Triangle’s definitive study of hybrid mail looks at its development to date and its future.

The study is based on extensive research utilising Triangle’s unique and extensive databank, supplemented by interviews with customers and service providers and input from relevant industry experts.

The study is available in two parts:
1. Strategic overview of the development and application of hybrid mail— past, present and future.
2. Comprehensive guide to suppliers of hybrid mail technology and services. Customers can purchase the two reports separately and can also specify a series of related consultancy services, ranging from tailored presentations by the Triangle team, through to detailed analysis of the implications of the study for their own organisation.

2. WHO SHOULD PURCHASE?

The study will provide business critical information for:
• All business and institutional users of mail services. If you are looking for ways to deliver your communications direct from the desktop or the data centre domestically or globally, this study will give you the information you need to make informed decisions on how hybrid mail could support your strategy.
• National posts worldwide are experiencing a decline in key mail segments such as transactional and cross-border, and face continuing pressures on costs and quality. The Hybrid Mail Study will assist in determining whether and how hybrid mail can help. This could be at the product and service level, or, more fundamentally, as part of a total review of operational strategy. At the very least every post has a need to know  how this market is evolving.
• Other companies offering or planning to offer hybrid mail services on a standalone basis or as part of a wider suite of competitive mail products. You will find the report helps you to make the right strategic decisions. It will also ensure that you are as well informed as your
customers and competitors!
• Suppliers to the mailing industry either of hardware or software, including those offering sorting and related equipment; as well as service bureaux; database management; document composition and management; and providers of linehaul services (road and air). Develop your understanding of how hybrid mail might affect your business, and whether it is an opportunity or a threat.
• Regulators and trade associations. The study will deepen your understanding of the potentially disruptive changes that hybrid mail could bring to the traditional way of handling physical communications.
• Governments. You need to evaluate whether the development of hybrid mail technologies offers significant opportunities to reduce carbon emissions, and what the impact could be on sector employment levels.
• Industry analysts and consultants. You need the best and most authoritative information if you are to add value to the hybrid mail debate.

3. THE STRATEGIC OVERVIEW

The core report contains the following chapters:
• Table of Contents
• Executive Summary
• Introduction-Background, Scope and Methodology
• Current Environment-Developments to Date; Political, Regulatory and Environmental Issues; Technology Context; Postal Context; Customer Context; Competitive Environment
• Drivers of Customer Behaviour—Enablers and Inhibitors
• Outlook -Trends; Opportunities; Alternatives; Likely Future Directions.

4. SUPPLIER GUIDE

The guide to suppliers provides an overview and benchmarking of application suppliers and service providers. It also provides a check list of key questions that customers need to ask prospective suppliers.

6. BESPOKE SERVICES

Triangle is happy to talk to purchasers of the study regarding bespoke consultancy services. These can range from presentations by senior consultants of the findings of the the study to Boards and other management groups, through to looking at the implications for the current and future business strategies of the client.

7. PRICING

The Hybrid Mail Report is available to purchase as a whole or section by section.

Complete Report (Strategic Overview, User Case Studies, Supplier Guide): £10,000 (ten thousand pounds)

Strategic Overview: £6,000 (six thousand pounds)

Supplier Guide: £5,000 (five thousand pounds)

If you would like Triangle staff to conduct a tailored presentation of the report to your Board or management team at your offices: £2,500 (two thousand five hundred pounds) plus travel expenses

Bespoke Consultancy: By Arrangement.

All prices quoted are exclusive of VAT chargeable at the prevailing rate, and are in pounds sterling.

8. CONTACT

A number of recognised industry experts are contributing to the Report, including Triangle Associate Director Mark Worsley, and John Modd, Director Mail.

If you wish to place an order for the Hybrid Mail Report, or discuss your requirements further, in the first instance please contact  Helen Daniels on +44 (0)1628 642 910.

Download the PDF brochure with order form  now.

Transactional mail is the largest single segment of the UK mail market, covering such items as bills, statements, cheque books, credit cards and communications from central government and local authorities.

The Triangle survey is comprehensive, and is the result of in-depth interviews with originators of transactional mail, and with key suppliers throughout the value chain, including printers and mailing houses.

