Our post goes through a series of automated mail systems. From the time it’s posted, until it’s finally delivered, a letter will be processed by a variety of machines.

Keep reading to learn about some of the systems currently in use. And the importance of counting and sorting machines.

Why It’s Important

Automated mail systems speed up sorting. They reduce post backlogs and delivery delays.

Automated machinery postmarks and sorts tens of thousands of letters per hour. This is a process that goes faster than having a person do it manually.

Imagine it’s your job to stand in front of hundreds of pigeon holes. You have to read each name and address, then allocate every single letter correctly. This is what you do day after day. The work is slow, labour intensive, and boring. Moreover, it’s easy to make mistakes.

Sorting and counting machines are an integral part of the modern postal service. They also play an important role in banks and other financial institutions.

Automated Mail Systems

Let’s take a quick look at the series of automated mail systems that a letter goes through in today’s postal system.

1)   Acceptance

The acceptance phase happens when the postal service collects your letter. Whatever you’ve posted becomes the possession of the post office until it’s delivered.

2)   Facing and Cancelling

Mechanical sorters turn each letter so that it faces the right way, and check the letters for postage.

Cameras on the machines read the postage stamps and the hand-written addresses. The machine will then cancel the stamp and apply the postmark.

3)   Sorting and Distributing

The final automated process happens when the post is gathered for distribution. All the letters are sorted according to the order the postman or postwoman will need to deliver them in.

The postal carrier arrives, collects the bundle and heads out. This makes the physical delivery process much quicker.

Letters aren’t handled much between the acceptance and distribution phases. This is because everything in between is automated.

Automated mail systems reduce the work involved in processing individual letters. And, importantly, they decrease the risk of human error.

Production mailing equipment is a worthwhile investment. If you need a mailing and mechanisation specialist, contact Mailmech here.

Brand equity describes the reputation your brand generates and your business documents are among the significant contenders in creating your image. Communication between businesses as well as with customers often creates the first opportunity for you to be noticed.

You know for yourself what sort of equity brands such as Outsurance, Capitec, Castle, and Sasol have acquired for themselves. They deserve the position they have because they worked for it.

What can you do to improve your brand image?

The Role of Business Documents in Your Brand Imaging

Brand imaging is both purposeful and essential, and your business documents are an excellent brand touchpoint to maximise.

Just because most documentation today is digital, doesn’t mean you can get casual about your branding image. On the contrary, digital communication and documentation provide the ideal platform for making people stop and take note.

Your voice, image, culture and values are associated with the branding on your business documentation. That includes your media presence – your website is primary, but that needs to carry through to all your business documents and social media blogs.

Fonts and Colours in Your Business Documents

When people receive documentation from you, would you say they readily recognise you? While the world of fonts and colours has been analysed ad infinitum, if you choose to use the same colours as another recognizable brand, what are you doing to differentiate yourself?

The same can be said for fonts or logo designs for that matter. What do Ford, Facebook, Boeing and Mailing & Mechanization and Dell have in common? Their dominantly blue logo. What differentiates them? Their fonts, or lettering style.

Here are some pointers for the meaning of colours in branding for business documents:

• Blue – Reliable, calming, and intelligent
• Red – Exciting and passionate
• Yellow – Warm and youthful
• Orange – Energetic, inspiring and enthusiastic
• Green – Environment, money, tranquillity

In short, when someone accesses your business documents, do they see what you really want them to? Subliminally, people universally respond positively to colours, fonts and simplicity. Take the Nike ’swoosh’ logo as a case in point. No matter what colours they use, their branding is unmistakable.

Let your business documents leave people feeling confident in your brand without feeling bullied by overusing branding in your documentation.

Call our helpful staff at Mail Mech for advice and products on 011-789 1608 or visit www.mailmech.co.za

Every business is always looking to save time and money, as well as improving the services they offer their customers. If your business receives a lot of mail, then investing in a letter opener is the way to go.

While manually sorting mail may seem like a cheaper solution, in the long run, this will not be the case. Instead, you will find that you will quickly get your money’s worth out of a letter opener.

Improving Productivity

Easy to use and reliable, letter openers can help improve the productivity of your business. There is no longer any need to pre-sort mail, as envelopes of all different sizes can be handled and opened. Because they are simple to use, there is no longer any need for dedicated mail operators. Instead, staff can use their time to focus on other tasks which offer more productivity to the business.

Mail Management

By taking away the manual aspect of a mailroom, your systems become flexible and more versatile. Letter openers combine leading digital imaging with high-performance opening and extracting, and they also offer the technology to improve the archiving and processing of your mail.

