Postal Affairs Blog

Well, it was a long time coming, but the time is, indeed, here.  The publication of our 4th white paper – “eDoc and PostalOne! They’re What’s Best for You and the USPS.” 

This paper explores the world of electronic documentation (eDoc) and the USPS PostalOne! system.  It looks at why the Postal Service is really pushing for mailers to switch to eDoc, what PostalOne! is and how using it benefits you, the 3 ways to particpate in eDoc, the benefits of eDoc and why you should begin implementing eDoc right now.  It also discusses the very latest information and instructions for getting started using eDoc and PostalOne! - including the new TEM procedures detailed in the latest eDoc and Full-Service Authorization Guide for Mail.dat.

And – just as with all of our previous white papers - this brand new 21-page paper is available at no cost. 

Please click here to access and download this incredible new white paper from the postal experts here at Window Book.

- Wallace Vingelis

Vice President, Business Development & Marketing

617-395-4569

wvingelis@windowbook.com

During a press conference on September 15, 2011, the United States Postal Service® (USPS®) announced plans to greatly reduce its current network of processing facilities. The number of processing facilities could be cut by as much as half, which equates to approximately 250 facilities. This would result in a 50% reduction of mail processing equipment and a possible reduction in workforce of up to 35,000 employees.

This move would save the USPS approximately $3 billion per year. The USPS is experiencing substantial drops in mail volume and revenue, and has been implementing a number of cost-cutting measures. Postmaster General Pat Donahoe cited in the September 15, 2011 press release, “Since 2006, we have closed 186 facilities, removed more than 1,500 pieces of mail processing equipment, decreased employee complement by more than 110,000 through attrition and reduced costs by $12 billion.”

Making these types of reductions would obviously have an impact on the level of service, so the USPS is also proposing to adjust the First-Class Mail® delivery standards from the current 1-3 day range to 2 to 3 days. The USPS published a Federal Register Notice on September 15, 2011, detailing the plans for the adjustment in the delivery standards.

Donahoe also noted during the press conference that this move is based strictly on the need to cut costs in the current financially challenging period the USPS is facing, and has no reflection on the dedicated USPS employees commitment to service.

Stay tuned for further developments regarding this announcement. This process will require a great deal of study and will undoubtedly become politically charged as members of Congress try to save postal facilities (and jobs!) located in their districts.

For all the details, visit the new USPS web page  introduced just for this topic.

As we’ve discussed previously in this blog, the red round date stamp from the United States Postal Service^® (USPS^®), which mailers have used for years as proof of mailing, is no longer available for electronically submitted postage statements. The USPS recently announced that the red round date stamp will also be discontinued for hard copy statements, effective March 15, 2010. This change will be effective for postal facilities that are equipped with PostalOne! Facilities without access to PostalOne! will continue to round stamp hard copy postage statements.

In lieu of the red round stamp, the USPS is asking mailers to obtain their receipts using the Business Customer Gateway to access PostalOne! Upon request, mailers may also obtain a hard copy receipt (Form 3607) from the USPS. The 3607 form, currently called the Weighing and Dispatch Certificate, will be reformatted and renamed in March to Mailing Transaction Receipt, Form 3607-R.

The mail verification and acceptance processes will not change, only the transaction receipt process. The acceptance clerk will verify the mailing as usual; however they will no longer complete the “USPS Only” section of the postage statements. In the past, the clerk would record the results of the verification process and manually apply the red round date stamp in this area. In the future, the clerks will enter this verification information into PostalOne! The wording on the postage statement form will change from “USPS Use Only” to “USPS Use Only—To Be Completed at Non-PostalOne! sites ONLY.” PostalOne! is the system of record and can be accessed to view postage statement details and print hard copies, if needed.

The Postal Service will modify the DMM^® (Domestic Mail Manual) language regarding the return of a duplicate postage statement to the mailer, differentiating between PostalOne! and non-PostalOne! sites.