The Transactional Mail Survey is the first of its kind, offering unique insights into this huge market. It is essential reading for anyone involved in the transactional mail value chain:

• postal operators & regulators
• mail users & originators
• facilities management companies
• mailing houses & consolidators
• printing, insertion and sorting equipment manufacturers
• direct mail printers

Executive Overview

Terms of Reference / Report Summary – 11 pages

The Originators of Transactional Mail – 62 pages
Financial Services / Retail / Government
Utilities / Other

Market Size – 12 pages
The Volume & Value of Transactional Mail
Cost Components of Transactional Mail
The Market by Type of Transactional Mail

Market Structure – 11 pages
Overall Structure
Major In-house Producers
Print Management, Facilities Management and
Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) Companies
Transactional Mail Houses
Disaster Recovery
Printing Insertion and Sorting Equipment

The UK Mail Market – 10 pages
Deregulation / Liberalisation
Current Licence Holders
Market Shares of the Postal Operators
Trends in Liberalisation & Globalisation

Market Trends – 8 pages
Market Growth & Trends: Outsourcing / Printing / Investment /
Archiving / Document Integrity
Convergence of Transactional and Marketing Mail
Trends in e-Delivery of Bills and Statements
Factors Limiting Technological Advance
Comparison of the UK with International Markets

Selection of Suppliers – 10 pages
Decision to Outsource
Choice of Outsourcing Supplier & Mail Carrier
Key Decision Makers

Consumer Research Findings – 8 pages
Internet Penetration and Use
Viewing Invoices and Statements Over the Internet
Reasons for Non-use of the Internet
Current Electronic Access to Bills and Statements
Preferred Methods of Document Delivery
Attitudes Towards e-Substitution

Appendices
Profiles of Transactional Mail Houses – 77 pages
Profiles of Facilities Management Operations – 10 pages
Consumer Research Tabulations – 25 pages

Click here to download an order form (Adobe pdf 163kb)

A composite report (published in 2002) comprising a robust review and analysis of the mail industry on four key Latin American countries:

These include country profiles for:

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Chile
• Mexico

The report provides:

Description of country market

Economic, social and demographic factors affecting the development of the mail market in each country including population, international economic partners, urbanisation, political situation, economic strength.

Description of current and proposed legislation

The history and status of postal legislation including reserved areas, adherence and enforcement of the law, regulating bodies, licensing regimes for both domestic and international mail.

Description of mail market

Participants and their positions at all parts of the mail value chain from mail creation through printing, addressing, delivery to response handling. Differences between publications, advertising and commercial mail; domestic/international; rural/urban; quality of service; offices of exchange; specialists versus “one stop shops” ; hand delivery; consolidation; market sizing.

Description of customer demands and opinions

Buying criteria; price sensitivity; loyalty; awareness and use of value-added services; electronic substitution; prices; impact and outlook of competition.

History and Methodology

Recent years have witnessed domestic and international mail markets evolving at a rapid pace around the globe. Since 1995 Triangle has been reporting on these developments through its International Mail Study and more recently through the World Mail Review – Focus Europe national reports and the World Mail Review – Focus Latin America report.

This study has been expanded to a truly unequalled global insight into mail markets at a country level. A carefully structured and executed programme of qualitative and quantitative research, the World Mail Review is designed to supply subscribers with comprehensive reports on the opinions of the industry’s major participants including postal operators, customers, regulators and supplementary service providers.

2002 World Mail Review Sample Table of Contents (110 kb Adobe PDF)

To download an order form click here (222 kb Adobe PDF)

The World Mail Review consists of a set of national reports available for purchase on an individual basis.

These include country profiles for:

• Benelux
• Denmark (in part)
• France
• Germany
• Italy
• Sweden (in part)
• UK

History

Recent years have witnessed domestic and international mail markets evolving at a rapid pace around the globe.

Most mail markets are involved in a process of increasing liberalisation, operators are looking to add value outside their traditional areas of competence and customers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their demands with respect to mail.

Since 1995 Triangle has been reporting on these developments through its International Mail Study and more recently through the World Mail Review – Focus: International Mail.

This study has now been expanded into a truly unequalled global insight into mail markets at country level.

A carefully structured and executed programme of qualitative and quantitative research, the World Mail Review is designed to supply subscribers with comprehensive reports detailing the

developments and opinions of the industry’s major participants including postal operators, customers, regulators and supplementary service providers.

Contents

Regulation

The history and status of postal legislation in each country including the adherence and enforcement of the postal law; reserved areas, monopolies and other restrictions; regulating bodies; consumer councils; licensing regimes; document exchanges.

Description of national market

An analysis of country specific data that influence mail volumes domestically and internationally or represent a barrier to market entry.

Data includes population; GDP; rural and urban population densities; inflation; major economic partners (exports and imports).

Description of mail market

A detailed analysis of the mail market giving market sizes and describing the mailing process. Highlighting specific differences in findings between the publishing, advertising and commercial mail sectors; domestic and international; rural and urban; business and consumer.

