The following instructions are provided for continuation of operations during the PostalOne! system outage that began Feb. 5.

Published on February 8, 2010 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: .

PostalOne! Contingency Plan for Feb. 5, 2010 Outage – External Customers

The following instructions are provided for continuation of operations during the PostalOne! system outage that began Feb. 5.

The PostalOne! system is not expected to be operational until end of day, Feb. 9. The PostalOne! system is not available for either internal or external user access. Internal users will not be able to access electronic documentation or enter postage statements. External users are not able to submit electronic information or access any reporting information including Full Service ACS. Although the FAST system is operational, external users will need to use the online FAST application to schedule appointments.

Communications:
USPS Headquarters Business Mail Acceptance will continue to provide field communication and updates to both Business Mail Acceptance and external customers through various distribution channels to include:
Internal – email address lists for Area Marketing Managers, Area Customer Service Program Analysts, Mgrs. Business Mail Entry and the BMA Newsletter, and P & C Weekly.
External – Customer Relations, PostalOne! User Group, MTAC, PostalOne! Help Desk customer list, and DMM Advisory.

This contingency plans applies to ALL sites using the PostalOne! system for Business Mail, including BMEUs, DMUs, and Post Offices. Mailings will be accepted with as little impact to the mailer as possible.

Acceptance Process:

Maintain a site log of all hardcopy statements for mailings being submitted during the outage.

Hard Copy Postage Statements
• Acceptance personnel will inquire with each mailer to ensure they have adequate funds on deposit to cover mailing(s) or refer to printed balance report if available. Sites should record checks on a manual log and forward to retail operations for posting in POS.
• Hard copy postage statements for mailings accepted during an outage will be completed, logged and retained in a secure location for posting when the system is restored to service.

Postal Wizard
• Postal Wizard users will be required to submit hard copy postage statements. These hardcopy postage statements will be completed, logged and retained in a secure location for posting when the system is restored to service.
• Acceptance units will handle statements according to instructions for hard copy statements.
• If a Postal Wizard user arrives at acceptance and has previously submitted a statement in Postal Wizard, assist mailer in completion of hard copy statement.

eDoc Submission – Mail.dat / Mail.XML
• Mailers will be required to submit hardcopy postage statements and a qualification summary report for each of their mailings. Mailers will need to provide hardcopy postage statement(s) and qualification summary reports for the previous day’s mailings, the current day and subsequent days mailing(s) if necessary.
• A mailer may provide a mailing log and other supporting documentation in hardcopy or via access to electronic viewer if available for Postal clerks. Clerks should only request documentation that is necessary for verification or other required function. It is not necessary for the mailer to submit hard copy of all documentation if it is not needed for verification.
• The hardcopy statements will be completed, logged and retained in a secure location and will be used to validate against eDoc submitted when the system is restored.

Special Postage Payment Systems
• Mailers who have an authorized DSMS agreement may provide a mailing log by day in lieu of hardcopy postage statements. This log must include at a minimum the elements: Job ID#, permit, total pieces, and total postage. The clerk needs to annotate the date of mailing for each line item on the log.
• Mailers that have special postage payment system agreements (SPPS) in place will follow the contingency plans identified in the SPPS agreement.

System Restoration (What are you going to do when PostalOne! is restored):

Ensure that all statements are processed as soon as possible after system is restored.

Hard Copy Postage Statements
• Ensure that all normally submitted hardcopy statements are entered into the system and processed as soon as possible after system is restored. Compare system hardcopy entries to site log to determine all statements have been entered.

Postal Wizard
• When the system is restored, before entering the hardcopy of statements from mailers that normally used Postal Wizard, acceptance unit must compare statement to statements that are on the PostalOne! dashboard. If statement was previously submitted through Postal Wizard prior to system outage and is on dashboard, process electronic statement from dashboard. Compare Postal Wizard entries to site log to determine all statements have been entered. Those statements that do not appear on the dashboard must be entered manually.

eDoc Submission – Mail.dat / Mail.XML
• When the PostalOne! system is restored, notify mailers to submit eDoc and the clerk will process the mailings using the electronic statement and documentation to compare to the mailings listed on the log to ensure that statements are submitted for any mailing accepted.
• If mailer had submitted eDoc prior to the system outage use the documentation on the dashboard to match to the log and process statements accordingly. Compare eDoc submission to site log to determine all statements have been entered.

