Rapid growth and regulatory compliance lead Mars Capital to a secure, scalable print solution.

As a financial institution, Mars Capital must strictly adhere to Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulations, including ensuring the right item is in the right envelope every time.  Regulations also specify that communications must be delivered on time and securely, with item-level tracking and reporting. Additionally, the company needed the flexibility to accommodate FCA requirements, such as printing and inserting FCA guidelines.

Scalability — adapting to rapid growth — was another major challenge. As the company’s mailings grew from 800 to 5,000 pieces monthly, costs of postage, staff and stationary also grew.

Mars Capital selected the Pitney Bowes Hybrid Mail outsourcing solution. The company had an established relationship with Pitney Bowes. Prior to engaging Pitney Bowes, Nigel Carter, the chief executive officer of Mars Capital, visited the fulfilment operation and was satisfied with the security, integrity, and scalability of the solution.

Hybrid Mail includes ISO27001-accreditation and encrypts every letter upon submission. It is a scalable service with no minimum daily volumes. Mars Capital drops the letters to be mailed into a watched online folder for which they set the rules. The company is able to track every letter and access item-level reports through a user web site. Pitney Bowes also provides a range of value-add options, including international postage, pre-printed envelopes and inserts, and capture of returned undeliverable mail.

Although there have been teething problems, the Pitney Bowes account management team has been responsive and hands-on in finding prompt resolution,” said Mr. Carter. The migration from in-house to offsite fulfillment was completed in the fiveweek time-frame Mars Capital needed. The transition has relieved three to four Mars Capital staff from mail duties including printing, folding and inserting each mail piece, enabling them to focus on the company’s core business, mortgage lending and administration. It has also freed up valuable office space and reduced postal costs significantly as the Pitney Bowes solution helps consolidate the mail. From a savings of 50 per cent of mailing costs, the company estimates it is now saving £2500 ($4,000) per mailing.

Hybrid Mail exemplifies precision and accuracy. The solution adds a 2D barcode to every page, allowing Mars Capital to track each letter. It also provides page-level verification and notifies users when each letter has been successfully printed and inserted into the envelope. Mars Capital can generate item-level reports against 30-plus fields of information. And the print quality is better and more consistent than the in-house solution.

The solution has enabled Mars Capital to continue its rapid growth, knowing it can maintain high customer service standards and comply with FCA regulations. “We have progressively increased our customer base during the year,” said Mr.Carter. “We went from 800 to 5,000 and we’re looking at the solution’s scalability to beyond 30,000 mailings per month over the next couple of years.