Challenge
Cranbrook Educational Community’s mail center processes 21,000 pieces of mail and packages for domestic and international shipping per month. Cranbrook wanted to streamline and improve the mail center’s service to all departments on campus. They needed a solution that could easily compare shipping costs between various carriers and subsequently better track and share outbound shipping information with the senders.
Solution
Quadient’s mailing system enabled them to shop for the lowest rates or fastest delivery method. Today, Cranbrook uses the iX-9 series mailing and shipping system to seal, weigh, measure, meter, and stack large mail runs in minutes and the S.M.A.R.T. application for the ultimate shipping, mailing, accounting, reporting and tracking experience. With the iX-9, Cranbrook receives automatic rate change updates and postage refills.
Results
Smoother mail processes have resulted in better service relationship with senders, fewer shipping delays and returns, effortless chargebacks, and improved reporting abilities. Being IMI-compliant also ensures postage accuracy and stronger security.
Melanie Couzens, Cranbrook Mail Center Logistics Manager, estimates they have saved approximately $5,000 annually in labor and postage expenses. They have gained a 75% time savings from being able to send out batch shipments and eliminate manual processes with S.M.A.R.T., and benefit from discounted shipping rates with Commercial Base Pricing that come with Quadient’s mailing equipment.
The one to meet Cranbrook’s needs
Cranbrook Educational Community ("Cranbrook") is a leading center of education, science, and art located in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Founded by Detroit philanthropists George and Ellen Booth in 1904, Cranbrook’s 319-acre campus is comprised of a graduate academy of art, contemporary art museum, house and gardens, institute of science, and pre-K through 12 independent college preparatory schools. Cranbrook receives thousands of visitors and students to its campus each year. It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1989 as it houses the works of world-renowned architects and sculptors.
Cranbrook’s mail center, located in the Operations department, supports the entire campus’s mailing needs. In 2018, Couzens was looking for a way to streamline their mailing process as well as easily compare shipping costs between various carriers. “Before we found Quadient, there were no other providers offering a weigh feature that allowed us to shop around for the best rates,” explained Couzens.
Utilizing Quadient’s multi-carrier rate shopping function, Cranbrook is able to compare delivery time and cost across all available carriers. “With Quadient, we were able to not only get a quick snapshot of costs, but also of estimated delivery time. These are the two factors that determine which carrier we use—and the key reasons for selecting Quadient.”
Moving up the ranks with next-generation solutions
Today, the mail center processes 21,000 pieces of mail and packages for domestic and international shipping per month. Types of items shipped out include informational and welcome packets for Cranbrook school and art academy admissions, merchandise sale from the art museum, and props and costumes for the performing arts department, among others. To more effectively service the various departments, the mail center needed a better way of tracking and sharing outbound shipping information back with the senders.
Couzens turned to the Quadient team to see what solutions were available to better meet Cranbrook's needs in 2022 and was presented with a comprehensive proposal for the iX-9 series mailing and shipping system powered by S.M.A.R.T. The iX-9 automatically seals, weighs, measures, meters, and stacks large mail runs in minutes while S.M.A.R.T. offers the ultimate shipping, mailing, accounting, reporting and tracking experience all from a single dashboard.
High scores for upgraded capabilities
Couzens expressed satisfaction with the new system, “Now, it’s so much easier to notify the senders so that they can keep track of any shipments that we’re processing for them instead of them having to follow up with us. We can enter multiple e-mail addresses and they all immediately receive notifications with time stamp of when their package is processed.”
S.M.A.R.T.’s “Work Ahead” option allows users to select the next account for chargebacks without interrupting or stopping the mail batch that is running—a feature exclusive to Quadient. “This feature has saved a lot of hassle and also enabled us to improve our reporting. It's a lot easier to find information with S.M.A.R.T. so we’re able to provide reporting to our accounting department so they can see the annual spend in the different departments,” said Couzens.
The iX-9 is also compliant with the USPS® Intelligent Mail Indicia (IMI) standards, which applies accurate postage, stronger security, automatic rate changes and other updates. “Being IMI-compliant is another nice feature of the iX-9. We don’t have to worry about incorrect addresses anymore because the system catches it for us. So, we have fewer delays and returns,” said Couzens.
Couzens estimates they have saved approximately $5,000 annually in labor and postage expenses by using the iX-9 with S.M.A.R.T. They have gained a 75% time savings from being able to send out batch shipments and eliminate the manual filling of customs forms, entering addresses, and keeping abreast of rate changes. They also benefit from discounted shipping rates with Commercial Base Pricing that come with Quadient’s mailing equipment.
It was my first time implementing changes in this area, so I wasn’t sure at first if I had made the right choice in switching from the competitor. But as time went on, I really can’t envision leaving Quadient. It’s been a positive experience. Things have moved in the right direction, and they've gotten better, so I’m definitely happy with Quadient and happy to continue working with them on our mailing solutions.
—Melanie Couzens, Logistics Manager at Cranbrook