Recent Article – The Future is Bright for Intelligent Mail

Published on January 26, 2010 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , .

A few weeks ago we were approached by BtoB magazine to provide a brief article on the subject of Intelligent Mail. If you are a reader of this publication you will already be aware that this is a magazine for ‘Marketing Strategists’. It is exciting to see this growing interest in the value that Intelligent Mail offers outside of just mail production. For companies, it means leveraging your existing investment in the IMb to drive more benefits that can be seen in marketing, billing and customer service just to name a few.
In the article my colleague, Kevin Conti writes, ‘Forward-thinking mailers will view all these Intelligent Mail programs as a competitive advantage to grow their businesses while reducing operating costs. Progressive list processing and mailing services companies have developed business cases around new Intelligent Mail Bar Code-based products and services, such as “virtual returned mail,” that may expand their market shares, differentiate their services and create substantial savings by eliminating time and material waste.’
Kevin also provides a best practices checklist that provides some great food for thought. Here’s the link to the article that provide for a quick and interesting read. BtoB Online Artlcle

Intelligent Mail Volume Triples in Four Weeks

Published on January 14, 2010 in Intelligent Mail. 0 Comments Tags: .

A colleague of mine sent me these headlines and OK…my curiosity got the best of me…so I googled the headline and found the announcement on the USPS news site – so I guess the numbers must be real!

http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2010/pr10_0113.htm

The article goes on to say that ‘Sixty Percent More Mailers Sign On to the Full Service Program’

To save you the time of accessing the details, I have included the contents in this posting:

It took seven months to hit the 1 billion mark, but only four more weeks to hit 3 billion. That’s the number of Intelligent Mail Full Service mailpieces processed by the U.S. Postal Service since the program’s implementation last May. The milestone mailing entered the postal distribution network the week of Jan. 4, and the actual number was confirmed yesterday. The number of Intelligent Mail Full Service mailers increased to 171, a 60 percent increase from mid-December. To date, Intelligent Mail Full Service has generated $1 billion in revenue. “The month of December has been one of exceptional participation and performance,” said Tom Day, senior vice president, Intelligent Mail and Address Quality. “The PostalOne! system handled more than twice the previous peak of eDoc postage statements and did so with 98 percent being processed in 30 minutes or less. Mailers are realizing the benefits of Full Service Intelligent Mail, and are doing so in a stable operating environment.”

In Q4 we at PBBI saw a lot of activity and while many of us were expecting to hear the sounds of very unhappy mailers that weren’t getting their earned discounts, all was quiet.    So, it appears as though the USPS was ready after all.  Not to suggest that there weren’t challenges, but all in all; the USPS with significant support from many mailers, seems to have pulled it off. 

Please share any ups and downs you may have experienced in implementing Full Service IMB within your organization ….and….let’s see if this rate of growth continues  in another four weeks!!!

How Intelligent Mail can drive business results – Part II

Published on January 13, 2010 in Intelligent Mail and USPS Compliance. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

In 2010, most print and mail managers are making plans to switch over to the new Intelligent Mail® barcode as the postal savings alone could represent hundreds of thousands of dollars. Your company’s transition to Intelligent Mail® will generate millions of data points that can help you improve marketing, enhance customer service and streamline billing and collections. Last week, we looked at how this data could improve marketing and customer care.  Today, we explore the value in operations and billing.

Operations: Make Smarter Decisions

Reduce Cancellations. Every week, utilities, telecoms and others spend thousands of dollars turning off service, only to reinstate customers a few days later when payment is received. These costs—including the corresponding strain on customer relationships—can be avoided in many cases, because you can gain visibility of incoming payments up to three or more days in advance.

Manage Risks and Decrease Fraud. When high-value mail such as checks and credit cards do not reach their intended destination, that could signal theft or fraud. The ability to trace delivery from beginning to end offers companies a powerful tool that can help manage risk and identify issues before they become a liability.

