Genesis' Report: Renewable Energy Systems Engineering

As it's a very important (and exciting) project for CFH, we've decided to include reports from Genesis Oyedotun who's heading up the Energy Self Sufficiency at CFH as part of his Masters Degree in Renewable Energy Systems Engineering at the University of the West of England (UWE).

So here's Genesis' opening report.

Increasing awareness regarding the environmental impact of Business processes producing materials using energy from fossil fuels such as natural gas, coal and oil is driving a reappraisal of how best to produce these commodities with minimum impacts. Current worldwide consumption and demand for fossil fuels, particularly oil, is placing a massive strain on a finite resource, particularly when taken in the context of India and China’s rapidly expanding economies.

This distributed generation initiative was created by the partnership between CFH Ltd and The University of the West of England (UWE) to encourage the development of sustainable power generation and supply to support business processes in a green cautious industry like CFH. It is an exciting time for us at the University to work with the management group of CFH in order to create what we believed is going to be a pace setter for some other SMEs within the county of Somerset.

My primary research area is renewable energy systems engineering. I think this is a very monumental time in which our actions in the next decade will play a huge role with regards to the global climate in the future. Having an opportunity to participate in a project with a meaningful effect in the UK businesses by trying to tackle a piece of the energy challenge in CFH so we can have a sustainable supply of energy that does not harm future generations or the environment is brilliant.

In the last couple of months we have established and addressed energy use within the business with particular emphasis on the interaction between production needs, efficiency and wastage. We have also examined a range of sustainable technologies and narrow down what we believe is most appropriate for energy generation as Biomass CHP (Combined Heat & Power). At present, UWE working closely with CFH studying the production of different types of biomass (waste paper derived fuel, wood chips, etc.), investigating their behaviour in thermal conversion processes (direct combustion, gasification and pyrolysis) and their economic assessment which will enable us to make an informed decision on the best technological option.

Just some of the areas under review or to be reviewed:
• CHP sizing study through wood resource availability
• Economic assessment of CHP project
• Technology assessment / supplier selection
• Grid connection /site electrical capacity
• Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) issues
• Planning and Environment Agency issues
• IPPC and Waste Incineration Directive
• Assessment of environmental benefits

We are very optimistic that the Knowledge Transfer Partnership result of this joint venture shall be a success, add more value to CFH Ltd and also generate some technical paper which could be used in academic arena.

Docmail Website Revamp

We've had a bit of a revamp of the public website, with a cleaner look improved navigation, and some navigation improvements.

Docamil's API page has been updated with new information and code samples to make is easier for you integrate the power of Docmail's hybrid mail system into your own software for you and your customers.

We have improvements to the web portal on the way too, with new features, and a new look, so watch this space!

Will

Docmail Energy Self Sufficiency Project

CFH have teamed up with the University of the West of England (UWE) with an ambitious project to make the us self-sufficient for energy use - possibly within two years!

Heading the project from UWE is Genesis Oyedotun, who is currently undertaking a Masters Degree in Renewable Energy Systems Engineering. Genesis will be working at CFH over the next two years to research and implement extensive carbon saving measures, including efficiency improvements and on-site power generation.

“The energy saving potential here at CFH is huge,” says Dave Broadway, managing director at CFH. “The government is looking to reduce emissions from SMEs by around 25%, which of course not only contributes greatly to EU emissions targets, but it makes financial sense. At CFH we estimate we currently spend around £1/2 million each year on energy, and if we can reduce this cost then that is an enormous boost to the company."

He continues, “The collaboration with UWE is a very exciting project. The transfer of knowledge between us is already seeing results, and with everyone in the company giving it their full support, we are confident of achieving our objectives."

The new project adds to our existing environmental commitment with our tree planting scheme TopTree, accreditations from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), as well as the recent addition of accreditation ISO 14001:2004 for our Environmental Management System.

Read the full press release here:
CFH Docmail Aims for Energy Self-Sufficiency

CFH Increase Digital Capacity

We're further expanding our digital capacity with a new Xerox Nuvera 288, providing increased capability for our transactional print offerings including Docmail.

