Lbox Communications, a UK-based mail distribution service, underwent a rebranding last year, transforming their groundbreaking Targeted Delivery and Mapping Platform (TDMP) into tellthem™. The new name better aligns with the platform’s purpose of facilitating the streamlined delivery of essential mail notifications that keep communities well-informed.
tellthem™ has gained popularity across various organisations, including Network Rail, GRAHAM Construction, Kanda Consulting, Balfour Beatty and The Royal Borough of Greenwich. By utilising this platform, teams have been able to save time, cut costs, and increase efficiency. A free demo is now available for those interested in experiencing its benefits firsthand.
Simplified and expedited mail communications with tellthem™ The United Kingdom has witnessed a rise in construction projects, ranging from large-scale civil engineering endeavors to local road and rail works, resulting in a 5% increase in construction output in 2022.
Despite the diverse scope and cost of these projects, many share a common requirement: the need to notify affected residents, businesses, and stakeholders about potential disruptions. This practice is crucial, not only to comply with regulations but also to minimise disturbances, encourage public feedback, and ensure transparency.
However, historically, sending these important mail communications has been a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, causing significant productivity drains.
“For the longest time, reaching the right people with essential mail notifications has been a demanding and time-consuming process,” says David King, CEO of Lbox Communications and the creator of tellthem™.
“We often encountered individuals spending hours manually drawing maps, counting houses, and compiling address lists by hand.”
“In addition, there were numerous back-and-forth conversations with print and postage providers. The sheer effort required for just one batch of communications was evident. When scaled up across multiple projects, it became clear that organisations faced a significant challenge.”
To address this outdated approach, Lbox developed tellthem™—a unique and one-of-a-kind TDMP tailored for industries where essential mail communications play a vital role, such as construction, highway works, railworks, property planning, utilities and telecoms, and the public sector.
The goal was simple: to transform the hours spent on arranging mail campaigns into mere minutes and consolidate all these tasks into a user-friendly online platform, eliminating the need for subscriptions.
“We deeply understood the challenges faced by our clients, which is why we created tellthem™,” explains King. “Now, organisations can custom map delivery areas with pinpoint accuracy and handle printing, fulfillment, and delivery within minutes through a single online platform—all without the need for a subscription.”
How tellthem™ works According to Lbox, tellthem™ has revolutionised the process of reaching residents, businesses, constituents, and stakeholders with mail notifications, making it faster and simpler than ever before.
Designed to deliver crucial notifications promptly to those who need them, tellthem™ is employed for various important communications, ranging from construction notices and planning consultations to community newsletters and surveys.
To ensure a straightforward process, tellthem™ incorporates Google Maps and instant search tools. These powerful features enable users to quickly and conveniently locate the desired areas and addresses.
“We have also made it possible for tellthem™ users to search for delivery areas using anything from postcodes to local landmarks and what3words codes,” explains King. “This flexibility allows them to identify the correct area using the information they have at hand.”
The platform also integrates an ELR (Engineer’s Line Reference) search function. Developed through Lbox’s longstanding partnership with Network Rail, this feature enables users in the railworks industry to instantly identify the exact stretches of rail line they need to work on.
Furthermore, during their initial research, Lbox discovered that their clients heavily relied on paper maps and markers to outline delivery zones. In order to modernise this approach, tellthem™ incorporates three built-in digital mapping tools—Polygon, Radius, and Buffer Line.
“Whether users need to focus on individual roads and postcodes or create multiple maps to cover larger areas, our smart and versatile mapping functions offer freedom and flexibility, allowing anyone to draw the required delivery areas within seconds,” says King.
The traditional method of informing communities often involved manually counting addresses, which was a time-consuming and laborious process that complicated cost estimation.
“As users adjust the size of their target map, delivery method, and mail format in tellthem™, any changes are instantly reflected in the quote. This provides complete transparency regarding the destination of mail notifications and their cost at all times.”
The rapid and powerful planning facilitated by tellthem™ is executed by Lbox’s experienced team and commercial-grade technology. Users can choose from a wide range of paper stocks, and campaigns are efficiently turned around, often ready for next-day delivery through Royal Mail or Lbox’s uniformed, GPS-tracked distributors.
With the ability to upload artwork, schedule delivery, and select postage options through a single online platform, tellthem™ has significantly simplified the coordination of outreach efforts.
“Discard the highlighters, bid farewell to paper maps, and put calls to print and delivery providers on hold. tellthem™ takes care of everything in one fast, simple, and free-to-use platform tailored to your specific requirements,” concludes King.
