From the moment the Postal Service announced their new Intelligent Mail Small Business (IMsb) tool at the National Postal Forum, members of the mailing industry have been pushing back.  And hard.  Their belief is that the USPS has no business creating a competitive offering and entering into the world of direct marketing data processing services.  Leading the way is the Mailing Software Developers Group (MSDG) from IDEAlliance.  First off was a letter from IDEAlliance to Post Master General Pat Donahue.  Then MSDG began a series of meetings with high-ranking executives from the Postal Service – the latest one earlier today – but, so far, nothing has changed.  The latest outcome from today’s meeting was another promise from the USPS to look into things by creating an internal briefing sheet to discuss the industry’s cares and concerns – with the guess that it could take up to 2 weeks to process that. 

Check back tomorrow for a description of IMsb and more details on the mailing industry’s concerns.

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

30 minutes from now – 12:00 pm EST – Ranking Member Elijah E. Cummings and Congressman Stephen Lynch, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy, will hold a press conference to announce comprehensive legislation to fundamentally change the Postal Service’s business model to cut costs and increase revenue.

Their bill, the Innovate to Deliver Act of 2011 (I2D Act), meets the Postal Service’s financial challenges by implementing reforms in three core areas:  performance, personnel, and profitability. The bill includes provisions to allow the Postal Service to function more like a business and reduce the restrictions that have hindered its ability to respond effectively to a changing market.

To call in to the Press Conference scheduled today between 12:00 and 12:30 pm, dial (712) 775-7400 and use Passcode 698340.

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.

At the recent MTAC meetings, the Postal Service announced they would be withdrawing the proposed changes to Move Update standards published in the July 12, 2011 Federal Register.

According to the formal announcement in a DMM Advisory issued yesterday, 8/29/11, the content of the proposed rule changes will be ”significantly revised”.  Also announced was that, based on industry feedback, the Moved Left No Address and PO Box Closed, No Forwarding Order (MLNA/BCNO) portions will be completely removed.  

The Postal Service expects that an entirely new proposed rule will be issued in the future.

If you wish to subscribe to the DMM Advisory, send an e-mail to dmmadvisory@usps.com. Type “subscribe” in the subject line.

This week at the Mailers Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) meetings, the USPS announced that due to the ever-increasing decline in First-Class Mail volumes – and since their processing and distribution network was built around First-Class Mail – they plan to undertake another network re-alignment (I say “another” because they just re-aligned into the NDC structure) and drastically reduce the number of processing facilities from the current 508 to less than 200.  The Postal Service wants the re-alignment to begin in the February/March 2012 timeframe – and to be complete by the end of calendar year 2012.

Yes.  That’s right. Nothing written above is a typo. The Postal Service wants to eliminate over 300 processing facilities in the course of 9 – 10 months during 2012.  Welcome to the biggest “what the …?!?!” moment of MTAC this week.  Oh, I would also be remiss if I did not mention that they announced that due to this re-alignment, they see the First-Class overnight service standard disappearing, too.

Now, I do have to say that there are a number of very good reasons for this, including achieving tremendous cost reductions and improved efficiencies in the use of their automation machines (there are a lot of DPS machines that are currently only being used 5 or so hours a day – this number should be up around 20 hours a day). 

There is a lot more to come from this, and all the industry publications will be chock-full of this information.  But, check back here, too!

There isn’t a better time to start paying attention to what’s going on with the USPS than right now!

- Wallace Vingelis  (wvingelis@windowbook.com)

The Postal Service made final clarifications on non-profit eligibility, commingled mail procedures and the usage of Postal Wizard for their Summer 2011 Mobile Barcode Promotion.

Access all the latest and final information here: https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=mobilebarcode

Wallace Vingelis

Vice President, Business Development & Marketing

Window Book, Inc.                

Phone:  (617) 395-4569

email:    wvingelis@windowbook.com

One of the hottest topics related to the USPS Mobile Barcode Promotion is the issue of whether commingled, combined and co-mail mailings can participate and take advantage of the 3% discount during July and August.  Yesterday afternoon the USPS met with representatives from the mailing industry and worked out the details on this issue.  Here is the updated information taken directly from page 2 of the latest USPS FAQs document:

10. If my mail is commingled, combined or part of a co-mailing can I participate?

A: The scope of this promotion includes only mobile barcode mailings supported by a single postage statement. First-Class Mail and Standard commingled, combined and co-mail mailings (including MLOCR mailings) may only qualify for the Mobile Barcode promotion if all of the pieces commingled in the mailing have mobile barcodes or if the mailings include multiple clients (or versions) , but have separate postage statements generated by client (or version) that contain mobile barcode. Commingled, combined and co-mail mailings which do not separate mobile barcode mailings in separate postage statements from non-mobile barcode mailings, are not eligible for the discount.

Individually presented and accepted mailings that are later copalletized are eligible for the Mobile Barcode Promotion. This includes Standard Mail copalletized trays when the mailings are individually presented for acceptance and then copalletized.

For all the details on the USPS Mobile Barcode Promotion, and to download the latest copy of the FAQs, visit: https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=mobilebarcode.

Wallace Vingelis

Vice President, Business Development & Marketing

Window Book, Inc.                

Phone:  (617) 395-4569

email:    wvingelis@windowbook.com

URL:       www.windowbook.com

Although the Postal Service has not formally announced this yet, the FAQs document about the Mobile Barcode Promotion has been updated to reflect that non-profit mail will be eligible to take advantage of the 3% mobile barcode discount as long as all other requirements of the program are met.  This information was also confirmed by several employees of the USPS on an MTAC User Group 1 teleconference this morning.  They also let everyone on the call know that formal announcement of this is expected sometime next week.

The below Q&A is copied directly from page 3 of the most recent FAQs document:

14.  Is non-profit mail eligible for the promotion?

A.  Yes, non-profit mail is eligible for this promotion discount, as long as all other program requirements are met.

To get all the details about the Mobile Barcode Promotion and download a copy of the most recent FAQs document, visit:  https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=mobilebarcode

Also discussed on the MTAC call this morning was that there will be a call this afternoon between the USPS and members of MTAC to discuss and clarify issues concerning commingled mailings and their participation in this program.

Wallace Vingelis

Vice President, Business Development & Marketing

Window Book, Inc.

Phone:  (617) 395-4569

email:    wvingelis@windowbook.com

URL:       www.windowbook.com

Mailing industry leaders met with USPS PMG Pat Donahoe this morning where he announced that the Postal Service plans to file an inflation-based price increase request this afternoon.  The proposed implementation date will be April 17, 2011. 

They will seek an overall increase of 1.741% increase.

First-Class Mail will see an overall increase of 1.7%, but the $0.44 Forever stamp will remain unchanged.

Standard Mail will also see a 1.7% increase.  Letters will go up by 1.8%.  Flats will go up 0.8%.  The big hit in Standard are Parcels and NFMs, which will go up 11.3%.

USPS officials also announced that the May 2011 implementation date for switching to Intelligent Mail barcodes to qualify for automation rates is being pushed back, however, no new date has been announced yet.

More to follow after the filing!

Wallace Vingelis

Vice President, Business Development & Marketing

Window Book, Inc.                

Phone:  (617) 395-4569

Fax:        (617) 395-5969

email:    wvingelis@windowbook.com

URL:       www.windowbook.com