Here are the key changes:

• If not submitting postage statements electronically, the customer must provide an original postage statement with the mailing.
• Acceptance personnel will no longer complete the “USPS Use Only” section of hard copy postage statements for offices that enter postage statements into the PostalOne! system.
• Acceptance personnel will no longer complete and return a “duplicate” postage statement (as defined in sections 244.4.1, 334.4.1, of the DMM).
• Acceptance personnel will no longer round-date stamp hard copy postage statements.
• Acceptance personnel will retain the original copy of the postage statement and attach the USPS Form 3607 (Statement of Mailing/Weighing and Dispatch Certificate)* to it on file, as prescribed by the Administrative Support Manual.
• Upon a customer’s request, the acceptance personnel will print the USPS Form 3607 and provide it to the customer along with any duplicate copies of postage statements provided.
• The only acceptable means of proof of postage payment for mailings will be an electronic version of a finalized postage statement, or the USPS Form 3607, generated from the Postal Service’s PostalOne! system.

*In the March 15 upgrade to the PostalOne! system, PS Form 3607 will be replaced with PS Form 3607-R (Mailing Transaction Receipt).

Mailers may obtain more information regarding electronic postage statements by referencing the User Access to Electronic Mailing Information and Reports Guide: Business Customer Gateway Information, On-line Services, and Full-Service Tools. In this document, Appendix B, Access to Hard Copy Postage Statements, provides information on how to access the Business Customer Gateway and retrieve postage statements.

For more information about the Business Customer Gateway and how to access it, visit ribbs.usps.gov.

Sen. Carper Introduces Bill To Ease Financial Strain On The Post Office.

WASHINGTON – Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) today introduced legislation to help address the dire financial situation facing the United States Postal Service.

Sen. Carper, as chairman of the Senate subcommittee that oversees the postal service, has been closely monitoring its deteriorating financial condition and has been seeking way to keep the mail flowing.

“The economic slowdown and the ever-growing electronic diversion of the mail have put a serious strain on our nation’s Postal Service,” said Sen. Carper. “We in Congress must provide some way to help preserve the vital services post offices provide for American families and businesses.”

Recently, Postmaster General Jack Potter and Postal Service Board of Governors Chairman Carolyn Gallagher notified Congress and officials at the Treasury Department that the Postal Service will not make its $5.4 billion retiree health, pre-funding payment by September 30, as required by law.

That is why Sen. Carper introduced his “Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Funding Reform Act of 2009″ to restructure the postal service’s retiree health payment schedule to produce significant cost savings over the next several years. The Carper bill also gives the postal service more borrowing authority to meet its financial obligations and get through this current fiscal year and next.

“This bill will put the Postal Service on more sound financial footing as we approach the crucial holiday shopping season. I am confident that with the changes called for in my bill, the Postal Service can continue to provide the quality service we all depend on,” said Sen. Carper. “But this bill is not a silver bullet that will fix everything wrong with the Postal Service. Its management also needs to find ways to attract new business and further streamline operations. And, Congress and postal employees need to continue to work closely with management to keep the Postal Service running smoothly and reliably.”

The Postal Service expects mail volume to be roughly 175 billion pieces this fiscal year, a decline of 38 billion pieces since 2007. The Postal Service is also projecting a loss of $7.1 billion in FY2009 despite its success in working toward $6.1 billion in cost cutting in one year.

Sen. Carper hopes this bill will be enacted into law before Congress adjourns in August.

Please give Senator Tom Carper your complete support from WindowBook Inc and National Alliance of Standard Mailers & Logistics (NASML).

Contact: (202) 224-2441  Fax: (202) 228-2190

E-mail http://carper.senate.gov/contact

Subject:  Intelligent Mail® Barcode Readability Tolerances

The details of the revised procedure will appear in this Friday’s (July 10) DMM Advisory: 

From now through November 28, 2009 the following readability thresholds for Intelligent Mail barcodes applied to Letter and Flat automation-price pieces are in effect:

a.      A mailing with an Intelligent Mail barcode readability verification result of 70 percent or higher passes verification.

b.      A mailing with an Intelligent Mail barcode readability verification result of below 70 percent will have additional postage calculated based on 100 percent of the automation-price pieces in the mailing.

The revised threshold is in effect now, but in the interest of completeness and accuracy, please direct your members to Friday’s (07-10-09) DMM Advisory.

There are a few Address Change Service (ACS) details to be resolved this week to determine how address correction information is disseminated and priced for Full Service mailpieces that have unreadable barcodes. 

A key element in this agreement was the desire by both the Postal Service and the mailing industry to get people to test and to use the Intelligent Mail barcode immediately!  Please remind your members that they should test and use the Intelligent Mail barcode now even if they are still working toward Full Service implementation.