Dave Broadway, managing director at CFH says,
“The Nuvera 288 is one of the fastest cut-sheet presses on the market, and will sit at the top end of our digital mono fleet. The extremely high quality of image it produces, and its advanced personalization capability, meets our short to medium run requirements perfectly for transactional and transpromo print, and in particular for our rapidly growing Docmail hybrid mail service.”

Read more here:
CFH Docmail Increase Digital Capacity

Hays Recruitment Choose Docmail

£10 million savings expected by using Docmail!

The Docmail Team are pleased to announce a fantastic new contract win with Hays.

Hays are the world's leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.

Hays have appointed CFH and the integration of our Corporate Docmail management and hybrid mail system to its head office and network of 212 branch offices.

The appointment is based on a three year contract (plus two year option) and with upwards of 9 millions envelopes being mailed each year, with a contract worth of 12 million.

Martin Bird (shown right with Jon Marsh, Commercial Director, CFH Ltd), Procurement Director of Hays comments 'We estimate that we will save around ten million pounds over the next five years by using Docmail.'

For more information, please read:
Hays Recruitment to Save Millions with Docmail

Docmail Achieves ISO 14001 Environmental Accreditation!

Congratulations to the Environmental team at CFH Docmail who have worked very hard over the last 12 months to implement and be awarded BSI ISO 14001:2004 for our Environmental Management System.

At CFH Docmail we are proud of our environmental practices and this new award compliments our existing FSC and PEFC accreditations.

In addition to these awards our Toptree initiative allows Docmail users to help us maintain our green credentials.

If you just include a small Toptree image on your mailing, then Toptree will plant twice as many trees as were used to make the paper in the first place.


Including this or one of the other Toptree images available not only qualifies your mailing for the Toptree scheme, but also lets people know that the paper used was sustainably produced and supports active woodland regeneration in the UK.

The imprints are available here: Toptree Imprints.
Find out more about Toptree at www.toptree.com

Last chance to send your Christmas cards

Last posting date for Christmas cards on Docmail is Wednesday the 16th.

Time's running out if you want to send your Christmas cards in the fastest and most cost effective way this year!

Docmail Christmas cards are fun, and easy to send, and at just 76p per card including postage (and including VAT if you're sending company cards) it's incredibly good value.
All you need to do to send your Christmas cards right now is to...

1. log in to your docmail account (Retrieve your login information here if you have forgotten it),
2. click on the Christmas card button on the left,
   
3. select the card you want to send, select the greeting and put in your 'from' text (e.g. "with best wishes from Dave and Karen"),
4. then type in your addresses (or upload a spreadsheet with your address list on it).
   
5. click the button to validate your addresses
6. check your proof to see how your card will look
   
7. pay and mail!

That's it - simple - and of course once you have set up your addresses the first time, you can use them again and again.

I just sent a card - it took less than 2 minutes including typing the address. It really is that simple and quick, and the real proof is that all of us at Docmail use it ourselves!

So with just two days left - if you want to save as much time and money as we are, go to your Docmail account now!

Just click here to log in to your account.

Need any help?

The Docmail team are always available to talk you through any issues, and help with any problems - just call 01761 416311 or email docmailsupport@cfh.com

It only remains to wish you...

Happy Xmas from the Docmail Team!

New Docmail Indicia

So, what are indicia you ask? Indicia are the logo's which replace stamps in the top right-hand corner of our envelopes. They identify the mailing licence holder and licence agreement to the Royal Mail, and allow us to add our own touches.

After listening to customer feedback, we are introducing new indicia.
The first of the indicia will be our new standard mark, introducing a more discreet, stamp-like feel.
The second, with a seasonal touch, will be in use over the Christmas period.



Thanks for the feedback.
Will.

Christmas Cards the easy way!

We all love to receive cards at Christmas, but who really enjoys the chore of hand writing and signing every single one? Let alone remembering to get all the stamps and keeping an eye on the cut-off dates for second-class post.

