Sending Paper Invoices Cause You Headaches? A Cloud-Based Mailroom Makes Bookkeeping and Accounts Receivable Simple
The unsung heroes of finances, bookkeepers and accounts receivable clerks hold great responsibility on their shoulders while handling companies’ financial administration. You need to ensure that bills are sent, payments are received, records are kept, and accounting harmony is established so business can flow seamlessly, but you sometimes also must spend time on peripheral tasks that can feel like a nuisance. Invoicing includes many manual steps like printing, stuffing envelopes, mailing, and buying postage and materials when you run out of them. The distraction of handling these tasks instead of focusing on your primary responsibilities is inconvenient, to say the least. And if the documents have many pages, it takes even longer, and you must find the time to do it. Well, not anymore – read on.
The main reasons that bookkeepers and accounts receivable clerks might be handling invoices the old-fashioned way is that they are either simply used to it, are unaware of new technological solutions, or are unsure of the effectiveness of these technologies.
Just because you’ve always done it that way doesn’t mean you shouldn’t adopt more modern practices when the opportunity arises. Imagine gaining greater control and visibility over your billing process, having more time, and improving cash turnover with faster invoice delivery. So, if you are still entrenched in manual invoice handling, in this article, we will explore how to change it so that you don’t have this repetitive work to do, as all the mailing part of your job is completed in only a few minutes. We hope this information will be helpful.
The Solution for the Manual Invoicing Challenge
A cloud-based mailroom service just takes over and automates the entire process. The DocuSend mailroom allows you to print your newly created invoices as PDFs and upload them in any volume to a secure online platform. From there, the invoices are retrieved, printed by high-speed industrial printers, automatically stuffed into envelopes, and handed over to the USPS within two business days. Documents can be uploaded either on the DocuSend website or via an API that is compatible with any accounting software, providing seamless integration into the existing workflow. It requires no contracts or minimums, and no monthly fees. Users pay only for the invoices they are going to mail, and that’s all.
There is no need for additional data mapping. Due to the wide range of features, it is possible to upload documents of practically any design.
The Case for Clouds Over Online Stamps
If you are responsible for getting the bills out and don’t know about the cloud-based mailroom, you might be using an online stamps service, which, while somewhat helpful, takes a lot longer and it’s not automated. So you still might be printing invoices yourself and applying postage to every envelope. You don’t have to do that.
Send Invoices via USPS as Easily as Sending an Email
DocuSend cuts a company’s usual expenses on time and materials and postage by half compared to traditional methods. By purchasing materials in bulk and using presorted First-Class automation, it offers bulk pricing to all users.
An online mailroom makes billing effortless. Whether a business needs to send out one invoice or thousands, the process is equally easy and fast. Having no contracts or minimums is beneficial for both small and big businesses, with any postal volume. Small ones might only send a few invoices at a time but can still benefit from bulk pricing and automation, and big companies that have high volumes and are looking to optimize their mailing costs and free up office space and employees’ time also gain significantly by implementing such a system.
Let’s highlight some of the advantages for your workflow that you won't find with other mailing methods, or that will cost you extra.
Enhanced Cash Flow
Invoices are not only prepared and sent out faster, but they travel within the US postal system faster. That’s because each invoice sent through DocuSend receives an Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb), which speeds up delivery. Yes, each invoice, even if you were sending out only a few. They still can go as presorted First-Class automated mail, without the need to reach a certain quantity to qualify, like with traditional mail shops. The barcode helps streamline the processing and delivery of invoices. It allows them to bypass certain postal facility steps. Having invoices reach their destinations faster means payments can be received sooner.
Time Efficiency and Address Accuracy
By automating the invoicing process, bookkeepers and accounts receivable clerks can free up hours of time. The process of uploading invoices online from your desktop happens with a few clicks and takes no more than a couple of minutes.
DocuSend includes NCOA (National Change of Address) service and address cleanup at no extra charge. This ensures that mailing addresses are current and formatted correctly, reducing the risk of invoices being returned.
Automated System: Enhanced Tracking and Control
With automated processes that minimize the risk of errors, the cloud-based mailroom has an advantage over manual methods, where errors can easily occur. With DocuSend, users have access to a personal online portal that allows them to control their billing process. They can review their mailing activity for the past six months and track the journey of their invoices through USPS facilities right up to the final facility. Also, there is an option to resend documents from your portal, both as physical mail and as emails.
Therefore, our brave guardians of cash flow, whether you manage a small business or handle high volumes for a large enterprise, you can alleviate much of the manual burden that comes with traditional invoicing, and best of all, you don’t need any upfront investment to do it. We hope this information will inspire you to embrace change, and we are here to support you in making your invoicing process as efficient as possible.