Also please remind your members that they have two options to engage in using Intelligent Mail barcodes, Basic Service as well as Full Service.  They can work with their local Business Mail Acceptance units and Mailpiece Design Analysts to ensure their barcodes meet specifications.  Please encourage them to test their Intelligent Mail pieces before their live production runs.

USPS NPF offices have CANCELLED the Intelligent Mail University for Columbus OH, on Thursday, July 9, 2009. USPS NPF offices plan to reschedule the same event and same location for a date in October, 2009, details will be forthcoming.

The Intelligent Mail University scheduled for Fort Worth, TX, on Thursday, July 16, 2009 will continue as planned. For additional information and to register: http://imb.npf.org/register.aspx

  Come and join Window Book, Inc at the USPS® Intelligent Mail University ————————————————–

As a proud sponsor of the upcoming Intelligent Mail Universities, we would like to extend our invitation to you.

Please join us on July 9^th in Columbus, OH and / or July 16^th Fort Worth, TX.  This is your great opportunity to meet Window Book staff on-site

• Do you need assistance getting through the Intelligent Mail Compliance Process?
• Do you need assistance with Post-Presort Solutions, Mail.dat, Mail.XML, Spoilage Reconciliation, Freight Planning, Postage Reconciliation?

Meet with our Window Book staff member on-site and you will receive a complimentary *TagMaster CD, our USPS certified 24-digit IMB label software.

Register NOW for either location at: http://imb.npf.org/register.aspx

* We will mail you the TagMaster CD after the event.

                            ACS OneCode for UAA and Automation

Jeffery Peoples, CEO & Founder, Window Book, Inc.

In 2004 the United States Postal Service^® (USPS) commissioned an independent study to examine the volume and cost of “undeliverable-as-addressed” mail (UAA).  The result showed that 4.75% of all mail the USPS received for delivery could not be delivered as addressed.  This means almost 5 out of every 100 mailpieces are undeliverable-as-addressed.  Standard Mail^® accounted for almost 63% of all UAA mail and 75% of UAA Mail was due to move-related reasons.  Each year, over 45 million people and over 2.3 million businesses move.  On the average, mailing lists deteriorate over 1% a month.

Using incorrect addresses is one of the major contributing factors for the rising costs of the Postal Service.  If mail cannot be delivered to the address on the mailpiece it will be forwarded, returned or treated as waste.  Each option impacts large volumes of mail and incurs high expenses to both the USPS and its customers.  Cost-effective and timely delivery of every mailpiece depends on having accurate addresses with complete and correct address elements.  According to the R-2006-1 Rate Case Study (Christiansen UAA Study), there were 9.724 billion UAA mailpieces annually which cost $1.8 billion for the USPS annually: $421.9 M for forwarded mail, $822.5 M for returned mail, and $269.8M for mail treated as waste.

Move Update

Move Update is one of the requirements the Postal Service has embarked on to deal with the rising costs of processing UAA mail.  Move Update requires First-Class and Standard Mail mailers to match their mailing addresses to the USPS Change-of-Address (COA) database periodically to get the most current addresses for their customers who have moved.  Move update will reduce the number mailpieces that are forwarded to the new address, returned to the mailer, or treated as waste.  

Effective November 23, 2008, the USPS revised the Move Update standard in order to increase the volume of deliverable mail.  They increased the minimum frequency of Move Update processing from 185 days to 95 days prior to the mailing date.  In addition, the USPS expanded Move Update to include automation-rate and presort-rate First-Class Mail as well as Standard Mail (letters and flats, parcels, and non-flat-machinables).

In order to meet the Move Update standard, you must use an authorized Move Update method. The USPS offers four primary methods and two alternative methods, one of which is for First-Class Mail only.  Of the primary methods, there are two “pre-mailing” methods and two “post-mailing” methods based on when you actually receive the updated address.  In this article, we will focus on ACS^TM and OneCode ACS^®.

ACS (Address Change Service)

ACS is a post-mailing service that was developed in the mid-1980s to enhance the way mailers received change-of-address (COA) information from the USPS.  The new electronic environment was

designed to help reduce manual labor and costs involved in providing updated addresses to the mailers.