There are also no restrictions or delays due to pre-sorting mail, and all envelope formats can be processed. This also means that important mail can get to its destination sooner. By improving the efficiency of your systems, you ensure that there are no delays in getting back to customer queries, improving your customer relations as well as your productivity

Safety of Valuables

Human error is always present in manual systems, and by using automated systems you ensure the safety of valuables and documentation. Many systems have anti-jamming devices that make short work of staples and paperclips, and paperwork is safer without any sharp edges.

If you have further questions about letter openers and what they can bring to your business, call Mailmech today at +27 11 207 891 608 or email info@mailmech.co.za for more information.

Even though data security has become a top priority and there are serious dangers to not properly disposing of confidential documents in a secure fashion, important information still ends up in the rubbish bin every day

The official enforcement of the POPI act at the end of July 2021 has also made it mandatory for companies to take extra care with confidential information and those found in breach of data security and confidential information safeguards can get into some very hot water with the authorities as well as opening themselves up to liability lawsuits.

The best way to get rid of confidential paper documents you no longer need and so that no information can be gathered from them by nefarious sources is to use a paper shredder. When it comes to data security, these handy machines should be an essential home and business appliance.

The Main Reasons You Should Be Shredding

Personal data pertains to any information that can help identify a person with details including names, location details, ID numbers and other contact details.

Identity Protection

As a business owner, it is vital that you take every precaution to protect your customers’ and employees’ identities. Keeping sensitive documents, such as time cards, payslips, health records, copies of photo IDs, and old security badges, secure is crucial. It is best not to throw them away in the trash, but to dispose of them in a secure manner. The less information that can be gathered about your customers and employees, the more secure their identity will be.

Account Security

Paper bank statements and any documents that include bank account numbers and any other personal or company banking information should always be shredded to prevent phishing, bank fraud and to keep your bank account as secure as possible.

Tax Returns

Many people tend to save their tax returns in case they get audited. Generally, though, after five years of returns, you are free to get rid of these. Since tax returns have confidential information included on them, they too should be shredded before disposal.

Space Saver

Beyond being vigilant about data security, do you really need all of those papers piling up in your office? Instead of letting paper take up all your coveted ‘real estate’ in your office, get to shredding those documents instead.

Choose Your Shredder

Mailmech specialises in Kobra Shredders. They are well-known and popular for their sleek design and capabilities of shredding anything from paper to tougher materials like credit cards and DVDs.  The Kobra 300-SS4 Shredder is a safe, reliable and robust security companion for any office, the features of which include:

• 24 hours continuous duty operation
• Auto start/stop through electronic eyes
• Auto-stop with a signal when the bin is full
• Shreds 32-34 sheets at a time, strip-cut
• Shreds credit cards, CDs, DVDs,
• 85-litre waste bin

Get in touch with Mail Mech today to order your preferred paper shredder and stay on top of data security.  Call their helpful staff for advice and products on 011-789 1608 or visit www.mailmech.co.za

Glue fold machines are beneficial to companies that supply or use large amounts of packaging. These automated machines turn flat material into various packaging options by folding on pre-creased lines. Once folded, a line of glue is applied to help hold a specific shape.

A glue fold machine can work with numerous different materials, including plastics, corrugated and solid board. These machines require the right training and knowledge to operate properly and safely, so look into training courses and costs for potential operators.

Benefits of Glue Fold Machines

As with all automated processes, there are various benefits that a glue fold machine brings to the table. They are much faster than manually folding, and you can rest assured that the glue will hold fast.

They are also far more accurate in their fold, will no room for human error. They offer a uniform look, where if done manually you could never achieve.

There is less waste when using automated systems, as you set the scissors to what you want and keep it within a certain range.

Do I Need One?

If you are looking for finer finished products, and to save time and money you should start looking for glue fold machines for sale. So many industries these days use packaging, and if you are in the packaging game it is a no brainer. Likewise, if your company produces a product and you are buying a lot of packaging.

Saving Time and Money

Glue fold machines average around 200 pieces per minute. This alone shows you the time you will save if you invest in one. It also frees up employees to be used in other areas to speed up various aspects to match your new automated process.

If you have any further questions about why you should buy a glue fold machine, call Mailmech today at +27 11 207 891 608 or email info@mailmech.co.za for more information

Even in the digital age, business booklets remain a valuable medium for business activities. Consider how many printed booklets you still come across in your everyday life such as company newsletters, instruction manuals, company portfolios, reference guides and business brochures or catalogues.

Printed Brochures and Catalogues

Printed booklet brochures and catalogues have always been a good way to market goods and services and while web brochures and catalogues may seem like a good idea to save time and possibly money, the only way for an online brochure or catalogue to generate new business is if you have top-notch SEO on your website to make sure that your business stands out among the rest when it comes to internet searches.