Identifying the major providers and their involvement in each value-adding step where there is a developed market for these services, from design of the mail piece, through its production, transport and beyond.

Including the roles and influences of national post offices; private operators; hand delivery companies; mailhouses; consolidators; transport companies; printers; direct marketing specialists; publishing houses; document exchanges; extra-territorial offices of exchange; facilities management and hybrid mail companies.

Customer demands and opinions

An identification of the major customer sectors and, where possible, the companies themselves. Analysis of the decision points in the mail value chain; selection criteria; the place of mail against alternative media; perception of quality; operators used; trends.

Methodology

A carefully structured and executed programme of qualitative and quantitative research, the World Mail Review is designed to supply subscribers with comprehensive reports on the opinions of the industry’s major participants including postal operators, customers, regulators and supplementary service providers.

Primary and secondary data are used to maximum effect, enabling robust conclusions to be drawn from multiple sources.

Secondary data is collected from a wide variety of sources on a national and international level relevant to each country market. Primary data is collected in the form of interviews with key influencers and participants in the mail process including key customers, operators and regulators.

2002 World Mail Review Sample Table of Contents (110 kb Adobe PDF)

To download an order form click here (222 kb Adobe PDF)

1. US mail sector
2. US package delivery sector

• Over 70% of the mailpieces are ‘workshared’ by the USPS and private companies working together. The US “Workshare” mail market is estimated to be worth $14 billion.
• Of the 1.1 billion parcels handled by the USPS, over 70% are sent through the Parcel Select ‘workshare’ programme. The total US package market is estimated to be worth $48 billion.
• Is ‘worksharing’ a model for the rest of the world to consider? A model seen as a win win situation for all.

Each report provides, for the mail or packages markets:

A Description of Worksharing

Bar coding, pre-sorting and dropshipping are described together with the pricing mechanisms and criteria for worksharing discounts.

An Overview of the Regulatory Structure and the Regulatory Bodies

The regulation and price fixing mechanism is described together with the functions of the USPS, the Postal Rate Commission the General Accounting Office and other bodies.

A Review of Recent Legislation and reports relating to Worksharing

The recent reports of the Presidential Commission and the General Accounting Office together with recent developments in rate fixing and Negotiated Service Agreements are reviewed.

Measures of the Size of the Worksharing Market

Although final delivery is reserved for the USPS the remainder of the postal and the whole packages markets are open to participation from the private sector. This provides the private mail service providers not only with a market for traditional mailhouse services but also the ability to provide core mail services that would otherwise be provided by the USPS. Parcel consolidators, by drop-shipping consolidations of parcels to a postal facility closer to the final delivery, can offer substantial savings to their customers. The reports evaluate the available data and give estimates of the market sizes and shares in the markets.

Commercial Review of Worksharing

Triangle has conducted interviews with key players in the worksharing market, both customers and market providers seeking their views on the benefits and effectiveness of worksharing. The views of this panel, together with the results of Triangle’s research, are brought together to provide a commercial view of the prospects for worksharing in the US and its application as a model in other markets.

A ‘Win-Win’ in the US

Both consumers and the private and public sectors of the US mail and packages industry see worksharing as a success. Operators seeking to participate in the US market successfully cannot ignore this sector and this report provides essential information for those involved in, or thinking of entering it.

Is Worksharing a model for postal liberalisation in Europe and the rest of the World?

In different forms and with local adaptations, worksharing will almost certainly play a major part of the process of liberalising postal markets in other parts of the world. These reports provides readers with an insight as to how this model has worked successfully in the US. They therefore provide essential reading for both private and public sector postal service providers who need to understand what liberalised markets may hold for them.

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The report provides:

Progress update on the implementation of EC02

Analysis of the new European Postal Services Directive (EC02) which has lowered the weight limits for reserved services and liberalised all direct mail and cross-border mail. Description of domestic legislation and regulatory practices, covering Universal Service Obligation (USO), quality and price intervention, licensing, network access, and liberalisation milestones.

Regulation index and benchmarking

Identification of regulatory best practices and benchmarking of all countries.  European regulation index comparing each of the 15 EU member countries, as well as the 10 accession countries, the 3 candidate countries and the 3 EEA countries.

Preparedness of the pre-accession states

Overview of postal regulation in each of the EU pre-accession states, and their preparedness to implement EU postal directives.

Market access for competitors

Evaluation of the ease of access for competitors, focusing on licensing requirements, network access, transparency of regulation, and protection of competition.