Well now thanks to Docmail's card service, you can streamline all of this in one easy action. All you need to do is upload a CSV database file of your addresses (full instructions available), choose a design and a greeting and Docmail does the rest.

And the best bit? The price of course! For just 76p a card, you get the card, personalisation, postage and VAT all included. Not a sheet of stamps or a hastily scrawled greeting in sight.

Docmail and the Royal Mail postal strikes

Unfortunately Docmail is not completely immune from the Royal Mail strikes. However, as we do a lot of the work normally carried out by the Royal Mail we can reduce the impact of the strikes!

With normal post, Royal Mail collect the post (from companies, post offices and post boxes) take it to their sortation centres, sort the mail, trunk it to their ‘inbound mail centres’, and then hand over to the postman for the ‘final mile delivery’.

Docmail prints, encloses and sorts your mail, and then delivers it to the inbound mail centre for the final mile delivery. As the CWU is proposing strikes that affect certain parts of the Royal Mail network at different times to cause maximum disruption, when those strikes are affecting the sections before the inbound mail centre they won’t affect Docmail.

So, although not strike proof, Docmail has much more chance of delivering your mail on time!

Small Business Survey

Hi everybody.

I've just come across a new survey currently running for Small Business Week 2009.

It's aiming to be the largest ever survey of small businesses in the UK:
"The 2009 Business Pulse is commissioned by BT Business, NatWest, British Chambers of Commerce, Business Link, ACCA, Growing Business, everywoman, and supported by The Design Council, LSC, Prince's Trust and Fresh Business Thinking."

It closes on 28th Sepember, so there's not long left to take part.

Take a look over at http://www.smallbusinessweek2009.co.uk/businesspulse

Will

Docmail Hybrid Mail - Post letters from your PC for just 25p!

Hybrid Mail & Docmail

I've just spotted a good article about Hybrid Mail and it's place in the future of mail and communication.

It highlights many of the benefits of Hybrid Mail Solutions like Docmail, and new ideas, and technologies that are springing from our industry all the time.
Good to see word is getting out about Hybrid Mail!

"Hybrid mail could in time, help integrate traditional postal services with our present obsession with everything digital, once everyone latches on. For those unfamiliar with the concept, Hybrid mail is the link between the computer desktop and the conventional letter box, with software that enables users to create and send a letter electronically and for it to be printed, despatched, and posted elsewhere - allegedly at a lower price than if you did the entire job yourself."

Follow the link below for the full Hybrid Mail article over on Hellmail:
http://www.hellmail.co.uk/postalnews/templates/postal_industry_news.asp?articleid=1750&zoneid=3

Happy Christmas!

Well not quite. It's a bit early for even the supermarkets to be starting on Christmas.

However, after the success of our online Greetings cards scheme last Christmas, we're planning to re-launch the service within the next couple of Months, with new card designs, and hopefully a few new options.

If you're interested, there's a quick preview at the end of this link:
Christmas Cards Online

Our "Postcard" service is also on the way, so watch this space!

Doctors Saving Money with Docmail

Network for Practices is dedicated to providing support to Medical Practice Management. They provide Administration Training, Nursing Training, IT Services, Purchasing Services and Management Support to Practice Managers and Managers in Primary Care Medical Practices.

Patient Recall Letters (from 25 pence)

GP Surgeries have been using Docmail for patient recall since July 2008 realising the cost saving and time saving benefits that Docmail delivers from an early stage. Patient recall can be time consuming for practice managers and their teams and the volumes printed do not allow practices to take advantage of postal discounts.

With this in mind Docmail started to work with Network for Practices in October 2008. Docmail's cost saving and time saving benefits fit ideally with NfPs drive to deliver savings and new technology to practices. To date 20% of NfPs members have used Docmail and more continue to register.

As part of the partnership Docmail and NfP have worked together to create a set of templates for all patient recall letters that are added to members accounts when they register at no cost, this has helped to minimise the amount of time the user has to spend setting up the account.