Business booklets are still proven as a great way to drive traffic sales as they cut through all the marketing clutter in the digital world and put your company directly in the hands of your prospective customers. Think about it, printed booklets don’t need to compete with spam filters or pop-up adverts from your competition and they don’t require customers to have access to the internet.

Printed Training Manual Booklets

Training forms an integral part of a well-run business and ongoing training is especially at the forefront of business practices in South Africa. Depending on the nature of your business, it is still a reality that not all your staff will have access to technology or have available cellphone data to support an online or emailed training manual. Being able to hand your staff members a physical copy of your company’s training manual will ensure that everyone remains on an equal footing.

Printed Instruction Manual Booklets

If you are a product manufacturer, an instruction manual is one of the most important business booklets provided to a customer who will be using your products to ensure that they use them properly.  It’s easy to assume that printed manuals are outdated but then that would be ignoring the fact that your customers may not always have access to the internet. Many consumers also still prefer having handheld printed user guides that are readily available, easy to read and will allow them to make notes in the margins should they wish to.

Booklet Maker Machines

Depending on the quantity you may need, purchasing your own in-house booklet maker can save you on the creation of business booklets in the long term. Mail Mech is famous for the sale of high quality, long-lasting booklet making machines.

Mail Mech’s KASFOLD range of booklet makers are designed to meet the requirements of a demanding user. Standard features include automatic operations and double side jogging. Stapling options such as flat clench or safety staple formed in an anvil as well as trimming methods, vary among the choice of models.

Get in touch with Mail Mech today to help you to find the best solution to streamline your business booklets.  Call their helpful staff for advice and products on 011-789 1608 or visit www.mailmech.co.za

When you think about laminators, you probably consider them specialized machines, not something that you would use every day. They are very useful to have around, giving you the ability to preserve documents and information quickly and painlessly.

If you are wanting to buy a laminator, but are not sure where to start, here a few things to consider when weighing up your options.

Preserving Documents

Probably the top reasons to buy a laminator would be to preserve regularly handled documents. Laminating protects from dust and damage, and can easily be wiped clean

Cherished Memories

Laminating can extend the life of photos, newspaper articles, and any number of various printed memories that you would like to be safe. Even historical documents up to about 250 years of age can be laminated to protect them.

Helping with School Work

Moms – laminators are a great investment. Useful for school projects, name tags, and any pictures or papers the kids use regularly and you would like to protect them from sticky fingerprints!

Improves Appearance

As a business owner, you can’t go wrong when you buy a laminator.  Laminated items such as brochures or menus look much more professional, and the process brightens colours, making them more appealing to look at

What To Choose

There are two choices when buying a laminator – a pouch laminator or a roll laminator.

Roll Laminator

Roll laminators use sheets of plastic on big rolls and are better suited if you need to laminate large documents. They are used more on the industrial or business side, where they are used often and for large amounts of laminating.

Pouch laminators

Pouch laminators and much simpler and more compact. Your document is placed inside a plastic pouch and then run through the machine. They are commonly found at schools and in homes and are quick and cost-effective.

If you have any further questions about why you should buy a laminator, call Mailmech today at +27 11 207 891 608 or email info@mailmech.co.za for more information

Did you know that between 20 – 50 million metric tons of electronic equipment are disposed of each year?  Yes, items such as monitors, TVs, computer parts, barcode scanners, and mobile phones find their way into landfills because people simply don’t know what to do with them.

While we’re all excited about new and improved products, these do tend to make older equipment redundant even when there’s nothing wrong with them.

What should we know about electronic waste, and how can we manage it responsibly?

Can I Recycle Electronic Waste?

The short answer is yes, you can. And you should. There are more South African companies joining to move toward responsible electronic waste management than ever and any one of them can help you to keep your office free from dead devices.

The environmental benefits of e-waste recycling are significant. As electronics break down in landfills, they release some pretty nasty toxins which leach into the soil and the surrounding water sources. These poisons damage plant and animal life and have been found to cause some serious illnesses in affected humans.

Another interesting point to note is that electronic waste can be a lucrative side hustle for the entrepreneurs out there. One source noted that Americans discard around $60 million of gold and silver each year when turfing their old cell phones.

Besides recycling these older devices, you may also consider donating them to youth centres, charities, or schools that would, were sure, be grateful for laptops, computers, or phones in working order. Just because they’re of no more use to your employees, doesn’t make them useless to others less fortunate than ourselves.

So, if you operate a responsible business looking to reduce its carbon footprint, why not consider electronic waste recycling alongside your existing paper, plastic, and glass management?