M&S opts for change in its mailrooms

17 June 2010

Swiss Post Solutions Limited has been awarded the contract to provide mailroom, logistics and record management services to Marks & Spencer.

Swiss Post Solutions will take responsibility for mailroom operations at three M&S London sites, including the retailer’s head office at Waterside House. The company will be processing over 40,000 items and 150 sacks of incoming mail and around 4,000 items and 140 sacks of outgoing mail each month at the head office. In addition, Swiss Post Solutions will be responsible for all courier activity, press and food samples and bulk facilities deliveries.
A key element of the new operation will be a review of the present methods to identify and assess opportunities for the migration of manual ways of working to more digital processes. The review will identify where documents can benefit from being scanned and processed digitally to improve the way information is managed and used by M&S employees with the aim of delivering increased customer care and service to the company's worldwide customer base. The replacement of physical paper handling with automated processes will help to speed up transaction times and reduce costs in a secure, compliant and auditable manner.
A key part of the agreement includes logistics which involves managing couriers and loading bays at each of the sites - significant numbers of food, clothing and product samples pass through these areas. The archiving of records and setting up of meeting and function rooms will also pass to Swiss Post Solutions.
Commenting on the contract Mandy Keepax, Head of Facilities Management, Offices, Store Cleaning, Waste & Pest Control at Marks & Spencer, said:
“We selected Swiss Post Solutions due to their proven experience in the retail sector and their understanding of a business of our size and complexity. Service is a core value at M&S and Swiss Post Solutions will be able to help us deliver the standards of care and service that our customers expect, whilst ensuring we can continue to modernise our processes and maintain our competitiveness. Their ability to understand that we need to build a bespoke, innovative solution that meets our needs and which allows us to measure our success, in addition to reviewing and benchmarking our operations really impressed us."
Swiss Post Solutions Limited is Britain’s leading provider of outsourced mailroom services and a specialist in integrated document outsourcing services. The Company has achieved a threefold increase in turnover since 2004 and profits have continued to increase above this rate. Due to its focus on building and maintaining customer relationships, Swiss Post Solutions has also seen a significant increase in the average contract duration and enjoys near-perfect retention rates.
"We are delighted that Marks & Spencer, an iconic company and brand, has shown its trust in Swiss Post Solutions as an experienced supplier in an area it is committed to developing. An efficient mailroom and logistics function is of the utmost importance for any company; reputations really do depend on it, and to that end we are looking forward to working to streamline and improve current practice and processes " said Jonathan King, CEO of Swiss Post Solutions Limited UK & Ireland.