Save Millions on Returned Mail. The true cost is far greater than many executives care to admit. When you add up the print and mail costs for the initial mailer, the increased call volumes, handling of returned mail, and the subsequent remailing costs, you could find yourself spending between $3.00 and $11.00 per piece. And that’s not counting the lost sales opportunities, communication delays, customer dissatisfaction and delayed revenue. With Intelligent Mail®, the data needed to update addresses and reduce undeliverable mail is already in-house.

Billing: Follow the Money

Expedite Invoicing. When an invoice reaches its intended recipient late – or not at all – your revenue stream may suffer. The United States Postal Service estimates that 34 percent of mail contains address errors that could delay or prevent proper delivery. With this new barcode, you’ll receive address corrections and can update records before the next invoice is sent.

Improve Lockbox Performance. Time is money, and the time it takes for your lockbox service to process and post remittance checks can cost thousands of dollars in interest revenue. By monitoring the flow of payments from the time they leave your customers’ hands to the time revenue is posted to your account, you can identify potential gaps in the process and take the necessary corrective action.

Collect More Effectively. With precise knowledge of when customer remittances enter the postal system, you can eliminate excuses (“the check is in the mail”) and prioritize who and who not to contact—saving five dollars or more for every call you can avert. You can also suppress production of unnecessary dunning notices, which leads to big savings.

The new Intelligent Mail® barcode is required under postal regulations in order to qualify for the lowest postal rates, but the value outside of the mailroom is even greater. Bridging the gap between the mailroom and critical business operations, solutions such as MAIL360TM and AuraTM software turn barcode data into actionable information. If you have other ideas on how this new event-based intelligence can drive business results, please add to the conversation!

How Intelligent Mail can drive business results – Part I

Published on January 7, 2010 in Intelligent Mail. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Some companies invest up to five percent of revenue on information technologies, continuously looking for new ways to gain a competitive advantage. In 2010, organizations can generate valuable customer intelligence from an asset that already exists—mail.

The new Intelligent Mail® barcode provides for the lowest postal rates today and will be required by May 2011 under postal regulations. However, the value outside of the mailroom is even greater.  This week we examine how you can improve marketing and enhance customer service.  Next week we look at ways to streamline billing and collections.

Marketing: Sell More Effectively

Optimize call center staffing. With too few agents, calls go unanswered; having more agents than needed adds a tremendous cost. The capacity to pinpoint mail delivery with precision helps marketers ensure the right number of agents are available to take new orders.

Target in-home windows. When you can track and monitor mail delivery across the country you gain a competitive edge—the ability to plan communications so that they arrive at precisely the right time. 

Reach more customers, more often. Nearly 50 million Americans move each year—and many make little effort to advise you. For marketers, that represents a huge cost and a lost opportunity. With Intelligent Mail®, the postal service will provide you with address corrections absolutely free of charge so you can stay connected. 

Customer Care: Deliver Timely, Accurate Response

Reduce Talk Time. The ability to monitor and track the status of mail-based communications—including check disbursement, fulfillment kits, statements and compliance notifications—arms representatives with the facts they need to respond to customer inquiries with speed and accuracy.

Prompt Fewer Calls.  A high percentage of calls are related to mail communications – confirming whether parcels, payments and orders have been sent or received. Now, delivery status can be tracked from the production floor through delivery; and you can make that information available to customers through web-based portals, eliminating follow-up calls.

Make Better Fee-Waiver Decisions. If there’s any confusion as to when a bill was received or when the payment was sent, many companies will forego legitimate late fee charges in the interest of customer service. Armed with precise information, customer service reps can act with facts and confidence.

Bridging the gap between the mailroom and critical business operations, solutions such as MAIL360TM and AuraTM software turn barcode data into actionable information. As we start 2010, think about the ways you can leverage Intelligent Mail® to locate new opportunities, connect with customers and communicate more efficiently.