When a mailer uses ACS, they print a USPS assigned participant code in the address block which identifies the mailpiece as requesting ACS service.  For example, when a mailpiece for a customer’s old address is received by the postal carrier, it is sent to CFS (Computerized Forwarding System) for forwarding.  At CFS, the operator keys the ACS participant code and any optional keyline data that may be present.  This causes a transaction to be generated that sends the change-of-address update back to the mailer electronically so the address can be updated automatically.

Mailers may elect to add an optional line to their address block that contains a “keyline,” or a tie-back to the original record that was used to create the address block.  This keyline allows mailers to automatically update their address records without any manual intervention and helps them reduce the costs associated with manual keying of data.

To participate in ACS, mailers need to apply for a ‘Participant Code’ from the ACS Dept. at the National Customer Support Center (NCSC).  There is a Participant Code assigned for each class mail.  It is free to enroll in ACS, but there is a “per piece fee” for records supplied back to a customer. Currently ACS corrections for First-Class Mail are 10¢ each and 26¢ each for all other classes of mail.

OneCode ACS

OneCode ACS is a new and improved option of the traditional ACS service for First-Class, Standard Mail, and Periodical flats/letters that mailers can use to get automated or electronic address corrections.  The difference is in the triggering mechanism:  ACS uses the Participant Code whereas OneCode ACS requires the Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb).

OneCode ACS is a fully automated service and greatly reduces the amount of resources required to identify the mailer and the mailer’s choice of services, and provides feedback to the mailer regarding the disposition of the mailpiece.   OneCode ACS provides an efficient and accurate way of capturing all of this data from IMb.  In addition, combining the former POSTNET barcode and the ACS code into OneCode ACS frees up a great deal of “real estate” on a mailpiece, giving mailers the advantage of having more space to utilize for customer messaging or leaving the mailpiece cleaner.

ACS vs. OneCode ACS

Overall, OneCode ACS offers a simpler and more advanced system for processing address corrections.  It requires using IMb which incorporates both the former POSTNET barcode and the former PLANET barcode into one simple barcode.  This allows more ‘real estate’ space on the mailpiece and a lower service fee than the traditional ACS service.  In the example below you can see how much you will have to pay if you did not have any service, used the traditional ACS, or OneCode ACS.

Example: Standard Mail Undeliverable-As-Addressed (UAA) Mail Fee

ACS vs. OneCode ACS

Who benefits from free ACS?

One of the requirements for Intelligent Mail Full Service is to use IMb on mailpieces, tray/sack labels and pallet placards.  OneCode ACS requires using Intelligent Mail Full Service and IMb, and ACS is free to Intelligent Mail Full Service users if they use OneCode ACS. 

One may question why any mailer would not want to use the free ACS service within Intelligent Mail.  While most mailers may see some benefit from the free ACS service, some types of mailers will benefit more than others.

Periodicals mailers, for example, are probably the primary beneficiaries of this free service because address corrections are required of them by the USPS, this is not optional.  Thus, taking advantage of Intelligent Mail Full Service and the free ACS is a very beneficial service for them.  Similarly, any mailer who has consistently used ACS service in the past will benefit by the fact that they can now receive this service for free when in the past there was a cost involved.  In fact, any mailer who was previously using a post-mailing address correction method will probably find this new service attractive.  It may even provide a new revenue stream for mailers who mail for multiple clients and have the tools which allow them to manage these address changes for their clients. If they can charge for this management service while getting the corrections for free, this may prove to be lucrative.

On the other hand, mailers who use highly accurate mailing lists, prefer pre-mail address corrections or use primarily rental lists may not see as much benefit from this free ACS service.  For example, photo finishing companies usually receive their mailing addresses fresh each time from their customers whenever they submit an order for photo processing.  Since they do not maintain any address databases, and their addresses are unlikely to be old and outdated, ACS service would not be as attractive for them.

Many mailers prefer to obtain their address corrections pre-mailing, such as with NCOA^Link.  For these mailers, they may see some benefit from receiving post-mailing corrections that the NCOA processing may have missed due to the time gap between the processing and the actual mailing.  However, it might be tough to get a positive ROI on any systems implemented to incorporate these changes.  Other mailers may lack the tools to incorporate the returned data from the ACS process into their databases.

