The Virtual Mailroom: A Modern Answer to the Post Office?

The virtual mailroom (or post room) is a feature of many modern businesses. It takes the tasks of posting invoices and statements and manages these using computer systems.

As the virtual post room has developed from an actual post room, electronic post is managed alongside paper post and documents being sent via fax. The term virtual mailroom has come to exist after electronic document sending made it technically possible for a company’s document distribution to be carried out internally in the space of just one room.

How the virtual post room is affecting the post office

The post office is undoubtedly being hit hard by the virtual post room. Any development which makes document sending more convenient by email or fax is going to be a blow to the postal service. However, as a virtual post room features electronic document management, it also makes the sending of paper documents easier for a company. Also, with experienced companies existing to whom a virtual post room can be outsourced, the task of sending postal invoices and statements can become less daunting to businesses. These companies such as Corcentric can play a great part in keeping the postal service alive.

Why do businesses prefer a virtual mailroom?

A virtual mailroom is popular with businesses as its organized approach to mass mailing gives them an edge over competition. It is not irregular for a company to outsource their virtual mailroom to a company such as Corcentric, in order that their virtual mailroom is the best it can be.

The virtual post room is found by businesses to allow them improved security of their invoices and statements also. These documents when sent via post have to go through a third party to reach the customer, which risks interception. A document sent via fax may also be at risk because there is no way of knowing how exposed a customer fax machine is, and whether that fax document could fall into the wrong hands. As the virtual post room accommodates post and fax, while primarily sending electronic post, it is seen as a safer invoice or statement transfer method.

The virtual mailroom uses electronic document management to monitor and initiate the sending of invoices and statements to customers. With the system being run on a computer, the virtual mailroom runs a lower risk of error (especially human error) interrupting the daily running of their system. For these reasons the virtual mailroom is taking business away from the postal service.