The Day has Arrived……

Published on December 1, 2009 in Address Quality, Intelligent Mail and Move Update. 1 Comment

Cynthia Williams

Postal customers are now receiving the IMb Full Service incentives – and while the discounts for using full service IMb may not be truly a driver for many – there are other benefits and free ACS has to be towards the top since ACS is free to Intelligent Mail Full Service users if they use OneCode ACS.

 One may question why any Mailers 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 Mailers who have 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 Mailers who were 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 NCOALink. 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.

MTAC Update on the New Full-Service IMb Verification Policy

Published on November 23, 2009 in Intelligent Mail. 0 Comments

Overview Provided by David Robinson with PB Postal Relations

At MTAC, the USPS announced the Full-Service verification policies that take effect on November 29, 2009.  The new verification procedure for IMb Full-Service mailings requires acceptance clerks to scan three container labels with a handheld scanner, then scan 5 handling unit labels (trays/sacks/bundles), and 30 mail pieces (10 pieces each from 3 separate trays/bundles).

 

Types of errors which could result in loss of IMb Full-Service discount include: More than one container barcode error in the sample (e.g., missing placard, or no IMb on the placard); more than one container IM barcode in the sample that contains an invalid Mailer ID Code (MID); more than one unreadable container barcode in the sample; other container barcode issues; duplicate IM barcode numbers (non-unique Full-Service IMb); missing, invalid, or unreadable handling unit (tray, sack, bundle) labels/barcodes; invalid MIDs in the handling unit IM barcode; incorrect Service Type ID (STID) or MID codes in the mailpiece IMb; missing/invalid/unreadable IM barcodes on the mailpiece, and other errors.

 

Mailers will still have the option of taking back the mail and re-working it to avoid losing the Full-Service discount, but that option is only viable for errors such as missing container placards, tray labels, etc. Problems at the piece level are nearly impossible to fix, and even if mailers want to qualify a mailing that loses Full-Service discount for the Basic level discount, there is no way to change codes in the IMb on the pieces to reflect Basic requirements versus the Full-Service requirements. Since the STID ties to class of mail and services requested in many cases, this leads to a host of issues which the USPS itself acknowledges it does not yet have a solution for.

 

If a mailing loses its Full-Service discount qualification, it also loses the services associated with Full-Service, such as the address correction services.

USPS® Initiatives Add Some Green to the Red, White, and Blue

Published on November 19, 2009 in Innovation. 0 Comments

For an organization that depends largely upon pushing paper, the U.S. Postal Service is the “unlikely” lead among environmentally responsible government agencies. Since launching its eco-friendly initiatives on Earth Day 2009, the USPS® has introduced several programs, services, and products focused on reducing waste and “greening” their overall operations. The USPS is taking a comprehensive approach to environmental stewardship that includes waste and pollution reduction, emissions reductions, green purchasing policies, increased recycling, and the development of earth-friendly products and services.

 

In recognition of its efforts, the Postal Service has received over 70 environmental awards, including the White House Environmental Award, the Closing-the-Circle Award, and the first-ever Environmental Achievement of the Year Award. In addition to these awards, the USPS has achieved Cradle-to-CradleCM certification, which encourages sustainable business practices through “environmentally-intelligent design criteria.” This means that the products and practices used by the Postal Service are deemed to be environmentally friendly, energy-efficient, and developed with social responsibility in mind.

 

The Postal Service is also greening-up its fleet, buildings, power sources, and operations to reduce energy costs. Explore the USPS Green site to read about specific achievements, goals, and initiatives in these areas. Considering the success of their efforts to date, we are likely to see more earth-friendly business innovation from the USPS.

 

The Postal Service is sending us a green message. Are you listening?

 

Maura Betler has been writing about postal and marketing software products since 1991. She is a senior member of the Society for Technical Communication (STC), and a winner of the Phoenix STC Distinguished Service Award. Maura holds an M.A. in Technical and Professional writing from Northern Arizona University, where her graduate work focused on technical communication for multicultural audiences.

Difficulties in Meeting Move Update Requirements for First-Class Mailers… Is It Real? Or is it Hype?

Published on November 13, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , .

