The way in which mail is dealt with depends on the:

size of the organisation

number of staff involved

type of mail received (internal, external, e-mail

etc)

level of use of ICT for communicating

space available for equipment

resources available to the organisation.

In a small organisation

Mail will usually be dealt with by a member of staff as part of their daily routine.

In a large organisation

The volume of incoming and outgoing mail is likely to be high.

They are likely to have a separate mail room department.

The staff who work in the mail room will deal with all of the organisation’s mail.

Main equipment in an incoming mail area Photocopier

Pigeon holes/trays for each person/department

Mail trolley for delivering to departments

Shredder

Date stamp

Letter opener

Stapler

Main features of an outgoing mail area

Mail bags

Post office forms

Folding and inserting machine

Scales (manual or electric)

Franking machine

PC used for printing address labels, check e-mail messages

How do we deal with incoming mail?

Sort mail into

Private/Personal/Confidential

Urgent

Special (Recorded or Special Delivery)

First Class

Second Class

Open mail (not private)

Remove contents

Date-stamp mail (do not cover anything important)

Check and attach enclosures

Sort mail into departments

Mail is then collected by departments (at certain times)

How do we deal with incoming mail (2)?

or

Delivered to individual departments

Procedures for scanning mail:

Open mail as normal

Scan mail on to a floppy disc or network

Copy/sort directly to staff mail boxes

Shred originals

Confidential mail is treated as normal (ie unopened)

Voicemail

Check at regular intervals

Note messages on message form

Sort messages into departments

Deliver messages as for incoming mail

E-mail

Check for messages at regular intervals

Print the number of copies required

Sort and deliver messages

or

Redirect by internal e-mail to staff mailboxes

Fax

Check for incoming faxes at regular intervals

Photocopy or route faxes as necessary

Sort and deliver faxes

How do we deal with Outgoing Mail?

Collect mail from departments

Sort mail into- First Class- Second Class- Special Delivery

or

Staff deliver mail to mail room by a specified time

How do we deal with Outgoing Mail (2)?

Weigh letters or parcels

Stamp or frank envelopes/parcels

Deliver mail to the post office

E-mail

Create new message

Enter e-mail address of person to whom the message is to be sent

Key in message

Check message

Attach attachments (if applicable)

Send message