Karl Schumacher, President - Pitney Bowes docSense

by Scott Gerschwer

Karl Schumacher is a Who’s Who in high-volume computer output. He joined Pitney Bowes in 1987 and has held executive positions in strategic planning, marketing and product development. As Vice President and General Manager, Document Factory Solutions, he formulated the Production Mail EDP-to-Mail, Host-to-Post and Automated Document Factory strategies. Most recently, he led the Pitney Bowes approach to Internet-based bill presentment and payment. Schumacher has been the architect of several acquisitions and strategic alliances in the integrated document output marketspace. Within Pitney Bowes, he is a member of the Chairman’s Council and the Corporate Strategic Advisory Task Force.

Question:
What would you say are some of the key trends with documents and high-volume computer output (HVCO) today?

Answer:
What we’re seeing most of all is a growing interest in leveraging transactional mail as the single most reliable and regular customer touch point along with an increased awareness that intelligent mail is a powerful tool that should be exploited. Businesses are also realizing that the information and processes associated with document output have been overlooked in terms of CRM integration. Transactional documents are going to be increasingly seen as an integral medium for marketing and CRM.

XML continues to garner interest as the infrastructure of choice for business applications that require an interchange of information.

Finally, business process outsourcing continues to trend upward, which of course includes the document process for many large companies. Pitney Bowes Management Services has been very busy this year and continues to be a strong player in the document output industry.

Question:
What products and services does PB offer that addresses those trends?

Answer:
We’ve built a line of software, systems and services that addresses the entire document cycle from the creation through customer information analysis. We pay more attention to incoming documents—both electronically delivered and via postal mail—than our competitors. Incoming documents have an enormous impact on cash flow management, which of course is extremely important these days.

Our StreamWeaver software is easier to use and continues to amaze our clientele with its flexibility and the number of applications it addresses. It is a utility that businesses should not be without. Our D3 Advantage software is 18-months to two years ahead of our competitors and is proven to deliver value. Our SiteView product automates workflow and acts as an electronic efficiency expert for process management. It helps that our solutions have been built from the ground up using XML.

Question:
What's the best technology advice can you offer other high-volume computer output (HVCO) professionals?

Answer:
The best technology advice is that technology alone is not enough. Processes matter more than technology. Companies that invested heavily in CRM technologies can attest to this fact. CRM is about much, much more than a piece of software. It’s about engineering the flow of communications, which is what Pitney Bowes is all about.

Choose products from stable companies with excellent professional services teams that will be around to support you for many years. The industry is so dynamic that best practices today aren’t best practices tomorrow. Whether you are buying software or equipment, your vendor has to double as your consultant.