Efficient traffic flow is the key to any mail center design. Because most people are right handed you want the incoming mail to enter on the left and move to the left. The mail dump table should be your first table. This is where the mail bags or trays are emptied for presorting or final sorting.
If you are sorting a large volume of mail then you should use a presort to speed up the final sorting operation. Many people think this is handling the mail twice which it is but if you are sorting to 100+ people or departments you ultimately save steps and time with a presort mail operation by grouping the mail into manageable sorting areas. Instead of walking a 20 foot sorting final sort area you presort the mail into an area that is 5 feet. This can be done by individuals, departments or floors whatever works for your mail facility.
The final sort area is where you need adjustable height mail sorting pockets and modular sorters that can be changed and rearranged when the mail center grows and expands. Steel durability is also a must in that even though it sounds like its just light mail the daily production of sorting large volumes of mail takes its toll on anything less that steel sorters and tables.
The outgoing mail area should be the last in this line of mail flow operations and again depending on the volume of mail it can be as simple as a table with a scale and meter or combined with an outgoing mail sorting system to reduce your postage by presorting or grouping the mail to one location or individual sales person for a less expensive mail rate or small UPS rate.
Most mail operations use these basic ideas when planning their mail center, but don’t forget courier services, mail distribution and pick up with a mail cart, small package incoming and outgoing and collating mass mailing. The mail center is no longer just sorting the mail. It a vital part of any corporation or government facility. Charnstrom has always had a saying “If you don’t think your mail center is important try closing it for a day”.