This week I read an interesting article on the concerns regarding postal inspection services initiative for move update that Dan O’Rourke, the editor for Mailing Systems Technology had flagged up. In case you missed it – here’s the link.

Mary Ann Bennett provides a very interesting perspective on this subject and it is worth reading. Not being a mailer myself, in reading the article I compared it to a time when I ran my own business, and felt like with all the government requirements such as workman’s comp, property tax, sale tax on goods sold, inventory tax on goods not sold, payroll tax, etc – the likelihood of ever turning my business into an empire seemed bleak as the reality of owning a small business came to life. Just keeping up with all of the requirements while running my business was challenging within itself, it seemed endless – and it obviously is no comparison to what large volumes mailers are dealing with these days.

In the article I mentioned, Mary Ann highlights the many complexities associated in complying with the move update process. While many large volume First Class mailers felt they had all their ducks in a row to ensure maximum postal discounts were achieved, from what we are hearing, this is unfortunately not the case.

Mary Ann writes; It is understandable that these large companies would have no idea there is anything wrong with their mail. And then they get a phone call from a Postal Inspector who is requesting a meeting and that Postal Inspector shows up and says “show me on your mailing statement which move update methods you are currently utilizing.” The mailer is using a service provider and is unsure of what is being marked by their mailing agent on the statements. But surely, there cannot be a problem. They have been using the same in-house method for many years and they had no idea they had problems with the mail. Upon further investigation, the mailer determines that no USPS approved move update method is being used. The Postal Inspector goes back and says well there are these four methods and a 99% accuracy test. And the customer says, “we will submit the files for 99% accuracy”. And the Inspector will say “well no, you would have had to do that before the fact.” As far as the Postal Inspector is concerned the mailer has broken a rule. “Technically you have not been in compliance and listen Mr. Mailer, if I go back a period of years, since this regulation has been in place since 1997, technically I could go back and take away every postage discount you have claimed over the last twelve years. I could recover around $80 million but we will settle for just $2.5 million. We are going to settle for this reduced amount and unless you pay this amount, we are going to rescind your mailing privileges.”

It’s a scary but very real scenario that I hope any of you reading this will not find yourself or your organization a part of. Mary Ann states that many mailers are now seeking other alternatives for mailing, but for many of you that just is not an option in the short term I will look forward to hearing how you are coping, if this is a key concern…or mostly media hype. We do hear of these things happening, but how often and to what extent I just cannot provide any insight into.

USPS Webinar Series Worth a Listen

Published on November 6, 2009 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

As you may already be aware, the USPS have rolled out an informative webinar series that continue until the end of the month. Let’s face it, any clarification on these very relevant topics is helpful and leveraging these sessions may be time well spent.

If you go to http://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=intellmaillatestnews you will find a lot of useful info and also links to the webinar series.

Today, November 6th at 2-4 PM EST, there is a webinar – Full Service ACS Update – here’s the login details:
1. Browse to: http://meetingplace3.usps.gov/a/e599be4820790ce462fafc86593e02d2
2. After the MeetingPlace window is open, click the Phone icon (under the Participant List or in the upper right-hand corner).
3. Click Connect Me, validate or update your phone number and click Connect Me again.
4. When the system calls you press 1 to join.
To attend with audio only if you have not connected by computer:
Phone Number: 866-567-8049
Meeting ID: 2412607
On the 13th, from 2-4 PM EST there is a webinar – Submitting Postage Statements Between 15 and November 29
To attend the November 13 Web conference and join with audio (no earlier than 15 minutes prior to the start):
1. Browse to: http://meetingplace3.usps.gov/a/95c1595dce8e8dbbb7e4d67d309e9107
2. After the MeetingPlace window is open, click the Phone icon (under the Participant List or in the upper right-hand corner).
3. Click Connect Me, validate or update your phone number and click Connect Me again.
4. When the system calls you press 1 to join.
To attend with audio only if you have not connected by computer:
Phone Number: 866-567-8049
Meeting ID: 3479989
One further reminder is that PBBI also have a weekly webinar series on many key postal topics, visit http://go.pbinsight.com/postal-webinar-series to gain insight into this series.