The market consolidates.
Margins shrink.
Technology overtakes.

What we get asked often.

• What is Customer Communications Management (CCM)?

  Companies send thousands of documents every day: invoices, contracts, policies, reminders, welcome letters. At the same time, they receive just as many inbound messages - applications, enquiries, claims, completed forms. CCM describes the discipline of centralising, automating and consistently managing both sides of this communication - rather than distributing it across dozens of systems and manual processes.

  What CCM covers in practice

  Output management - outbound communication:

  • Document and message creation and personalisation based on customer data
  • Omnichannel delivery: print, email, portal, SMS, app - from a single central platform
  • Versioning, compliance and audit trails for regulated industries
  • Integration with existing core systems (ERP, CRM, DMS)

  Input management - inbound communication:

  • Capture and digitisation of incoming documents (mail, email, scan, form)
  • Automatic classification and extraction of relevant data
  • Handover to downstream processes and systems
  • Closing the media gap between customer request and processing

  Why CCM is underestimated

  CCM is often seen as 'just' output management. That misses the point. In practice it is a strategic lever: anyone who consistently industrialises customer communication - inbound and outbound - doesn't just reduce costs. They improve the customer experience, reduce errors and create the foundation for scalable, personalised communication.

  Particularly in regulated industries - insurance, banking, energy, public administration - CCM is not optional but an operational necessity.

  Market & solutions

  Output management platforms:

  The market offers a range of established enterprise solutions - including Quadient Inspire, OpenText Exstream, Compart DocBridge and IRIS Papyrus. They differ in deployment model (on-premises, cloud, hybrid), depth of integration and the degree of business-user autonomy. The key selection criteria are the existing system landscape and the complexity of the communication to be managed.

  Input management & IDP solutions:

  For the intelligent processing of incoming documents, two types of market participants exist: on one side are specialised technology vendors such as Insiders Technologies and Tungsten Automation, providing standalone IDP platforms with AI-based classification, OCR and automatic data extraction. On the other side are experienced system integrators such as adesso and msg, who refine these technologies into industry-specific solutions and implement them end-to-end - from process analysis through model training to ongoing operations. Key selection criteria are recognition accuracy, channel coverage and the ability to integrate into existing process landscapes.

  nexusX supports CCM projects from strategy through to implementation - from requirements analysis and vendor selection through to go-live.

• What levers does a CCM service provider have against margin pressure?

  Levers Against Margin Pressure in CCM

  The market for CCM services faces constant price pressure. Anyone who wants to remain profitable in the long term needs a clear answer to two questions: Where can costs be structurally reduced - and where do new revenue opportunities emerge?

  1. Cost Optimisation

  Straight-Through Processing via AI Classification in Input Management

  Manual post-processing of incoming documents is one of the biggest cost drivers in operations. Modern AI-based classification - combined with deep learning OCR and automatic specialist data extraction - enables straight-through processing rates of over 90 per cent: documents are captured, classified and handed over to downstream systems without human intervention. Every additional percentage point of straight-through processing directly reduces manual effort and scales with volume. The effect is particularly strong in document-intensive industries such as insurance, where thousands of structurally similar incoming items arrive daily.

  Hybrid Mailing to Reduce Postage Costs

  Postage is one of the biggest individual cost blocks in many CCM operations - and at the same time highly controllable. A consistent hybrid mailing strategy combines physical and digital delivery based on customer preference, document type and cost calculation: those who can be reached digitally receive digitally. Those who need physical mail receive it - but optimally consolidated. The shift to digital channels significantly reduces delivery costs without compromising compliance or customer experience.

  Production Optimisation through Job Bundling and Machine Utilisation

  In physical production there is often underestimated optimisation potential. Through intelligent bundling of production jobs, set-up times can be reduced and machine capacity better utilised. An optimised machine configuration - tailored to volume, format and paper variety - reduces downtime and waste. At the same time, a consolidated procurement strategy for paper, envelopes and consumables enables better terms: those who bundle volumes and conclude long-term framework agreements achieve tangible savings in material purchasing.

  Platform Consolidation

  Grown CCM landscapes often consist of several parallel systems - historically the result of acquisitions, customer projects or isolated technology solutions. Every platform incurs licence costs, operational effort and integration complexity. A systematic consolidation onto a single central CCM platform not only reduces ongoing costs but also simplifies maintenance, update cycles and further development. The one-off migration effort typically pays off within a few years - and simultaneously creates the technical foundation for scaling.

  2. Revenue Growth in Growing Business Areas

  Digital Services and Multichannel Communication

  The growth market lies not in classic letter delivery but in digital communication. Companies are looking for partners who can manage customer communication across channels - email, customer portal, app, SMS - from a single source and with consistent quality. CCM service providers who take this step shift their revenue model: away from transactional per-page pricing, towards value-based service contracts with higher margins and stronger customer retention.

  Forward Integration into Customer Processes

  The next strategic step is taking on responsibility that previously lay with the customer. This can be the management of a CCM platform at the customer's site - as a managed service. It can also mean expanding the service portfolio to include archiving solutions: those who generate and send documents can also take over their audit-proof archiving, thereby occupying another step in the customer's value chain. Both approaches increase switching costs for the customer, deepen the partnership and create recurring revenues with more stable margins than pure production business.

