The digital way to send mail

Hybrid mail is a digital solution that transforms how organisations manage their outbound mail processes. Rather than printing, folding, and posting documents in-house, hybrid mail allows you to create your documents digitally, then send them to a specialist provider who handles the printing, envelope stuffing, and posting on your behalf.

Think of it as outsourcing the physical aspects of your mailing process while maintaining complete control over the content and delivery of your communications. It's often integrated into a broader document management system, complementing inbound mail processes by digitising the send side of your communications.

Hybrid mail lets you send letters without ever touching paper, envelopes or a franking machine.

Instead of printing, folding, inserting and posting mail in-house, your documents are sent digitally to a secure platform and the Hybrid mail provider handles the rest.

The best part is that you won’t have to spend any time and resources or invest in printing equipment to do the job.

Step by step: Sending Mail with Hybrid Mail

1. Create and Upload your document

• Write your document as normal in word, PDF or your usual editor.
• Upload it securley via your providers online portal, print driver or hot folder.

2. Secure Handling

• Your files are encrypted and routed to a trusted print and mail centre.
• Each job & document is tracked with a unique reference for full visibility, tracking and reporting.

3. Automated Print and Pack

• Your document is printed, folded and inserted into envelopes of your choice by your providers mail machines.
• No manual handling. No in-house equipment needed.

4. Postage and Dispatch

• Mail is posted via Royal Mail or another delivery partner with bulk discounts applied automatically. 

5. Postage and Dispatch

• User your dashboard to view status updates, manage documents, and access detailed reports - ideal for audits and compliance.

The Problem

For many organisations, managing outbound mail is a labour-intensive drain on resources:

• Staff pulled away from core tasks to print, fold, and stuff envelopes
• Mailroom equipment taking up valuable office space
• High costs for paper, ink, envelopes, and postage
• Inconsistent processes leading to errors and delays
• Limited visibility of mail status and costs

The Breaking Point

When these inefficiencies start impacting your bottom line and employee productivity, it's time to consider alternatives. Many organisations reach this realisation when:

• The volume of outbound mail increases beyond manageable levels
• Staff time becomes too valuable to waste on manual processes
• Office space needs to be repurposed for revenue-generating activities
•  Cost-cutting initiatives highlight mailroom inefficiencies
• Digital transformation projects seek to modernise all business processes

The Solution

Hybrid mail addresses these challenges by:

• Eliminating in-house printing, folding, and envelope stuffing
• Freeing staff to focus on higher-value activities
• Reducing equipment needs and associated maintenance
• Providing transparent, predictable costs for budgeting
• Offering a digital audit trail of all communications

For organisations seeking to modernise their processes while maintaining the effectiveness of physical mail, hybrid mail provides the perfect balance of traditional and digital approaches.

Implementing hybrid mail typically delivers savings of up to 35%* compared to traditional in-house mailing processes. These savings come from multiple areas:

Beyond the direct cost savings, consider the value of:

• Reduced errors and associated rework costs
• Improved cash flow through faster invoice delivery
• Enhanced compliance with built-in audit trails
• Scalable capacity without additional investment

For most organisations, the business case for hybrid mail becomes compelling once you're sending more than 1,000 letters per month.

Hybrid mail works brilliantly for:

• Invoices and statements - regular, high-volume financial communications
• Customer notifications - service updates, policy changes, important announcements
• Legal letters - standardised legal correspondence
• Rent or council tax letters - regular communications to tenants or residents
• Appointment reminders - helping reduce no-shows and improve service efficiency
• Welcome packs - standardised but personalised onboarding materials
• Policy updates and T&Cs - keeping customers informed of important changes

Franking machines still have a place in the modern mailroom - especially for one-off, small batches, or documents that need in-house handling.But when it comes to high-volume or repeatable post, hybrid mail is the faster, more cost-effective choice.

How Preim cut costs and reclaimed time with hybrid mail

Preim Property Management manages 12,000 properties across multiple housing estates, sending approximately 40,000 mail shots annually. Their biggest challenge was the physical demands of their mailing process.

●      40,000 mailings per year

●      Cost reduced from £2 to £0.75 per letter

●      7,000 invoices sent in a single day

●      Staff freed to focus on core business activities

The switch to hybrid mail eliminated the disruption to office operations, improved productivity, and delivered significant cost savings. Perhaps most impressively, Preim was able to send 7,000 service charge invoices on a single day - a task that would have been practically impossible with their previous manual processes.

Hybrid mail handles the outbound side of your document communications, and often complements inbound solutions within a full document management system.

Beyond Cost Savings: A Strategic Step Forward

Hybrid mail isn't just a cost-saving tool - it's a low-barrier entry point into smarter, more connected communication workflows. For many organisations, it represents the first practical step in a digital transformation journey - replacing paper-heavy, staff-reliant processes with automated, secure, off-site workflows.

Integration with Digital Communication Strategies

As part of a broader digital strategy, hybrid mail enables you to:

●      Centralise document creation for both digital and physical communications

●      Standardise templates and branding across all customer touchpoints

●      Track and audit all outbound communications from a single platform

●      Gradually transition customers to digital-only communications at their pace

The CCM Connection

Hybrid mail can also form part of a Customer Communications Management (CCM) strategy - enabling you to centralise outbound post, digital notifications, and document templates in one place. It's a super simple, cost-effective way to move toward a more modern communications ecosystem - even if you're not ready for full CCM yet.