1 — INDUSTRY ADVICE

MCA members have many years of experience and will be delighted to offer advice on your mailing and logistics requirements. Often this will include options you may not have considered that could save time and money, and make your campaign or business more effective. The earlier in the planning they are involved, the more input they can provide.

2 — INTERNATIONAL POST

MCA members will be able to offer detailed advice on your international post requirements, whether you prepare it yourself or need it produced for you. They will be able to offer a range of options for priority or economy delivery and reliable delivery times. Services include direct entry or local look using postal indicias of the destination countries. Members will be able to access discounted rates for periodicals and special rates for heavier items and parcels. Many will also provide returns of undeliverable mail.

3 — DOMESTIC POST

MCA members will be able to access the full range of Royal Mail’s postal options, by sorting your mail to meet the required Royal Mail standards. Including Business Mail 1, 2 and Economy, Admail, Sustainable Mail, and Parcel and Packet options. And for publishers, the specifically created Publishing Mail.

They will also be able to offer dispatch via a wide range of alternative Downstream Access 2 (DSA) carriers for mail and parcel traffic.

4 — DATA SERVICES

MCA members can prepare and sort your data so you can access postage discounts, for both UK and international mailings. They can also clean and enhance your data by referencing all suppression files including National Change Of Address file (NCOA), Bereavement Register file (TBR) and Mailing Preference Service file (MPS).

And they can offer data capture services where information from reply forms, emails, web forms and other channels can be collated in a database for later use.

5 — FULFILMENT

MCA members can provide mechanised or manual fulfilment for any of your mailings. This includes envelope enclosing, laser and inkjet printing, trimming, guillotining, folding and polywrapping. Manual services include collation, polybagging, enveloping and packing into cartons or padded bags. These services are not just for mail items, but increasingly for mail order and internet shopping goods.

6 — LETTERSHOPPING

Lettershopping is the process of preparing mailings in accordance with industry regulations. MCA members will provide the following leadership services: personalised printing, labeling, folding, sealing, sorting and delivery. These are often high volume mailings where speed and cost are of the essence.
Examples of typical leadership mailings include direct marketing mailings, invoices, magazine subscription renewals, donation appeals and membership applications.

7 — PICK AND PACK

Many MCA members can offer warehousing and pick and pack for mail order, internet shopping and magazine orders. Services include storage, stock control, IT interfacing, pick & pack, quality control, dispatch through multiple delivery services, invoicing and reporting.

Examples of items commonly stored for pick and pack include brochures, reports, food supplements, instruction manuals, CDs, DVDs, books, toys, directories, welcome packs, merchandise and point-of-sale materials.

8 — PRINT MANAGEMENT

MCA members can source all types of print – litho printing, digital and screen print – focusing on providing the best quality print solution at the best prices delivered on time. They have long-standing relationships with many suppliers and benefit from a high-quality service. They can also arrange print in foreign countries should it be required.

Examples of print and materials include letterheads, brochures, postcards, leaflets, inserts, envelopes, catalogues, magazines, welcome packs, membership cards, polythene-wrap, polybags and much more.

9 — POLYWRAPPING

MCA members can provide high volume, automated magazine, catalogue and direct mail polywrapping services. This includes online inkjet addressing, carrier sheet and other insertion and covermounting.

10 — STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL

MCA members operate large, secure warehouses for storage of printed matter and items ranging from mail order goods to high-value items like mobile phones and other consumer electronics. These facilities combined with the other services can be very cost effective and easy to manage compared with operating in-house for many organizations.

As can be seen from above, MCA members provide the full range of services allied to the mail and parcel industries. They have years of experience and the economies of scale to make them the most cost-effective partners to support the growth of your business.