How well does your legacy CCM system support multi-channel output? Can customers control which documents they want to receive on paper and which they want electronically? Does it allow you to make environmentally responsible adjustments like reducing page counts or suppressing return envelopes?

Most large organizations have environmental policies. They switch to low-energy light bulbs, recycle paper, and support employee carpooling and bus transportation. Most also have some capacity to substitute digital documents for paper, although the motivation to do so is often economic rather than environmental. But other CCM moves are possible – tactics that demonstrate an organization’s dedication to achieving a shallower environmental footprint.

Simple Changes That Can Make a Difference

There is a good chance the CCM software controlling your print and mail production workflow was designed when environmental sustainability was not a top priority. It may have been created to match the hardware technology of the day. Consequently, the way it formats documents and the options available for making environmentally advantageous modifications could be limited. However, most times, organizations can reduce the amount of paper consumed by their CCM applications, streamline the production process, or both.

Here are some ways to lower the environmental impact of common CCM applications, such as statements, invoices, claim forms, notices, and other documents. It may not be possible to implement these measures in all circumstances. Regulatory guidelines may restrict the options, or the current software may be too difficult to manipulate. If so, consider upgrading to a modern, full-featured document composition platform like Quickcoms, where companies have more flexibility in how they create and distribute information to their customers.

• Eliminate unnecessary mail – The best way to reduce paper consumption, along with the energy use and emissions connected to production and delivery of outbound documents, is to not produce it in the first place. Scour the files and eliminate duplicates, remove deceased individuals, combine multiple household members, drop inactive customers, etc. Besides the environmental benefits, you’ll save the money you’ve been wasting on materials, labor, and postage.

• Streamline the print – Some simple modifications can reduce the page count. Narrow the margins, drop irrelevant information, reduce the font size, or alter the line spacing to allow more room for data on each page. These simple tactics have been known to decrease the page count by over 50%. Again, you’ll save money by shortening the time spent on printing and finishing, besides lowering material costs, and using less paper.

• Summarize the data – For applications that report on large numbers of transactions where the details may not be important to the customer, print a summary of the latest activity instead of listing every transaction. Telephone bills are a good example. In many cases, phone company customers can only access a detailed list of all their calls by downloading them from the company’s website. Their monthly bills just tell them how many calls they made and the charges.

• Personalize the content – Instead of boilerplate text that covers every possible situation, tailor the content to the recipient. Company health insurance benefit summaries, for example, need not include dozens of pages describing dependent coverage for employees who choose “employee only” plans. In other cases, if a customer has opted out of receiving certain types of information, the software can exclude those sections from their documents. This not only reduces the page count but also ensures customers receive only the information they find relevant, enhancing their overall experience.

• Reduce return envelope consumption – Customers that pay online don’t need a return envelope – especially if they enrolled in autopay. You can safely suppress the insertion of return envelopes in the bills of these customers. By analyzing customer preferences and behavior patterns, organizations can identify customers who are unlikely to use return envelopes and exclude them from their mailed documents.

• Give customers more paperless options – In some cases, customers may prefer certain documents on paper but will accept electronic delivery for the rest of the items you produce. If you give them only an “all or nothing” choice about going paperless, these customers will never opt out of paper. Expand the document delivery preferences to allow customers to make more granular selections.

• Ask customers to switch to paperless – Everyone puts messages on their statement pages, envelopes, or inserts pleading customers to abandon printed documents. Something that works even better is asking customers directly whenever customer service representatives speak with them on the phone. A direct request from a live person gets results. If the reps ask customers to try paperless delivery for three months, most of those who voluntarily switch will not revert after the trial period. Reward customer service reps for encouraging customers to convert.

Overall, the current environmental impact of legacy CCM systems is substantial because of their reliance on outdated processes, limited support for multi-channel output, and the absence of environmentally oriented adjustments. To mitigate this impact, organizations should transition to modern CCM systems like Quickcoms, that offer electronic delivery options, allow customers to choose their preferred communication channels, and provide features for reducing paper usage and waste. By adopting more environmentally friendly CCM practices, companies can significantly reduce their carbon footprint, conserve natural resources, and contribute to a more sustainable future.