In a series of four blogs, we will provide all the information and guidance you need to start a digital mailroom project. This second blog focuses on understanding the technologies available to the team and their important role.

Step 5 – Digital Mailroom Guide – Understanding the Digital Mailroom Technologies Available

In this section of the Digital Mailroom Guide, we examine the principal software technologies available.

Cognitive Capture – How does it work

A Cognitive Capture platform allows content from a wide range of sources to be collected and processed automatically. It uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to review content and layout, extract data automatically, and pass critical information on to downstream processes, systems, and people.

This video from Tungsten Automation provides some further explanation of Classification and Machine Learning.

Cognitive capture technologies allow organisations across a wide range of industries to process different documents received in different formats and linked to multiple backend systems. The diagram below illustrates the processes that can be considered, across communication mediums and the many aspects involved in classification, extraction and validation before pushing information into the hands of knowledge workers and line of business systems. As with any process, the importance of having accessible data about what is going on in the process is imperative to ensure future decision making is based on fact instead of gut feeling.

Workflow and Process Automation – How does it work

Design a workflow

At the outset, a workflow process needs to be created. This is a series of steps that, in addition to providing a visual representation of the process, defines how the software will perform at the various steps, the decisions that must be made, and the mix of automated and user-performed tasks.

Provide an interface for users to interact

Automated steps in the process will be performed in the background. User performed tasks will typically be prompted by email notification or a work queue area that will have a list of tasks that can be reviewed and completed.

Depending on the work item that a user is interacting with, the display screen and actions that can be performed can be different. The example below shows a sales order and in the interface with appropriate fields and actions for each.

Set notifications, SLAs and alerts

When designing the workflow process, as well as notifications for new work items it is possible to set alerts that are triggered by specific events, for example if a work item has not been processed in a certain timeframe, then an alert or escalation can be triggered.

Gain visibility into what is happening in the system

Now that the process is controlled in a digital platform, it becomes much more straightforward to see what is happening at any stage with any document at an individual level as well as groups of documents across the system.

Utilise the data to devise meaningful management information dashboards

Dashboards can be further extended to provide management information data such as performance against service level agreements (SLAs) or key performance indicators (KPIs). In addition, continual system monitoring can provide information related to the performance of automation engines on a document and data field basis.

Step 6: Digital Mailroom Guide – Understand the Importance of the Mailroom Team

Mailroom Team Roles and Responsibilities

The mailroom’s core role is to process, sort, and distribute incoming mail across an organization, ensuring timely delivery to the right departments. They handle logging, tracking, and maintaining the mailroom environment to meet internal SLAs (Service Level Agreements).

Impact of a Digital Mailroom Solution on the Workforce

A Digital Mailroom transforms the approach but not the purpose. While mailroom staff continue sorting and delivering, they now digitise documents and leverage automation for classification and electronic distribution.

A common misconception is that a digital mailroom solution will decrease the resource required in a mailroom. This is often not the case for three key reasons:

1. Digitising
   Paper needs to be prepped for scanning, including removing staples and unfolding, adding new tasks that increase workload compared to traditional mail sorting.
2. Classification and Indexing
   Unlike physical mail sorting, digital processes require tagging document images with metadata (e.g., case numbers and customer references) for easier tracking and auditing. While automation helps, some manual steps remain essential.
3. Handling Multiple Channels
   With digital solutions, mailrooms often manage physical mail, emails, and portal documents. This broadens the scope of their work, which was previously confined to specific departments.

Ultimately, the digital mailroom enhances organisational efficiency downstream but often leads to a heavier workload within the mailroom itself.

Shifting to a Digital Mailroom changes daily tasks, with staff needing to handle new technology, like scanners and digital capture tools. Proper training is crucial, covering everything from hardware operation to software troubleshooting.

Having fast, reliable tech support is essential since disruptions can lead to delays and frustrations across the organisation. By supporting this new digital role, the mailroom becomes a central hub for managing document flow and enhancing overall process efficiency.

What role should the mailroom team play in a Digital Mailroom environment?

When thinking about a digital mailroom project, it’s often good to revisit the mailroom’s role and responsibilities. In most organisations, the primary function of the mailroom is to process, sort, and distribute incoming mail to departments and employees. This will often include logging and tracking items, organising and maintaining the mailroom environment, and meeting internal SLAs (Service Level Agreements).

What are the core tasks for a Postroom team in a Digital Mailroom?

The overall role and responsibilities shouldn’t really change. The department would still be responsible for sorting and delivering items around the business, but the mechanism of how they do it will change. Instead of manually sorting, classifying and distributing items, mailroom staff would be responsible for digitising documents as they are received and using downstream automation platforms to assist with classification and initial data extraction before electronic distribution into the organisation.

A common misconception is that a digital mailroom reduces resource needs, but that’s often not the case for three reasons:

1. Digitising: Paper must be prepared and scanned, requiring tasks like unfolding, removing staples, and ensuring the scanner can process the documents. These are extra steps compared to a paper-based mailroom.
2. Classification and Indexing: Unlike sorting physical mail, digital processing often requires tagging documents with identifiers (e.g., case number, customer reference). This enables downstream benefits like tracking, auditing, and automation, though some manual work remains.
3. Other Channels: Once automation is set up for scanned documents, it can be extended to handle documents from other channels like email. This broadens the mailroom’s workload as it processes more types of documents.

In summary, digital mailrooms enhance efficiency downstream, but the mailroom’s workload often increases.

Read more on the increasing prevalence of email and how to handle this in a Digital Mailroom here.

Managing the Change

A Digital Mailroom will bring changes to traditional mailroom activities. Instead of primarily physical tasks like sorting and distributing mail, staff will now work with new hardware and software, making their role more integral to the organization’s processes. This shift can be significant for some, so it’s essential to provide proper support and training. Training should cover the operation and maintenance of new equipment (e.g., scanners) and using capture technology for automated document processing.

As a key part of the process, it’s crucial the mailroom team has timely technical support for any hardware or software issues, as delays or errors can lead to organizational frustration.

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