Docmail continues to work closely with NfP to ensure that cost savings and new developments are communicated to members and with Practices preparing for larger Flu Recall Mailings this August we expect to see a further increase in the number of surgeries using Docmail.

Follow this link, for more information for Healthcare Professionals, or contact docmailsupport@cfh.com.

Our Survey Says: No to Privatisation but Yes to Post

In the survey, commissioned by CFH Docmail, 72% of UK consumers said they want to see no privatisation of the Royal Mail, with only 6% in favour of partial privatisation, and less that 5% favouring full privatisation.

We did however, find plenty of support for the Royal Mail.

79% of participants said the Royal Mail was trustworthy, with around 2 thirds 66% seeing them as reliable. Interestingly 10% more participants (a huge 89%) saw their postman as trustworthy, confirming the public still has a lot of love for the local postie.

Another key point to was the continuing preference for real post rather than email delivery. A whopping 87% stated they enjoyed receiving post, with many wanting critical documents delivered as real posted documents.

Despite recent efforts by the banks and utilities, 62% of the respondents still wanted a paper copy of their statements and bills posted through the door, while a massive 82% want communication from their Doctor to be by post – this despite all of the respondents being internet enabled.

The for post may be driven by the perception of higher security with physical envelopes, with 32% of respondents seeing the post as more secure than online – while only 12% saw online delivery as more secure.

Dave Broadway (MD here at CFH, creators of Docmail) had this to say:

“It is clear from the results of this survey that the British public still enjoy a good relationship with the Royal Mail, and have a strong desire to receive documents by post. Services like Docmail that make the post easier and cheaper to use, can therefore still offer huge benefits to organisations that want to communicate with the public, while bringing more business to Royal Mail.”

Confirmed demographic data (548 respondents):
Male: 44%
Female: 53%
Under 25: 6%
26-35: 25%
36-45: 28%
45-55: 21%
56-65: 15%
Over 65: 2%

The survey was carried out using the opt-in online service at http://www.htmail.com/market_research.html, and was emailed to some 6,000 UK residents with 548 respondents.

Referral Scheme

Docmail offers a referral system that lets you benefit if you refer other people.

Aimed at all customers, rather than those actively selling Docmail (see our Associates scheme), all you do is tell other people about Docmail and ask them to enter your customer number as the referrer, and you earn credit to spend with Docmail for every letter they send!

When someone that you've referred sends a letter we credit your account with 0.5p. If they refer someone else, you get 0.5p each time that 'second level' referral sends a letter.

Refer 10 people, and if they also refer 10 people and each send just 100 letters per month, your account gains 55 credit each month!

Click here to find out more:
Docmail referral scheme

Become an Associate & Earn Money With Docmail

Docmail provides a fantastic new service to businesses and organisations that need to send post.

Now you have the chance to get in at the beginning of the new growth market of "Hybrid Mail".

You can actively sell Docmail to an existing customer base - or just simply include a link on your website - in either case, you have a growing income in a brand new marketplace.

You can earn from 0.5p to 2p for every envelope that a Docmail customer introduced by you sends out. Every time one of your referrals sends an order, you get an email telling you how much you have earned, and what your current balance is. Docmail pays out once a month (if you have over 50 in your account).

Click here for more information: Docmail Associate

Swine Flu

There were an estimated 100,000 new cases of swine flu in the UK last week. If the number of cases continues to grow at the current pace, it is estimated that the UK could have 100,000 new cases per day by the end of August.

Are your staff, patients or customers aware of the implications of any pandemic/outbreak?
Do you need to communicate with them regularly with advice on how your products and services will remain unaffected?

Docmail could help you to do this at only 25p per letter, which includes the printing, envelopes and postage.

All we need from you is the letter template and the list of addresses and we can be printing the same day for you, saving your staff the time of printing all of the letters, hand stuffing the envelopes, sticking on the stamps and rushing to the post office.

Docmail - Making an exhibition of ourselves

May and June have proved industrious months on the CFH exhibition calendar.

