increase value to the

business• Access new talent• Rely on Subject Matter

Experts• Scalability for business

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Think About Images……..

A used car salesman……

A Firefighter…..

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Think About Images……..

A politician……

A Nurse…..

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Think About Images……..

• Focus on:– Customer Service Professionals– Professionalism– Subject Matter Experts– Industry Leaders– Trusted Resources– Best in the Industry– Eat/Breath/Live client’s exectations

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Approach for Today and Tomorrow

• Customer focused

• Attention to process improvements

• Able to bring value to the business

• Market the services

• Uniforms help with image

• Deliver Consistency!

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Approach for Today and Tomorrow

• Start telling customers about services• Meet with customers regularly• Diligently work to improve your processes• Show customers your value – become

invaluable to the organization• Create users guides and quick reference

materials - give them to every employee• Did I mention…….MARKET the services!

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Change Perceptions

• We have to:– change the perception of our

organization– show how and where we add

value– increase the professionalism

in appearance and in service– increase shareholder value

– be the BEST!

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Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

Start at the Beginning. List all functions - not only what you do, but why

you do it (roles/responsibilities) Determine financial impact to the business and

risk if done incorrectly (cost of poor quality) Truly assess if your expertise (SME’s) Improve the image of your group/team (uniform) Identify key customers in your operation - TALK TO

THEM!!! Determine key executives in your business - TALK

TO THEM!!! Benchmark other businesses (Mailcom)

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Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

You should have lots of “data” now - lets decide what to do with it? First, ask some questions.

• How is my operation in comparison to other operations (including those that were benchmarked)

• What do we do the very best - and WHY?• What do we need to improve?• What shouldn’t we be doing?• Who do we need to show what we are doing (in other words,

who do we market this to)• Are we adding value to the company?

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Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

• Decide what stays and what goes (and where it goes)• Get your team to buy into the concept• Post it everywhere - give it to customers - make it happen!• Show area to be identified, plan for action and targeted

delivery dates, with section for progress against goals - publish the results

• Develop an action plan - keep it simple (one page or less)

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Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

Sample Action Plan

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Opportunity for Improvement

Action Steps Target Date

Results

Cost AvoidanceMove to a Hub/Spoke mail process

• Cost/Benefit analysis• Staffing Impact• Meet with key client

groups• Develop plan of

concerns from clients

January 2014

• CBA Complete• Client approval August

2013• Plan delivery on target

date• Implement within four

months of approval

Quality ImprovementUsers guides

• Samples from other companies

• Draft of one for your business

Oct. 2013 • Samples obtained• Draft completed by

October 2013• Produced by November

2013

Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

Where do I Benchmark?

• Use your Network (MAILCOM is GREAT)

• Use your Postal Council or Business Center for information

• Ask your vendor partners or suppliers

• Check the internet• Peers in your company

• Find similar operations in your area

• Look to your own company for internal benchmarks

• Don’t try to make a square peg fit a round hole - do what makes sense

• Consider a consultant

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Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

Who? What? When? Where? and Why?• Look at volumes• Look at functions• Look at staff allocation to the functions• Measure performance (number of pieces processed each

hour, number of calls received, pages printed, etc.)• What makes the operation great • What is adding value to the organization• What are the distractions to the job• What fits, but more importantly, what does not fit

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Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

What do we do best?• Ask your customers• Validate it against

benchmarking data• Look at quality measurements• Balance quality to quantity

requirements• Manage by walking around -

talk to staff and customers on a frequent basis

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Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

What Do We Need To Improve?

• ALWAYS - Be honest with your customers

• Show INTEGRITY in your information

• Tell them when you make a mistake - along with what you will do to prevent it from occurring again

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Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

Who Do We Tell• Senior Management• Team Managers• Customers• Other Companies• Administrative Staff• Client Staff• Anyone else that will

listen

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Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

How Do We Share What We Do?

• Informational luncheons• Ask to attend your

customer’s team meeting• Users Guides• Email to customers• Focus Groups• Key customer meetings

• Newsletters• Management Presentations

- include cost savings and expense avoidance

• Brochures about the services

• KISS (Keep it simple….)• JUST TELL THEM!!!

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Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

Suggestions On Getting There

• Form a customer advisory board - get some of your worst critics to help you improve the process

• Measure quality, not just quantity of work

• Form internal quality improvement teams

• Malcolm Baldridge, ISO certifications, Six Sigma, etc. (ask vendors too)

• Survey your customers regularly - let them know both positives and negatives about your services - follow negatives with an action plan

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Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

Have some FUN!!!!• Celebrate Successes• Keep your team focused - post

results on a daily or weekly basis• Have Team Meetings - discuss it

in your meetings• Have fun - make the project

something everyone wants to be a part of - not “just another team”

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Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

Samples of Items to Gather

• One Page Quick Reference Guides for Customers

• User’s Guide• Informational Brochures• Newsletters• Management Updates• Volume Reports• Monthly Progress Reports• Financial Impact Reporting• Benchmarking Data• “Industry” Standards

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Great Concept - But How Do I Get There?

• Remember, I don’t have all the answers but together we can

• You are not alone• You have to do what will

work for YOU and your organization

• Enjoy life - remember, keep everything in perspective

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Questions?

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Thank You!

James P. Mullan, CMDSM, EMCM, MDC, MDP, CSSGBConsultant @ JPM Consultants746 County AvenueSecaucus, NJ 07094Cell 201-325-1961

Marlene H. O’Hare, CMDSM, MDP Linde North America, Inc 575 Mountain Avenue Murray Hill NJ 07974 908-771-1275 marlene.o’hare@linde.com