In conclusion, Move Update will certainly help the Postal Service better manage the volume of undeliverable-as-addressed mail.  The USPS offers various options for participating in the Move Update program, and OneCode ACS is the most advanced post-mailing system that offers fast, reliable and accurate services to mailers for updating addresses.  It lets you participate in the Intelligent Mail Full Service which will unquestionably help everyone in the Postal industry move ahead and automate their operations.  Intelligent Mail Full Service is the way the Postal Service will require mailers to process mailings in the future and OneCode ACS will help mailers get ready and be automated.

Tom Taylor Joins Window Book as the VP of Logistics and Distribution Systems

June 18, 2009, Cambridge, MA

Window Book is pleased to announce Tom Taylor as the VP of Logistics and Distribution Systems.

Tom will be responsible for helping printers and lettershops improve their transportation, drop ship, and freight planning.  Some mailers are still not optimizing USPS drop ship entry discounts and do not have Palletization or Freight Planning functionality in their software.  For mailers who are shipping their jobs at origin-based USPS postage rates, Tom will be able to help them improve their revenue while reducing labor and operational costs by introducing DAT-MAIL mailing software.

DAT-MAIL mailing software includes many features that printers and lettershops can benefit from for transportation and drop ship logistics:  Entry View, Quick Plan, Palletization, CoPal for copalletization, Freight Planning analysis, and Destination Data Distribution System for automatic database updates to the FAST destination data.  Compared to other post presort mailing software which requires multiple modules to import, palletize and optimize discounts, DAT-MAIL has proven its versatility and speed with easy to use enhanced functionality within one program.

Prior to joining Window Book, Tom served as the Managing Partner for Postal Logistics Services where he developed Copal for tray mail and designed USPS Drop Ship Management System and Warehouse Management software for their customers.  He also worked at RR Donnelley as a National Accounts Rep where he developed operations and customer service systems.

‘Window Book will continue to work with our clients to help them lower their operational costs while meeting their individual needs.  Tom’s industry experience and knowledge will help mailers examine their current operational methods and find ways to save money to thrive in this tough economy,” said Jeffery Peoples, Window Book’s CEO.

About Window Book:

Window Book has helped clients manage their operations more profitably since 1989.  A leader in mailing and shipping software for lettershops, corporate mailers, service bureaus, and mail owners.   Window Book’s best-in-class postal solutions include: Intelligent Mail Full Service, eDocs, Mail.XML, FAST, Bound Printed Matter, Express Mail and Priority Mail Open and Distribute, New Commercial Plus rates, eVS, Mail.dat^®, post-presort data management, entry planning, drop shipping, postage accounting, postal documentation & statements, meter and stamp management, delivery confirmation, manifesting shipping system, and PostalOne!

Drop Ship Data and Labeling List Data for Drop Shippers For mailers, presort services, and transportation companies who process drop shipments, having up-to-date information on drop ship data and labeling list data is a critical part of their operation. Using updated data helps mailers benefit from greater drop ship discounts and improve efficiency by having accurate information. Drop Ship data is updated daily by the USPS on their FAST system website. It provides drop ship data including information on SCF (Sectional Center Facility), BMC (Bulk Mail Center), ADC (Area Distribution Center), and DDU (Destination Delivery Unit) facilities. You can easily obtain detailed information on the facility type, city, state, zip code, dock information, contact phone numbers, and hours of operation by using this drop ship data. The Labeling List data is updated and published in the DMM by the U.S. Postal Service and is also posted on Postal Explorer®. It consists of 3 and 5 digit zip code data and the corresponding city, state, and zip code that mailers use to direct their mail to the correct destination postal facilities. The lists are categorized by type of class, presort level and automation rate for General Use, Periodicals and First-Class Mail, Standard Mail and Package Services, and Automation Rate Mailings. This data is not updated on a daily basis, but rather bi-monthly to allow time for mailers and their service providers time to incorporate changes into their software and systems. The Labeling List data and Drop Ship data help mailers, presort services, and transportation companies to properly sort and label their trays, sacks and pallets for delivery and to get the best postal discounts. The Postal regulations are continuously changing and it is critical for mailers to have updated information for presorting and labeling their mailings. Ideally, your software should be able to automatically update Drop Ship data and Labeling list information as changes are made on the USPS website without having to update it manually. You should also be able to automatically update it on a schedule that you determine: daily/weekly/monthly and at a set time. Having the ability to update the data electronically and automatically at a set schedule will allow mailers to reduce errors as well as save time and labor spent on updating each change manually. By Jeffery Peoples