Manchester was the venue for BIBAs (British Insurance Brokers Association) annual conference and exhibition.With attendance up 54% on the previous year it was a busy show and included presentations from both Ruby Wax and Erin Brockovich.

Following this the team travelled to Business Start Up at London Excel.With many different business sector types at the show, it proved the versatility of docmail and its suitability across the board.

Finally the beautiful town of Harrogate was the setting for the CIH (Charter Institute Housing) exhibition.As usual our tree giveaway was extremely popular!
Toptree - paper makes trees

With over 250 new Docmail users the take up from these exhibitions has been good and the team are looking forward to the next show in Wiltshire.

Big Ted's Day Out

CFH have been working with the Forever Friends Appeal for the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at Bath's Royal United Hospital.

Victoria Coates, Business Development Manager at CFH says "This is such a fantastic local cause, used by my family when my daughter was born and a lot of our employees children have also benefited from this amazing facility. We are really pleased to be able to help them in any way."

For the full story, visit the CFH news archive.

Toptree, free tree planting through Docmail

Toptree's now fully available for free on all Docmail products!

Users can now opt to include a Toptree logo and special code in their letters. The Toptree Initiative will plant trees to replace that paper, and for every ten codes entered onto the Toptree website, an extra tree will be planted.
Press Release

Full details can be found here:
Docmail Plants Trees

Will

Docmail moves to C5 envelope as standard

Following on from customer feedback over the last few months, docmail has now moved to a C5 envelope as standard.
This means your letter will now only be folded once (unless it is over 15 sheets of paper which will go unfolded into a C4 envelope).
Here's an example of what the standard envelope now looks like:

DocMail API Profile (on ProgrammableWeb)

Our API's now listed on ProgrammableWeb.com:

DocMail API Profile

Shared via AddThis

CFH TopTree - Almost 80,000 trees planted so far!

Toptree plants twice as many trees in the UK as were originally used to make the paper products that carry the Toptree logo.

All Toptree supported products are made from paper sourced from sustainably maintained forests. Many companies try to reduce their environmental impact by reducing their paper usage and using recycled paper. However, with the environmental challenges we face today, conservation is not enough. We need restoration.

The Toptree Initiative plants trees in the UK in conjunction with the Woodland Trust to regenerate UK woodland for all to enjoy. Almost 80,000 trees have been planted since the initiative began in 1997.

Toptree will be available on Docmail products shortly!

Security

People often ask us about the security of their mail when they use Docmail. It's an important question, and one that should be asked of any supplier handling data and personal information on your behalf - beware of suppliers that give you 'woolly' answers!

Docmail is provided entirely by CFH Total Document Management Ltd - here is how we keep your data and documents secure:

ISO\IEC 27001:2005 accreditation
ISO\IEC 27001:2005 is an information security management system (ISMS) standard. We are regularly audited by the BSI (British Standards Institute) to ensure that we comply with all aspects of this accreditation. The audit tests all of our security systems to ensure that any data we hold is held in a secure manner.

APACS accreditation
APACS is the 'Association of Payment and Clearing Services' - established by the UK banking industry - APACS sets standards for companies involved in handling secure payments of any kind.

Site Security
CFH Total Document Management Ltd are located on a 100,000 square foot site near Bath. Some of the security precautions taken are listed below:

• CCTV - external and internal CCTV monitor the site at all times. Internal CCTV monitors key secure areas.
  
• Comprehensive alarm systems connected to Police and Fire
  
• Gated and fenced - Electric gates protect entry to the company's site - you need a special key fob to operate the gates.
  
• Two level card entry system - you cannot enter the site without a security card unless the receptionist opens the door for you!
  
• First level of card entry gives access to the site - but a second card, that records all traffic, is required to enter any of the secure areas within the site - and that card is programmed to only allow access to areas that an employee needs to go.
  
• Secure caged areas - all key secure areas within the building are protected by metal caging.
  
• Building manned at all times - We work 362 days a year - and on the remaining days, security guards are on site!
  
• CRB checked staff - All staff are checked out with the Criminal Records Bureau when they join us.
  
