Describe your business
PHD Mail is a mailing bureau supplying transactional documentation services via print, mail and electronic delivery.
Why did you buy the machine?
We had many clients who could only make Cleanmail, not Mailsort, and could not receive a higher rate postal discount. Moving into the mail consolidation market place via the Olympus II letter sorting machine route allowed us to consolidate our client’s mail prior to sending and achieve a better postal discount level. We could then pass some of that discount on to our clients, which they would not normally have been able to achieve due to their low volumes.
Why did you choose this particular machine?
We did look at other manufacturers, such as Kern, but the Olympus II was the most versatile and proven machine on the market and is used by larger print and mail companies. It sorts filled envelopes to Mailsort 120 level via OCR and CBC and runs at 36,000 envelopes per hour.
What features do you particularly like?
PHD has the 128-pocket version of the Olympus II, which achieves Mailsort 120 in one pass, rather than multiple passes on a version with less pockets. The downside is that the pockets need to be kept in constant good order, but if you have a rigorous maintenance schedule in place this is standard practice.
How reliable is it?
Occasionally the machine will stop for misfeeds or a pocket might need servicing, but, on the whole, it is very reliable. The build quality is first class and always impresses clients when they are shown the machine for the first time.
Is it easy to use?
With the correct training plans and regime in place, the Olympus II can be run by as few as two people.
How much time or money has it saved?
The Olympus II has increased the profitability of the company and saved the client a large proportion of their annual postal charge.
Has it won you any new work?
It has definitely shown existing clients the benefit of staying with PHD and has assisted our cause when tendering.
Would you say that it offers value for money?
It is good value for money and the return on investment is proving to be better than expected.
Were there any difficulties experienced during the installation or after?
There are always teething problems when first merging new services with new machinery, but as we learned the machine’s little foibles it became easier.
What about the pre- and after-sale service?
There are clear lines of after-sales service with good response, clarity and resolution of any issues.
Who would you recommend the machine to?
It is a machine I would recommend to any company that wants to consolidate mail.
Would you consider buying another?
When the maximum volume against available hours of the machine is almost achieved, we would certainly be interested in buying a second machine.
Conclusion
User’s verdict
Speed 5/5
Quality 5/5
Reliability 5/5
Value for money 5/5
Supplier’s response
A spokesman for Pitney Bowes says: The Olympus Multi-tier sorter has 128 sorting pockets, enabling them to sort each pass of mail into as many as 128 different categories or batches if required. This capacity means PHD can now consolidate all of the individual jobs that they receive from clients into one pass, usually totalling between 150,000-200,000 envelopes each day. The beauty of consolidation is that PHD is now able to achieve Mailsort discounts against every job.
Contact 0870 777 7577
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