The future direction of the mail industry

The challenges facing the mail industry continue to increase, both in number and complexity. At a time when e-substitution continues to erode mail volumes, the global economy has suffered the worst recession in decades. When these challenges are combined with the evolving competitive landscape in the sector, mail operators need to be able to assess their position and map out a way ahead that is right for them and their market.

PA Consulting Group developed its FutureWorlds™ approach to help organisations build a coherent view of the future, to drive innovation and strategic decision-making. The FutureWorlds™ process combines insight-led scenarios with real technology content to:

• inspire companies to think about how the future will impact their business

• provide a forum and common language to enable marketing and technology teams to innovate

• create alternative future scenarios driven by key business issues

We recently used this approach with a group of senior postal executives to consider the economic crisis and the recent Hooper Report and their implications for the industry in the UK.