  Delivery Optimisation as a Managed Service

  A further growth area lies in actively managing delivery as a standalone service. Senders outsource not just production but the entire delivery logic: the CCM service provider takes over the management of alternative delivery services - such as regional carriers or consolidated networks - and continuously optimises the carrier mix by cost, transit time and delivery rate. Through systematic address validation and returns management, it is ensured that documents actually arrive - because undelivered communication not only causes follow-up costs but also interrupts business processes on the customer side. This is complemented by recipient-proximity production: those who distribute print jobs regionally and produce close to the recipient reduce transport distances and shorten lead times. For the service provider, this creates a differentiated service portfolio beyond pure per-page pricing - with recurring revenues and genuine added value for the customer.

• What does straight-through processing mean in the CCM context?

  Straight-through processing describes the fully automatic end-to-end handling of incoming documents without manual intervention: a document arrives, is classified, relevant data is extracted, and the case is handed over to the right downstream process without human interaction. In the IDP process, straight-through processing is the goal - not the starting point.

  Classification in the IDP Process

  The path to it typically runs through several stages. First, the incoming document is captured and digitised - from email, scan, fax or portal. Then comes classification: what is it - a claim, an application, a cancellation? The system then extracts the relevant specialist data, validates it against defined rules and passes it in a structured form to downstream systems such as a policy management system, a workflow tool or a DMS. Only when classification or extraction falls below defined confidence thresholds does a human intervene - selectively, not routinely.

  The Gap Between Promise and Reality

  In practice, promises and results often diverge. Vendors communicate straight-through processing rates of 80 to 95 per cent - and these figures are achievable under controlled conditions: with homogeneous document types, high scan quality and well-trained models. The reality in grown enterprise environments looks different. Those with a heterogeneous mail intake - handwritten documents, poor scans, free-form texts, documents in varying layouts - honestly land at between 35 and 60 per cent straight-through processing. The rest ends up on a clerk's desk.

  This is not a failure of technology, but a question of the input mix. What matters is therefore not the communicated maximum rate, but the realistic rate for your own document inventory - determined on the basis of an honest process and document analysis before the project, not after implementation.

• How long does a CCM modernisation typically take?

  A blanket answer would be misleading. Project duration depends on factors that only emerge through a structured analysis.

  What Really Determines Duration

  Complexity of Upstream Systems

  CCM platforms are rarely isolated. They sit at the end or in the middle of grown IT landscapes: connected to ERP, CRM, policy management systems, archiving solutions and workflow engines. The deeper these connections are rooted in proprietary interfaces or historically grown integrations, the more complex the migration.

  Number and Heterogeneity of Interfaces

  It is often not the platform itself but the number of interfaces that represents the critical path. On top of that: interface changes must be formally signed off and documented, which extends the timeline independently of the technical implementation.

  Scope of the Document Landscape

  How many document templates need to be migrated - and in what condition are they? Well-structured, documented templates can be transferred quickly. Historically grown, poorly documented templates with embedded logic are a project in their own right.

  Maturity of Input Management

  Those who want to automate incoming mail as part of the modernisation face an additional layer of complexity. IDP projects always begin with a document and process analysis: what document classes exist, how heterogeneous is the inbound channel mix, what recognition quality is required for meaningful straight-through processing? Model training follows - and it is iterative, not linear. Until an IDP system reaches production-ready recognition levels, several training and validation cycles are needed. The more diverse the document inventory, the longer this process.

  Migration to Digital Communication

  Those who not only replace the platform as part of the modernisation but simultaneously switch to multichannel - migrating print processes to digital channels - significantly expand the scope. New channel logic, customer preference management, legally compliant consent processes and fallback scenarios all need to be designed and implemented.

  1:1 Communication and Real-Time Capability

  Things become particularly demanding when the goal is no longer just batch processing, but event-driven, personalised real-time communication. This requires a different architecture, different data flows and often a different organisational logic on the business side. This step is technically feasible - but it is not an upgrade, it is a paradigm shift.

  What This Means for Planning

  Realistic timeframes emerge from a solid current-state analysis. Only once interface complexity, template inventory, target architecture, document classes and organisational framework conditions are known can a credible project plan be established. Projects that skip this step risk corresponding consequences for time and budget.

• How does a typical nexusX project run?

  Phase 1 – Analysis & Status Quo

  We begin with a structured stocktaking: which communication processes exist, which systems are in use, where are the biggest inefficiencies? The result is a clear picture of the current state - no whitewashing.

  Phase 2 – Strategy & Conception

  Based on the analysis, we develop a target architecture: which platforms are the right fit, which processes can be automated, which quick wins can be realised in the short term? We deliver a prioritised roadmap, not an ideal solution on paper.

  Phase 3 – Vendor Selection

  When new technology is required, we manage the selection process: requirements profiling, market screening, tendering, evaluation. Vendor-independent.

  Phase 4 – Implementation

  We take operational responsibility in the execution - as project management, quality assurance or as the directly implementing team, depending on requirements.

  Phase 5 – Stabilisation & Handover

  After go-live, we support the stabilisation phase and ensure a clean transition to regular operations.

• When does nexusX fit?

  nexusX is the right partner when advisory and operational delivery from a single source are required. We take responsibility for outcomes - from strategy through vendor selection to implementation - and work where speed and pragmatism matter. Our strength lies in complex projects where it is not just about technical execution, but about integrating processes, systems and organisation.

  We are particularly well suited to companies that want to develop CCM strategically - whether through platform consolidation, building digital communication channels or optimising existing inbound and outbound processes. Those looking for a partner who thinks ahead, speaks plainly and measures themselves against tangible results are in the right place.