by Cassandra Balentine
Transactional print and in-plant operations are under increasing pressure to do more with less—shorter service level agreements (SLAs), higher personalization demands, and stricter compliance. “That’s why many turn to hybrid mail and distributed print strategies, enabled by modern inkjet and workflow platforms,” offers Moisha Clark, product portfolio manager, IJP900, Xerox Corporation.
Transactional print providers focus on enabling digital delivery, optimizing mailing costs, and moving to a white paper factory approach, which involves using high-speed, full-color inkjet printing on blank white paper instead of pre-printed forms, according to Kevin McPherson, senior client executive, digital, Quadient.
It is important to note that many transactional communications providers are no longer viewing print and digital as separate strategies, instead they’re focused on delivering communications in the way customers value most. “We see organizations adopting hybrid mail and distributed models to optimize resources while meeting customers where they are—whether through physical mail or secure digital delivery,” notes Ernie Crawford, president/CEO, Crawford Technologies.
Hybrid Strategies
Transactional print providers increasingly embrace hybrid mail and outsourcing models to optimize both digital and print communications. Mary Ann Rowan, chief experience officer, Solimar Systems, Inc., explains that hybrid mail allows organizations—especially those with remote or distributed workforces—to generate customer documents at their workstations and seamlessly outsource the production, printing, and mailing to specialized third-party providers.
A true hybrid workflow joins digital convenience with hard-copy reliability. “A mix of channels is key—59 percent of consumers prefer digital billing, 16 percent are sticking with print and mail; and 27 percent want both,” says Gabe Preczner, VP of operations, Nordis Technologies, citing findings in the report, First-Half 2025 ACI Speedpay Pulse.
“This model significantly reduces costs and improves efficiency, as demonstrated by cases like PHD Mail Ltd., which achieved a 99 percent processing success rate and eliminated up to ten hours of monthly IT troubleshooting by deploying Solimar Systems’ ReadyPDF Prepress Server to automate and standardize file processing,” offers Rowan.
Service providers implement hybrid mail platforms to allow their clients to upload digital files securely from anywhere. “The service providers may then process these files for printing and mailing. Hybrid mail helps reduce the costs of operating in-plants while also accelerating the production and delivery process. To offer their clients value-added services, transactional print providers offer personalized document composition and variable data printing. To do this, they require software solutions that allow them to rapidly repurpose the templates and data they already have to quickly design and deliver personalized communications across any channel,” shares McPherson.
An omni-channel platform helps companies bridge between physical statements and other communications to digital by adding quick response (QR) codes that make it easy for consumers to pay electronically or use other online self-service features, adds Preczner.
Clark points out that with hybrid mail, organizations can accept jobs digitally from anywhere, centralize production, and then print and mail closer to the recipient when it makes sense. This reduces postage, shortens delivery cycles, and improves business continuity.
“Outsourcing models complement this by allowing overflow or specialized jobs to be routed to partner facilities seamlessly, without disrupting core operations,” shares Clark.
Outsourcing
By partnering with experienced transactional print and mail providers, Preczner believes organizations can tap into advanced technologies and streamlined processes that aren’t feasible to maintain in house.
The benefits of outsourcing transactional print and mail can start upstream, when companies partner with a firm that offers a cloud-based omni-channel customer communication management (CCM) platform. “Using a single platform, business users can coordinate and simplify the entire workflow from creating print and digital communications to production and delivery, catering to customer preferences while ensuring accuracy and compliance,” says Preczner.
Outsourcing further introduces scalability and flexibility, meeting same-day SLAs and ensuring secure, reliable document delivery. “As digital channels grow, print remains important for legal compliance and targeted outreach, often serving as the tangible trigger for customers to interact with digital platforms or websites,” comments Rowan.
Outsourcing also allows organizations to benefit from economies of scale, such as bulk postage discounts and access to cutting-edge printing equipment. “On top of the efficiencies and greatly enhanced data security from consolidating print production and delivery with a single provider, organizations that entrust the physical production and mailing to transactional print and mail specialists trim their postal, labor, and equipment expenses by roughly 30 percent, according to IDC,” shares Preczner.
Distributed printing is used by print providers partnering to accomplish a combined strategy of digital and print, and Crawford expects this to become even more important once the U.S. Postal Service adopts a zone pricing strategy. “Also, by partnering and outsourcing certain functions, print providers gain scalability and cost efficiency while maintaining control over sensitive communications. Increasingly, outsourcing includes accessibility remediation and multi-language services, where specialized providers ensure documents meet compliance requirements, there are inclusive for all audiences, and reach customers in the language that best serves them—all without disrupting core operations. These models allow providers to deliver consistent, compliant, and customer-focused services across both print and digital channels, efficiently adapting to changing customer preferences and operational demands.”
Preczner says that transactional outsourcing also allows companies to leverage secure production horsepower—high-speed, roll-fed color inkjet and integrated finishing for scalable personalization and redundant, compliance-audited production sites for business continuity.
