This week the U.S. Senate finally passed S. 1789 — their postal reform act. There are a many changes included in this bill, but it’s unlikely that it will cure all of the ailments of USPS.

Here are some highlights:

• Gives the Postmaster General access to money USPS overpaid into one of its retirement funds to provide incentives for employees to retire.
• Reduces the amount of money USPS is required to pre-fund for retiree health benefits.
• Retains overnight delivery for First-Class Mail in most areas.
• Allows USPS to move to five-day delivery, but only after two years and all other cost-saving measures are exhausted.
• Requires a new standard for retail services across the country, which will make it more difficult to close retail Post Offices.
• Allows USPS to sell some non-postal products and services.
• Allows USPS to ship beer, wine and distilled spirits.
• Creates a new Chief Innovation Officer position at USPS.
• Reforms the Federal Employees Compensation Act.
• Establishes a Strategic Advisory Commission, which will create a new strategic blueprint for USPS.
• Expands the requirements USPS must consider before closing a post office.

So what does this mean? The retirement refund will give USPS a bit of capital to keep the lights on, but this bill isn’t the cure-all everyone was hoping for. It will be harder to close facilities, and USPS will likely run out of their refund money in just a few years. While the Senate has passed this bill, the current bill floating around the House is drastically different, and it will take quite a bit to find something that both branches of Congress can agree to. Until they come up with something the president can sign, true postal reform is still in political limbo.

Congress · PRC · USPS

Canada Post announced a new mailing service this week, the Precision Targeter. At first glance this program looks very similar to USPS’s EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail). There is a web site that allows a mailer to target a specific area, and the mail pieces to that area generally do not include an address. But the differences make the Precision Targeter program much more useful than EDDM. First, businesses don’t have to sign up for an account or navigate a difficult web site to reach the program. The steps are clearly laid out before you even start, and helpful tips are shown throughout the process to describe each function. Even the look and feel of the maps and user controls feels new and fresh, where the EDDM site looks like it could have been built in the late 90′s. But the one area where Canada Post really excels is with the route selection. The user can select up to 3 demographic types, and routes that match those types are selected automatically. So if you’re targeting consumers who have a specific  income, the Precision Targeter will show you the routes most likely to match that income. It even suggests routes that are just outside your target area. While Precision Targeter may make Canadian list providers cringe, it looks like a very useful tool for mailers who don’t want to maintain a mailing list. For more information, you can view and play with the Precision Targeter at canadapost.ca/precisiontargeter.

Canada Post · EDDM · mail preparation · USPS

Spring brings songbirds, rain, and the biggest postal conference of the year. The National Postal Forum is in Orlando this year, and it promises to be one of the most interesting years yet. With the threat of insolvency, USPS is making lots of changes, and NPF is the best place to learn all about it. In addition to the Postmaster General’s opening session, there are dozens of informational workshops on a wide range of topics. Vendors and service providers will be on the Expo floor to showcase their new products. Satori Software will be in booth 611, so stop by to say “hi”! We’re also presenting two workshops this year. On Tuesday afternoon I’ll walk you through “From Zero to eDoc in Plain English”, and stick around Wednesday to hear Corey Smith talk about “More Automation, More Profit”.

For more information about NPF, visit their web site. I hope we’ll see you there!

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