• All our staff have personally signed confidentiality agreements.
  
• Our average length of service is 13 years - we don't have high staff turnover or lots of temporary staff - our staff are local, known and trusted.
  

IT System Security
Our IT systems run at the highest level of security. We protect our core systems with double skinned firewalls, and all of your communication with us once you log into your account is via our encrypted secure servers. We employ a third party company to monitor and control our firewall policy, and use a further standards company to carry out six monthly penetration tests of our systems to ensure that our security meets the highest standards.

Trusted partner
CFH handle critical documents for about 12% of all UK councils, including annual council tax billing, daily billing, payslips and so on. In addition we send out bank and credit card statements for a number of major UK banks, and make cheque payments on behalf of UK blue chip companies (see our press releases to see some of the
companies we provide our service for).

Now you can see why you need have no concerns over the security and privacy of your data and documents in our hands!

Improving our Mail Sorting

As part of a review of our delivery speed, accuracy and efficiency, we have decided to include the Royal Mail CBC (Customer Bar Code) in the address window of all of our documents, rather than printing it on the outside of the envelope as we used to.

While this does represent a change to the look of the address window, the new CBC contains additional delivery information for use by the Royal Mail.
The CBC is required by the Royal Mail to achieve the best postal rates, as it ensures the item can be processed by machine once it reaches them.

Here's an example of how the new address window will look:


The new CBC will not only improve delivery accuracy & avoid potential delays at Royal Mail, but also help us to keep costs down & pass the savings on to you!

We're in the Library!

I just stumbled upon the following article about Docmail, which has made it's way into the online library site accessmylibrary.com

British Hybrid Undercuts Royal Mail.

Indicia

We are launching a new smaller Docmail indicia on our envelopes - again, just awaiting Royal Mail approval. But here is a preview...

Make money from your Docmail account!

We have just launched our new Docmail Associates program that lets you earn money from introducing your customers, business associates etc to Docmail. Get from 0.5p to 2p for every letter mailed by someone you referred - and it's recurring income - make one introduction, and enjoy the benefit for years!

You can find out all you need to know here - including terms and conditions.

Hybrid Mail API

With the Docmail's Application Programming Interface (API) you can integrate Docmail into your software package with our Hybrid Mail API !

Aimed at software developers, the API allows easy integration of accounting software, vertical market systems, in fact, any software that generates documents to be posted. Developers can now add a 'Docmail' button to their software and bring the benefit of low cost, low effort post to all of their customers. No more stuffing envelopes with invoices, statements and letters - just hit the Docmail button, and everything is done for you, at less cost.

Download the Docmail API help guide here.

Sending a sample letter

Haven't tried Docmail yet? It's simple to send your first letter.

(1) Just click on 'Create my mailing', enter a name for your mailing like 'test' and click on next.
(2) Select the welcome letter from the test letters provided and click on next.
(3) Click on the 'Add self to list' button and click on next.
(4) Click on the 'Download proof' button, and check your proof - click on 'Approve'.
(5) Click on 'Pay from account' to use your free £1 credit to pay - then click OK. That's it, your letter is on it's way to you.

Why not try it now, it will take 2 minutes!

Log in here to send a quick letter over the internet.

Don't forget - if you are a new user you can send a letter now, For free!

New accounts are credited with £1.00

- that's enough to let you send up to three letters

- so why not log in to your account and send a letter for free?

Docmail Prices

Royal Mail prices increased by 3p in April - Docmail prices didn't.
You can still send a letter from just 25p (+VAT), including print, envelope and postage

- That's 5p less than a 2nd class Royal Mail stamp!

New Docmail Forum

We have a new Docmail Forum - so if you are unsure how to link to the API, or have some questions or suggestions on Docmail - the forum is the place to go!

Just visit http://forums.cfh.com.

What is Docmail?

Docmail is a new way to send your mail.
Simply give us your template (in word or pdf format) and mailing list online, and we'll do the rest.
All from just 25 pence plus VAT.