Last week representatives from the mailing industry met with USPS in Washington DC. Here’s a quick recap of some of the topics discussed:

• The biggest announcement, in my opinion, was they finally announced the end of POSTNET! Starting January 2013, an Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) will be required to get automation discounts. They’ve pushed this back many times before, but I think they really mean it this time.
• And second biggest was their announcement that Full-Service IMb will be required for Automation discounts in January 2014. While they were pretty confident about this date, I don’t think they’ve thought this all the way through, and this date is likely to slip. But that doesn’t mean mailers shouldn’t get started on this now. The goal is to have 100% of automation mail tracked using IMb by 2014.
• “Did you hear the one about the unstamped letter? You wouldn’t get it.” — CFO Joe Corbett, budding comedian
• The mobile barcode incentive will be back this summer. First-Class and Standard mailers who include an approved mobile barcode on their pieces will get a 2% discount on their mail. To learn more about this incentive, including the new requirements for where the barcode goes, see the documentation on RIBBS.
• Postmaster General Pat Donahoe laid out his new business plan for USPS. In order to get out of the financial hole they’re in, USPS wants to:
  • Pull out of the government healthcare system and self-insure.
  • Re-align the postal network, including several thousand office closures, along with closing over half the sorting facilities. This could also include eliminating Saturday delivery, pending Congressional action. For a complete list of facilities they want to close, see the network realignment page. Mailers should still be able to drop their mail at their existing centers and still get the SCF discounts.
  • Encourage more employees to retire (almost half of the staff is currently eligible to retire).
  • Increase the cost of a First-Class stamp to $0.50.
  • Eliminate retirement pre-funding (this would also require Congressional action).
  • All together this could save USPS $20 billion by 2016, which would ensure they stay in the black.
• Donahoe said “We have to act on this now. Putting a couple of pieces together and holding your breath is not the solution. We will be in an untenable position in five to six years. It is hard to get the message across. Everyone can’t have their cake and eat it too. When you look at our outlook and do nothing, we look like Greece.” And it’s interesting to note, Congress doesn’t seem as ready to assist USPS as the EU has been ready to bail out Greece.
• The PMG also noted that his big dream is to have all “large” mailers using “seamless acceptance”. Basically seamless acceptance is Full-Service IMb on steroids – the USPS will just take their mail, then bill them the rates later. This assumes that those large mailers are preparing easy-to-process mail, and that the USPS will bill them accordingly. For “smaller” mailers, he envisions them dropping their mail off at their local post office window, not the current Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU). They didn’t define what makes a mailer “large” or “small”.
• Productivity is up, but they can only cut so much. USPS will pay their employees first, suppliers second, but won’t be able to make the $11 billion payment to the government for health pre-funding this year.
• At some point they want to move to a single account/single permit world, rather than have each company register a permit at every drop location. But this system hasn’t been built yet, and won’t be until 2013 at the earliest.
• The MTAC meetings are getting restructured this year to encourage more participation and communication. This means I’ll be a little busier at the next MTAC.

So big changes are afoot! We should hear a lot more about the IMb changes between now and NPF.

barcodes · direct mail · events · Full-Service · Intelligent Mail · mail preparation · mobile barcodes · MTAC · National Postal Forum · NPF · POSTNET · prices · QR codes · USPS

Last week at MTAC, USPS announced the official “retirement” date for the POSTNET barcode. Starting January 2013, POSTNET will no longer qualify mailers for automation discounts. If you haven’t made the transition to IMb yet, check out the Intelligent Mail resources on our website to learn more.

Stay tuned for a recap of MTAC coming soon.

barcodes · direct mail · Intelligent Mail · mail piece design · mail preparation · mailing software · MTAC · POSTNET · prices · USPS

Your mail entry clerk may be urging you, but are you are really ready to move from paper to electronic? Submitting postal paperwork electronically can speed up mail entry and save time, but requires a little knowledge and some patience.

The Benefits of Electronic Documentation

Replaces most of your printed paperwork

By submitting your mailing electronically, you won’t need to print the Postage Statements, Qualification Reports, Manifest Reports and other documentation that describes your mailing. You will still need to print container (tray/sack/pallet) labels.

Reduces ink and other printing costs

Paperwork for some mailings can be dozens of pages. Without all that extra printing, you save money on ink, paper and printer maintenance costs.  It adds up, so this can affect your bottom line.

Avoids human errors

Information is submitted directly into PostalOne! rather than being  manually entered by your mail entry clerk. No more missing and “fat-fingered” data. Also, with less printed paperwork to sort through at entry, missing or mismatched statements can be avoided as well.

Reduces time spent at The Post Office®

Your mailing information is submitted to PostalOne! before you leave your facility, and electronic verification of your documents is done before you reach your mail entry location. Last minute changes can be made before, or after, you submit your mailing. This cuts down on the time the entry clerk spends on each mailing, and allows you the flexibility to update documentation without an extra trip to The Post Office.

Qualifies for additional services and discounts from USPS

If you’re looking at the Intelligent Mail Full-Service discount, or want to try new initiatives like the QR Code promotion, electronic documentation is required.

A Few Considerations

Because electronic documentation is a technical process, it can take a bit more time to setup. Here are some things to think about before starting.

Select the right type of electronic documentation

Currently there are three ways to submit your mailing electronically: Mail.dat, Mail.XML and the Postal Wizard. Stay tuned to this blog for help in selecting the right type for your workflow. Depending on the size of your mailing and other factors, one type may make more sense for you.

Additional costs may apply

Depending on the type of electronic documentation you want to use, additional software may be required. Here are some additional features you may need.

• IDEAlliance membership – if you are using Mail.dat, a subscription is required to properly generate the Mail.dat files.
• Presort software add-ons – many PAVE certified software vendors (including Satori Software) offer Mail.dat creation or Mail.XML submission for a minimal annual fee.
• Post-presort software – if you are using Mail.dat and want more flexibility with your mailings, including editing, combining and splitting your mailings, post-presort software can offer these features.

Testing is needed for Mail.dat and Mail.XML

Because Mail.dat and Mail.XML access PostalOne! directly, USPS encourages you to test your Mail.dat files and Mail.XML messages before using them with live mailings. This process can take days or weeks, depending on the complexity of your mailings. Some software vendors, like Satori Software, offer services to help you through the testing process.

Support for the Postal Wizard is limited

In many cases, the Postal Wizard can only be used for mailings under 10,000 pieces. Also, you have to enter data into the Postal Wizard manually, which can result in mistyped or missing information.

The Right Time for Electronic Documentation

If any of the following apply to you, it may be time to look at electronic documentation.

• You want to take advantage of Full-Service Intelligent Mail discounts or seasonal sales such as the QR code promotion.
• You regularly process several paper postage statements every week, and want to cut down on acceptance time during mail entry.
• You want to cut down on the paper used to print your mailing documentation.

Electronic documentation can help streamline and enhance your mailing workflow. Satori offers a custom analysis of your current system to help you decide if electronic documentation makes sense for you. Contact Satori Software to get your analysis, and stay tuned to this blog to learn more about the different types of electronic documentation that are available.

barcodes · Electronic Documentation · Full-Service · Intelligent Mail · mail preparation · Mail.dat · Mail.xml · mailing paperwork · Postal Wizard · PostalOne! · USPS