The World Of Automated Bill Processing

Since the Industrial Revolution, modernization has brought with it the use of greater reliance on machines. With the use of more powerful machines, danger to workers increased and the demanding pace of the industrialized world was leading to greater chances of employees getting injured by the machines themselves. Automation seemed to hold the answer but fears that machines would take over the world loomed.

In the last few decades, we’ve seen exponential growth in technological advancements. As we are on the precipice of the 4th Industrial Revolution with AI technology holding its carrot of promise, the same worries about the future exist. Will machines ultimately subjugate the humans that create them? Will there be no more jobs for humans at all? Will economic downturn eventually ruin the lives of those that previously had thriving technological careers? Let’s look at some of the benefits of automated bill printing and mailing and addresses some of the general concerns regarding automation.

Improved Safety

With the industrial revolution came the invention of dangerous machines working at a higher capacity. The human cost was substantial making automation a necessity to reduce injury to workers. In the United States the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA) was enacted with the national objective of making work safer and protecting the physical well-being of the worker. OSHA has had the effect of promoting the use of automation and robotics in the factory. Safety of workers was a huge concern.

The safety of workers is one of the most important reasons that any factory business should transition to more automated industrial operations. That reason is constant and still valid in today’s modern and mechanized business environment. As far as printing and mailing services go, automation helps to reduce human injury such as fingers and arms being crushed or broken in the process. It also cuts down on exposure to hazardous chemicals and exposure to pollution. Automation keeps accidents, illness, and injury down significantly while raising overall production.

Automation also reduces the average number of work hours for employees. In the year 1900, the average workweek was about 70 hours. As automation has become more of the standard, the hours worked has decreased to more of the American standard of 40 hours a week. That means more time in life for family, health, rest, and recreation, all of which contribute to the overall health and longevity of workers.

Increased Productivity

Let’s be honest. A machine works faster than a human can hope to do. Cutting down on the amount of time it takes to do something increases profits. Increasing productivity means that more products can be made in half the time. Since it is true that time and money are resources to be valued, using automation to increase productivity just makes good business sense.

For example, as printing and mailing services have become more mechanized and automated, productivity has skyrocketed in the world of automated bill printing and mailing. Just think back to a few years ago when dot matrix printers were all the rage. Then think of the first laser printers and inkjet at home printers. They were slow, sloppy and prone to error. They also had to be watched constantly for mistakes, errors, paper jams, and more. Just think of how much time was wasted on maintaining these machines until the automated aspects and machine quality really excelled beyond what we previously imagined.

Automation in printing and mailing significantly increases productivity. As an example, in Town Mailer’s 7,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility, our automated bill printing, and mailing services are significantly automated. The machines themselves work at a much higher capacity and pace than older styles of printers. Though we still have a staff of 20 that handles getting orders to print and offering customer service, the machines for printing, folding, and mailing are almost completely automated. This means that at any given time of the day, our facility is working at maximum capacity.

Improved Efficiency and Quality

Once productivity is significantly increased, improved efficiency and quality are likewise improved. In terms of printing and mailing, that translates to more work being able to be accomplished overall in a shorter period of time. Higher numbers of orders come in through our servers, which are then inspected and handled by customer service representatives. Once the proof is emailed to the client and approved for printing, the documents are automatically sent through the print, fold, stuffed in an envelope, and postage processes. Quality standards are increased with this rise in efficiency. The higher the quality, the better your reputation and customer satisfaction will be experienced by both you and your clients.

That is one of the key reasons that we at Town Mailer are able to offer a fast turn around from printing to mailing. Automation is very helpful in the printing and mailing process. It is one business type that has only benefited from the advancement of machines and automation. That efficiency and high quality of printing and mailing benefit your business and your clients as well.

Greater Control and Consistency

With the rise in productivity, improved efficiency and quality are achieved. As automation begins to encourage greater efficiency and quality, consistency and control are achieved. The end result becomes reliable. The desired results are achieved every time. This significantly reduces waste in both time and money. For the printing and mailing business, it means less ink, toner, and paper wasted. It also means more time for more business. When people are removed from the machine process, by automation you can literally print thousands of statements and invoices a minute. More and more jobs can run concurrently. We can admit that the machines that we at Towne Mailer have at our disposal outperform us as human beings trying to do the same work. We’re not ashamed to admit it either!

The less error, the greater the ability to take on work. Instead of spending extra time on every order trying to troubleshoot problems in the print process or the final product, machine automation keeps the flow going with a great amount of accuracy. That puts the control of business flow on how effectively human relations are with clients.

The machines do the work that it would take our entire staff to manage. But what does that mean for our staff? Does that mean that we no longer need humans to do any work? Will machine automation eventually put all humans out to pasture? Will AI (artificial intelligence) replace human workers altogether? What will humans do if they are all displaced from their jobs?

Addressing Worker Displacement

One of the main arguments against automation is the displacement of workers in any given field. At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, as automation began to affect workers as they were laid off from their positions, other areas immediately opened up for those that were willing to adapt. The fact is that the demand for workers went up, not down. Though initially many workers felt displaced and disgruntled, those that were flexible enough to be moved into new areas of business found that work did not slow down at all.

Will that be the case during our 4th Industrial Revolution? Will we continue to see demand for workers to handle jobs as more and more machines take over business? That remains to be seen. However, if history is any teacher, we will likely see new industries that rely on human interaction and communication and fewer jobs that need bodies to do the hard work. From that perspective, one could say that automation helps us to improve our lives. It removes the burdens of unsafe jobs and replaces lost work with new opportunities.

Towne Mailer

Towne Mailer is located in Missoula, Montana and proudly serves companies all over the United States. Though we started out quite small and focused on local businesses, we have quickly grown into our 7,000 square foot warehouse as we continue to expand. With almost twenty years of service experience in the printing and mailing business, we have over 20 employees. Our clients trust us to provide the highest possible service in the industry.

Our professional, highly trained staff meticulously inspects every document for quality, presentation, layout, and accuracy. We carefully process each and every piece of information and we communicate skillfully at each and every step of the process. That is our promise to you.

Reach out to us and let’s have a chat about your project and needs. The first step is to speak with one of our courteous representatives about your printing and mailing needs. We will help you through uploading a ‘test document’ so you can see firsthand the excellent quality of our layouts and designs. You would then be asked to review the document and once you sign off on it, we guarantee it will be printed and mailed within twenty-four hours. It’s that simple. Call us today!