“Ultimately, providers are adopting hybrid and distributed approaches not only to cut costs but to unlock flexibility. With modular, space-conscious inkjet technology and cloud-enabled workflows, they can consolidate devices, reduce labor, and future-proof their operations while meeting rising expectations for faster, more personalized, and secure communications,” offers Clark.
Optimizing Outreach
CCM solutions play a large role in omni-channel communications.
Some CCM providers enable companies to automate sequenced communication outreach, such as sending a printed statement if a consumer hasn’t opened an emailed statement within a set number of days or sending a text payment reminder a few days before the due date if a customer hasn’t used the paper statement’s QR code or paid the bill using other payment methods, explains Preczner.
For ease of use and convenience, consumers also expect omni-channel choices in billing notifications, with 45 percent favoring email alerts and 21 percent preferring text alerts, according to ACI Speedpay Pulse. Another 21 percent want printed alerts sent by mail and ten percent want mobile application alerts.
Push for Sustainability
From using recycled paper, low volatile organic compound (VOC)-inks, and subscribing to environmental certifications, there are several points in the process to consider environmental responsibility.
“Sustainability is important and increasingly achievable thanks to new technologies and operational best practices,” states Rowan.
Environmental initiatives are supported by several factors, including enabling precise control of ink usage to minimize waste; supporting eco-friendly substrates, including recycled papers and low-VOC inks, aligning with market and regulatory requirements; and automating processes to reduce errors and unnecessary prints, using address cleansing, segmentation, and e-delivery options to cut physical output, according to Rowan.
“We increasingly hear more from our customers about the need for efficiency and reducing waste. Print providers and in-plants focus on reducing inventory of pre-printed paper and envelopes so they can operate more efficiently and with more automation. This includes moving away from inserts and adding more messaging onto the document, what we refer to as an ‘onsert.’ Moving to a white paper factory approach dramatically reduces the number and quantity of preprinted stock that must be stored and managed,” offers McPherson.
Sustainability isn’t just about materials. “It’s about giving customers choice, delivering communications efficiently, and reducing waste, all while maintaining the quality, compliance, and reliability that transactional communications demand,” argues Crawford.
Crawford believes that sustainability starts with putting customers first. “By offering secure digital delivery as the default, organizations can reduce the volume of physical mail while still meeting individual preferences. For those who prefer print, providers can print on demand and use intelligent inserts to ensure only necessary materials are included, minimizing waste. Combining or batching jobs to optimize postal routes further reduces waste, and hybrid delivery strategies lower costs while significantly cutting both the carbon footprint and material waste associated with mail transport. Preference management systems are being used to suppress the printing of documents for people who prefer digital delivery.”
Rowan says print providers and in-plants are also pursuing third-party certifications—e.g., Sustainable Green Printing Partnership, SGP, which extend beyond material choices to include operational best practices, emissions tracking, and continuous improvement. “Such certifications demonstrate verifiable environmental stewardship to customers and stakeholders, providing a credible framework for measurable impact,” she notes.
Businesses are also focused on sustainability from a facilities perspective. “Facilities, for example, can be made more sustainable with efficient lighting and air controls,” shares McPherson.
Preczner feels that greater sustainability in all business operations is paramount, and transactional print and mail experts should evaluate all processes, with their customers, to make them more sustainable. For instance, companies can save money and printing resources including paper, ink, and electricity by implementing strong address hygiene protocols to minimize return mail and automating workflows to minimize errors and thus reduce waste. Moving to roll-fed printers eliminate the need for preprinted stock, saving on storage space as well as wasted paper if the company has to toss it if it changes logos, addresses or other data on the stock. Companies can reduce the environmental impact of the printing process by using eco-friendly paper, biodegradable inks and energy-efficient technology, as well as by minimizing waste through digital workflows, double-sided printing, and recycling programs. Key practices include choosing FSC-certified paper, as well as adopting and implementing systems to track and manage print usage.
Tim Bolton, manager II, Inkjet Technology Portfolio, Ricoh Graphic Communications, Ricoh North America, adds that historically he’s seen higher focus on sustainability with the European market when compared to the North American but in recent years, this has changed significantly. “U.S. and Canadian customers are keenly aware of monitoring and reporting requirements around carbon footprint, paper waste, and energy usage.”
Future-Proofing Transactional
Future-proofing transactional operations isn’t just about technology—it’s about delivering communications that are personalized, relevant, accessible, inclusive, and available in the language that works best for each individual, while giving organizations the flexibility to adapt as expectations and regulations evolve.
“Cultural and generational shifts are redefining what customers expect from organizations. People now demand instant access, highly personalized and relevant interactions, and absolute confidence that their data is secure. At the same time, they expect accessibility, inclusivity, and choice in how they receive communications—whether through print, secure email, mobile applications, or other digital channels, and in the language that works best for them,” says Crawford.
“At a minimum for customer experience today consumers expect bills to arrive in their preferred channel—whether it’s a physical statement or a digital notification. Bills must be easy to read and offer a friction-free path to payment. Generic, jargon-heavy statements no longer cut it; personalized layouts and plain-language content are now table stakes,” offers Preczner.
Jan2026, DPS Magazine
