Mail-merging: The Principles

About mail-merging

Mail-merging is the process of merging variable data and fixed text.

Using mail-merging, you can create individualised letters, envelopes, labels and other documents without having to laboriously create each individual one.

Mail-merging naturally fulfils one of the DfES's conditions of reducing the administrative burden on teachers, namely that when data is inputted into a computer system it should be right first time. One of the aspects of this principle is that computer data should not have to be re-entered in order to generate a different view of it.

Examples of mail-merging

The "right first time" principle can be illustrated by the number of different kinds of document that you could create using one set of data consisting of school names and addresses and Head teachers' names:

Notification of funding allocations for anew financial year.

Invitation to a meeting.

Attendance registers for courses/conferences.

End-of-term letter.

Labels for conference packs.

Address labels for the envelopes. You can even use the same set of data (if set up properly initially) to send different letters to (for example):

Primary schools/secondary schools.

Schools that have/have not submitted their ICT Strategy.

Head teachers that are invited to a meeting on Monday, and those invited to the meeting on Tuesday. Advantages of mail-merging

It can save a lot of time over the long term.

Recipients often feel as if they have been given individual attention. Disadvantages of mail-merging

It can take a long time to set up initially, and so may not be worth it for a one-off job.

Recipients often feel as if they have been given individual attention. This is not always a good idea.

Terry Freedman runs the website http://www.ictineducation.org, on which he sells the Big Database, consisting of 1008 records and 23 fields -- ideal for practising mail-merging!

---

A Peek Into the Near Future of Electronics Technology

How long do you think DVDs have around? 20 years?... Read More

Lives With Games Tradition and Industry

The United States Of America citizen feels that games is... Read More

Cisco Certification: Building Your Home Lab, Part II

In the first part of this home lab tutorial, CCNA... Read More

Mail-merging: The Principles

About mail-mergingMail-merging is the process of merging variable data and... Read More

Digital Cameras: How Many Pixels Do I Need?

With the bewildering number of digital cameras on the market,... Read More

5 Steps to Removing PC Clutter

It's hard enough as it is these days to get... Read More

5 Ways to Speed Up Your PC

No matter how fast your processor and regardless of how... Read More

Gain Control Over Your Screensavers With These Simple Steps

We all enjoy our favorite screensavers but in the same... Read More

Reliable File and Folder Sharing in Windows Xp

This tip is on sharing files and folders on a... Read More

10 Time Saving Keyboard Shortcuts

Time is money. And when you constantly have to divide... Read More

Choosing a Portable MP3 Player: Part 1

MP3 players are everywhere! It seems that the number of... Read More

Digital Cameras: Hot Gear with the Coolest Features!

Cameras: still known for taking pictures but assumed as digital... Read More

Font Organizers Review, Part I

Do you know how many fonts are currently installed on... Read More

Microsoft Great Plains Dexterity Customizations

Microsoft Business Solutions is on the way to popularize it's... Read More

MCSE 70-290 Certification Primer

Microsoft Certifications are one of the most widely acclaimed, pursued,... Read More

10 Tips to Stay Safe and Secure Online

The Internet can be a dangerous place.While you're enjoying the... Read More

Virtual Memory - What is It?

I recently got an e-mail asking about virtual memory. The... Read More

A Beginners Guide to Avoiding Viruses

"Aaaaaahhhhhh! I've been invaded by a virus!" Getting a virus... Read More

Ergonomics and Healthy Computing - Positioning Your Body For Maximum Comfort At Your Computer

Do you remember the old saw about how computers would... Read More

How to Place Home Theater Speakers

You have your television and home theater receiver; you just... Read More

Nephrology and Dialysis For a PDA

Saving Lives With A Pocket PCFree medical downloads can be... Read More

Why Get a Microsoft MCSE Certification?

In the years of the dot com boom and bust,... Read More

How To Search Your PC With Google Desktop

In this era of Internet, most people are frequent users... Read More

Selecting a Personal Digital Assistant

A Computer in Your HandCarrying around an address book and... Read More

Seven Things to Consider When Choosing a PDA

In the early days, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were not... Read More

Healthy Webmasters Choose Ergonomic Computer Products

Webmasters usually sit at their computers much longer in a... Read More

Lightning Season: How to Avoid Data Loss

We have just entered the time of year that most... Read More

Put Order and Information into File Names

Unless you place your faith in internal search engine software... Read More

2 PC Annoyances and How To Solve Them!

I have a love-hate relationship with my computer.In fact, often... Read More

Five Simple Steps to Speed up Your Computer

Most people download and save so much information on their... Read More

PC Owners - The Largest Criminal Gang Ever?

The year is 1981. IBM has just released the Personal... Read More

Bluetooth Headphones For Your PDA

Nothing is worse than having to negotiate all kinds of... Read More

Computer Geeks and Garden Gnomes

First and foremost before I begin my ranting it is... Read More