Impact on mail users

Feedback from Europe’s largest mailers on how the liberalisation of the postal market will affect their business and how they plan to adapt to the new realities of the market. Users’ analysis of existing regulatory barriers which prevent or restrict effective cross-border, pan-European activity.

To download an order form click here (250 kb Adobe PDF)

As part of our World Mail Review series, Triangle Management Services has produced a study focusing on the impact of e-technologies on the mail market. The report (published in 2004), supported by Neopost, provides:

An overview of the most relevant e-technologies

A description of the main areas whereby e-technologies impact upon the mail market, including those “cross-over” technologies from the express sector. All the main elements affecting the mail industry are reviewed, such as:

• Electronic mail
• Hybrid mail
• Electronic postage
• Intelligent Mail
• EBPP (electronic bill presentation and payment)

Strategic Direction

Postal administrations are currently under threat from developments such as deregulation and e-technologies leading to a loss of market share. The report explores strategic options available to Post Offices to develop the potential e-technologies hold for them. The cross-over of innovations from the express sector is also a factor within this framework. The report explores questions such as:

• Can new technological developments be made successful for the post offices?
• Can they lower costs, compensate for substitution effects and strengthen post offices’ competitive advantage?

Best Practice

A review of the e-technology products offered by the world’s top post offices including a commentary on what is on offer and how well they have been adopted by the market.

A number of post offices have developed a range of e-services. A summary of what, in the author’s view, has been the success or otherwise of the various e-technology products and services available and what lessons can be learnt for the future.

To download an order form click here (230 kb Adobe PDF)

The world’s post offices are going through a period of seismic change; electronic substitution, internet growth, liberalisation, growth of private operators and increasing competition on a global scale. Against this background of change, is there a better way forward for the UPU? Can lessons be learnt from other industries such as aviation, maritime and telecommunications for example?

A team of eminent academics have looked in depth at alternative structures in other network industries which have been confronted by similar challenges and are undergoing similar changes, the report outlines the possible way ahead for the global mail industry in terms of the administration and role of the UPU and IPC.

This 50 page report published in May 2004 highlights other industry models and best practices from these industries.

Acknowledgements

Triangle would like to thank Robert Campbell, Dean, Faculty of Arts, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada and expert on industry models worldwide, Michael Davies, author of The Administration of International Organizations, and international pay and benefits consultant with extensive knowledge of the structure and operations of inter-governmental organizations, and Matthias Finger, Professor, Management of Network Industries, Dean, Continuing Education, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology and Director of the European Centre for Mail Excellence, for volunteering their time. We are also grateful for the contributions of Thomas Leavey, Director-General of the Universal Postal Union and Georges Clermont, Chief Executive Officer of the International Postal Corporation. Last but not least, we are most appreciative of the assistance provided by Siemens through its contribution towards travel expenses.

To download an order form click here (230 kb Adobe PDF)

The report provides:

User confidence

• International mail performance relative to international e-mail and their overall efficiency.
• The future growth expectations of international mail and international e-mail.
• The strategic importance of international mail and the impact of competition and the global regulatory change.
• The impact of media substitution across a range of company activities and the role of postal prices.

Products and services appraisal

• The role and strengths of incumbent postal operators.
• Carrier substitution and reasons for substitution.
• Key reasons for not using domestic operators.

Alternatives

• E-mail and web as viable alternative delivery services.
• Postal substitution.
• Differing usage reasons across fulfilment, promotional and marketing activity.

Profitability

• Impact on companies’ profitability.

The report will be invaluable to:

• Regulators
• Postal operators
• Mailing houses
• Consolidators
• Agencies
• Consultants
• Equipment manufacturers
• Trade bodies
• User groups

History and Methodology

Recent years have witnessed domestic and international mail markets evolving at a rapid pace around the globe. Since 1995 Triangle has been reporting on these developments through its International Mail Study and more recently through the World Mail Review, a truly unequalled global insight into mail markets at a country level. Now, in an innovative cooperation with the DMA (US), Triangle has analysed the results of the annual International Postal Strategy Survey of international mailers and, using additional research and knowledge of operational and regulatory developments, has produced this report that aims to determine the prospects for and confidence in international mail.

Priced at just $975 this report is available now.

Click here to download an order form (Adobe PDF 177kb)

Particular reference will be made to the competitive parts of the market with topics of focus including:

• Operators and their Service Offerings
• Customer Opinion
• Liberalisation and the Development of the UK Market
• The Role of Mailhouses
• Current Regulation

Detailed industry insight and analysis will be made using a combination of both secondary research and primary research of key players in the market to include operators, customers and intermediaries.