Getting a package into the right hands — and doing so on time — is essential for law firms. For these reasons, legal professionals understand the vital role that shipping and mailing systems play in the overall success of your organization.
In a recent Legal Dive survey conducted by Pitney Bowes, 52% of legal executives reported that driving efficiencies, which includes minimizing costs, comparing rates and streamlining workflows, is among their most pressing shipping and mailing-related need and concerns.
Furthermore, 40% of respondents cited the cost of implementation and anticipated return on investment — including a new system’s impact on workflow and other efficiencies — as potential factors when deciding on shipping solutions.
The survey also found that legal executives believe the best systems would reduce costs and improve internal efficiency. Just as importantly, respondents believe that optimal solutions can ensure accurate billing and be used to settle unpaid shipping and mailing costs.
Ultimately, the decision to invest in shipping solutions comes down to costs and the return on investment. This article will explain how a well-integrated shipping and mailing solution can save time and money while ensuring that critical information is delivered accurately and on time.
The benefits of updated shipping and mailing technology
Due to the sensitive nature of the documents, legal executives send, including important information about legal cases, mortgages and financial records, etc., managing return receipts and tracking letters and parcels through every step of their journeys is critical.
At the same time, in an increasingly competitive market, legal firms must focus on cutting costs and driving efficiencies that boost their bottom line. These goals are not mutually exclusive, however. An updated shipping and mailing technology can deliver a broad range of capabilities and benefits and help firms accomplish the following mission-critical tasks.
1. Ensure communications run smoothly between attorneys, clients and courts
Legal firms send and receive numerous incoming flats and parcels every day, each containing critical information. Managing this process can be an intensive, time-consuming process with the potential for costly missteps and errors. And with remote work a new reality, firm partners need cost-effective solutions for securely and efficiently shipping and receiving critical files to and from the office.
Establishing and maintaining a chain of custody is critical for documents in your firm’s possession. Your system should provide immediate visibility into where items are, their expected arrival date and who signed for them once delivered. This ensures information is quickly and accurately delivered to the right hands.
2. Improve existing processes and streamline office workflows
Automated processes for charging back shipping expenses to clients can eliminate billing errors. This happens by validating client mailing information, then assigning mailing and shipping charges to the appropriate legal case matter number.
A critical compliance issue is tracking return receipt green cards — received when a client signs for a letter or package. Replacing hand-written return receipts ensures accuracy and efficiency by reducing time spent filing, storing and organizing cards.
3. Seamlessly implement new technology
User-friendly technology saves time and money — and overcomes internal resistance to change. Your firm’s partners and office staff are more likely to embrace intuitive systems that do not require extensive training or ongoing IT involvement.
Seamless integration with existing systems is crucial in successfully implementing new shipping and mailing software. Rather than disrupting the present ecosystem, a well-integrated solution enhances and streamlines current processes.
Features that guide users through sending and receiving processes, automate carrier comparisons and reduce paperwork save money and time while ensuring compliance.
4. Ability to estimate/compare rates to minimize costs
Comparing shipping carrier rates and accessing discount delivery options ensures packages meet delivery date targets at the lowest cost.
Single sign-on access for employees in the office, at home, or abroad ensures visibility into chain-of-custody so that users can track packages from end to end. This allows your partners and managers to monitor all shipping activity for maximum savings.
Furthermore, creating U.S. Postal Service Certified Mail with electronic return receipts (eRRs) reduces Certified Mail costs by approximately 50%.
Conclusion
A well-integrated shipping and mailing solution enables law firms to keep communications running smoothly and in accordance with compliance standards — in a cost-effective manner. Thoughtfully designed products, like Pitney Ship Pro, make it possible to achieve these goals while streamlining office workflows and improving accuracy and visibility at every stage of the shipping and mailing process.
Resources
1. The letter of the law: helping law firms overcome shipping and receiving challenges, Pitney Bowes
2. Parcel Management Solutions Help Law Firms Win the Revenue Battle, Pitney Bowes
3. Optimize your decision making, Pitney Bowes
4. 2022 Report on the State of the Legal Market, Thomson Reuters Institute/Georgetown Law Center on Ethics and the Legal Profession
5. 2022 Law Firm Business Leaders Report, Thomson Reuters Institute/Georgetown Law Center on Ethics and the Legal Profession
6. Findings from Pitney Bowes’ Legal Dive Survey — questions 5, 6, 11 and 12
7. TBD: Other credible industry research to support the content sourced online during the writing process.