Postal Affairs Blog

MTAC General sessions will be held this Wednesday and Thursday.  As I write this blog entry, I am sitting in the Providence RI airport, waiting for my flight to BWI and on to Postal Headquarters for the week.  Meetings this week include the IDEAlliance Transaction Messaging spec group, WG #117 Seamless Induction and Service Performance, the MLOCR subgroup of 117, as well as the General Sessions.

I’m sure that the Federal Register notice and Intelligent Mail will be the hot topics, watch this space for updates.

Best wishes,
Lisa

Information is power, so I strongly recommend that mailers attend
one of these Symposiums if they can. The info below was just published in the latest
PCC Insider from the USPS:

SYMPOSIUMS ON INTELLIGENT MAIL

Helping You Prepare For New Intelligent Mail Barcode Requirements

Learn about proposed requirements. Hear from the experts. Get answers to your questions.

Intelligent Mail symposiums sponsored by the Postal Service and Postal Customer
Councils are set for March in four cities – Las Vegas, Chicago, New York and Atlanta.
This is your chance to find out how Intelligent Mail drives improvements in both
service and efficiency, and adds more value to your mail.

The Postal Service has proposed that beginning January 2009 mailers will be required
to use Intelligent Mail barcodes to access automation prices for letters and flats.
These symposiums will provide information on these new requirements and what your
business or organization needs to do to get ready.

In addition, industry participants will discuss their experiences with Intelligent
Mail barcode implementation. USPS guest speakers will include Chief Marketing Officer
and Executive Vice President Anita J. Bizzotto, Senior Vice President Intelligent
Mail/Address Quality Thomas G. Day and Vice President Customer Service Susan M.
Plonkey.

Make plans now to attend one of these symposiums:

PostalOne! system. This combination allows the company to realize near real-time tracking on its retail marketing campaigns and review activity through online reports.

“The Intelligent Mail barcode along with OneCode Confirm will take the variability out of the mail, which will improve our overall delivery predictability,” says Ty Taylor, manager of Postal Affairs at JCPenney. “The data we receive back from the Postal Service will not only enable us to improve our marketing and logistical planning, but it also enhances the entire direct mail media experience to our JCPenney customers.”

Beginning in 2009, mailers will be required to use Intelligent Mail barcodes on automation letters and flats. Mailers will have two options. With “Full Service” Intelligent Mail, mailers apply Intelligent Mail barcodes to mailpieces, trays, sacks and pallets and submit electronic documentation. With the “Basic” option, mailers apply Intelligent Mail barcodes to mailpieces only.

For information about usps.com/postalone. For questions about Intelligent Mail, contact the Intelligent Mail group at imaq@usps.gov.

This year’s National Postal Forum will be May 18-21 in Anaheim, CA. It’s not to early to start thinking about this event, NPF is the industry’s most important educational event and trade show. With all of the new initiatives for 2008 and 2009, this will be a key informational session.

I’m looking forward to making my first trip out to California for this event,
Best wishes,
Lisa Bowes

Check the January 13th item posted at the Association of Postal Commerce here.  An announcement from the USPS on a rate increase is imminent. 

We’ll keep you informed,
Best wishes,
Lisa Bowes

This is very important!

The recent Federal Register had a requirement proposal for Intelligent mail pallet placards that mailers need to be aware of – and be prepared to comment on. 

This example is from the USPS:

Note the GREEN bars above and below the barcode.  We know that ANY color printing will be a hardship for the industry, so comment by emailing imb@usps.gov.

Another item that will affect mailers is a suggested requirement to have three pallet placards per skid, up from the current requirement for two. 

Mailers, you have until February 21 to get your comments in on this.  Alternative suggestions to the color bars would be welcome, I’m sure.  Mailers who would like comments submitted on their behalf, just drop me an email and I will arrange it.

Best wishes,
Lisa Bowes

Important Intelligent Mail Barcodes information from the DMM Advisory today, regarding the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking-

Technical specification for Intelligent Mail barcodes and the proposed requirement on automation letters and flats in January ‘09 can be accessed here:  HTML

Mailer Options of IM participation are Full Service or Basic Service.  DAT-MAIL users will be able to reap all of the benefits of Full Service IM Participation, email me for more details.

The USPS has set up a special email address imb@usps.gov to receive comments and questions.  The comment period runs through February 21st, so it is imperative that mailers review their options and begin to prepare right now. 

For a version of the Federal Register submission w/ graphics, check the official USPS PDF here.

Best wishes for a great week,
Lisa

Intelligent Mail will be the focus for many mailers in 2008.  Here are some resources to help you prepare:

USPS PCC workshops-in-a-box power point presentations
http://www.usps.com/nationalpcc/pccworkshopbox.htm
Highly recommended:

• Powering up Your Business with Intelligent Mail
• Intelligent Mail® and the United States Postal Service
• PostalOne!® System
• The 1-2-3 of Electronic Documentation

USPS RIBBS Site
http://ribbs.usps.gov/
in the left hand navigation column, look for

• Intelligent Mail Barcode
• Intelligent Mail Container Barcode
• Intelligent Mail Tray Label

Best wishes for a great year!
Lisa