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TIMING MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE FOR GRAND UNION HOUSING GROUP
Grand Union Housing Group contacted FDM Document Solutions earlier this year to explore a transition to the hybrid mail, Hi-mail system. Fast forward a few weeks and the process was underway, but not yet complete.
Regardless, the company had a sensitive mailer that needed to be sent to all 12,000 housing customers of the business. The timings were tight and would mean an alternative solution would need to be found.
Adding further challenge to the situation, the information was strictly confidential given that it related to a planned merger, and NDAs had to be signed before anything could be shared. It also had to be perfectly timed to ensure that every recipient received the information on the same day.
Turning a problem into a process
Never one to shy away from a challenge, the team at FDM signed all necessary documentation and got to work. While in these situations, Grand Union Housing Group would be able to rely on the hybrid mail, Hi-mail system, in this instance it was a job for the data processing team.
Following the same process, they created a template that was then approved by the customer. Two documents were then securely uploaded to the system: the text for the letter and the data files containing all contact information. A final test was sent to the customer for sign-off before the document was distributed using FDM’s postal service.
Time was of the essence
Having previously worked with print managers and mailing houses, Grand Union Housing Group was aware of the lengthy timescales that are typically imposed with a mass mailing.
Given the sensitivity of this document, it was absolutely essential that all data and contact information was up to date. With month-long lead times, details can change, which would have caused significant problems.
Thankfully, FDM was able to create the template, upload the necessary data files, secure approval and distribute to all contacts on the preferred date within days.
A painless process
Grand Union Housing Group Head of Communications, Mark Sibson, comments: “We cannot speak more highly of the team at FDM Document Solutions. Not only did they turn a potentially challenging situation around, they made the whole process so simple from start to finish.
“There were several reasons why this was not your average mass mailing. Not least given it would hold sensitive information about the merger of the business that had to be delivered to all housing customers of the company on the same date.
“We could not speak openly about the contents and that meant everything had to be handled with absolute confidence and discretion. It was imperative that we got this right.
“In retrospect, this announcement couldn’t really have come at a better time. It gave us the chance to work with FDM Document Solutions under pressure and to test the systems and processes they have in place.
“Needless to say, they didn’t disappoint. In fact, the process couldn’t have gone better and gave us all the confidence we needed to press ahead with the transition to the Hi-mail system.”
