Vol. 7 No. 3

How to plan a direct mail production timeline

Coordinating a print and mail project is the equivalent of being the ringmaster at a three- ring circus. Timing is everything. If one part of the juggling act is late your performance starts to crumble.

A production calendar is a lifesaver. The only way to successfully plan one is to start backwards…with the mail date or in-home date. Once your mail enters the postal system, you will have no more control. However, you do have control over what happens prior to the mail date. A well-planned production timeline is the key to success.

There are three major areas that need to be coordinated… printing, data processing and mail production. Every decision you make while coordinating these three areas will affect three elements of the project…the schedule, the quality and the money.

Projects can have timelines that are 4 weeks or 4 days. The steps should be the same regardless of the project. Grab a calendar and begin filling in your dates.

IN HOME DATE – Leave yourself a wide window for delivery. A nationwide mailing delivered at Standard Mail rates could take from 3 to 14 days to reach all corners of the lower 48 states. Standard Mail gets shipped to Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico…on a ship. It’s going to take longer to reach these offshore locations.

MAILHOUSE – Ask the mailhouse when they need the following to meet your mail date.

• Mailing list date – Send the list and a mailpiece sample to your mailer before all materials are scheduled to arrive.
• Material date – Schedule all materials to arrive at least three days before the start of lettershop production.
• Postage date – The postage check must be deposited with USPS prior to the mail drop.

• List transmittal date – Know the e-mail address, FTP site or physical address your lists need to be sent to. Provide a field layout and any special coding instructions.
• NCOA date – Allow two days for this service if required.
• Merge/Purge date – Provide detailed instructions of how you want lists merged and de-duped.
• Postal Presort date – Ask for the actual postage amount upon completion of this service.
• Proof address layout date – Sign off prior to the start of lettershop production.

PRINTER – Ask the printer when they will need the finished art to meet the shipping date.

• Graphic files date – Provide finished files with graphics and fonts in a format your printer can work with.
• Proofing date – Be prepared to review proofs and approve them quickly. Changes could create printing delays and will cost money.
• Printing date – Send proof approvals to the printer ASAP. Press time and turn around estimates are based on the date signed proofs are received by the printer.
• Shipping date – Make sure the printer knows the date that material needs to arrive at the mailhouse.

GRAPHIC ARTIST/DESIGN

• Finished files date – Make sure your marketing and graphics departments know when files must be to the printer in order to achieve the planned mail date.

Now, take the calendar and assemble your timeline. Next, share it with everyone involved in the process from the graphic artist to the mail house. They will know their responsibility to meeting the mail date. You’ll know when each step must be completed to stay on schedule.