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Flats Sequencing System

FSS Optimization Project is under way

With the implementation of the Flats Sequencing System, the Postal Service has identified a very aggressive goal of minimizing carrier handling of flat mail. How to achieve that target and build on the FSS program is the objective of the FSS Optimization Project.

As part of this project, we’re using Lean Six Sigma approach of analyses, tools and techniques to identify, analyze, measure and improve our flat mail processes. The goal is to develop an implementation strategy for short- and long-term changes in processing that incorporate FSS operations to achieve improved flat mail flow. This strategy also would incorporate customer and mail service provider handoff of flat mail to postal operations and end-to-end postal flats processes. USPS has developed a comprehensive plan for current processing needs, and is identifying additional areas of opportunity to leverage the benefits of the FSS program.

USPS continues to look for opportunities to eliminate waste, reduce processing costs and maintain high levels of accuracy and service.

Flats volume decline and how we are reacting

As a result of declining flats volume, USPS Operations is performing capacity reviews of phase one sites in order to determine what impact the decline has on planned FSS deployments. The team has updated site-specific models with 2008 volume information to measure the impact. Though all deployed unit sites are sized appropriately, this due-diligence effort continues with a deeper analysis of trend and implementation data.

There has been no decision on repositioning of any FSS units at this time but we are keeping our thumb on the pulse of flats volume trends and have implemented quarterly reviews to ensure we have the right number of machines in the right locations.

Other FSS updates

The first production FSS machine is fully operational at the Dulles, VA, processing facility and is ready to begin acceptance testing. Flats for all sort schemes — 10 delivery office and 19 zones — have migrated from the pre-production FSS to the production machine. Upgrades to the pre-production machine have taken place and additional zones are coming on line the first week of November to backfill the pre-production FSS. The second production FSS is in the installation process at Dulles and the third FSS will start to arrive later in November.

Phase two of FSS planning is under way.

Delivery Changes

Mail volume declines driving route adjustments

As the economy declines, so does mail volume. And that affects carrier routes. As part of USPS efforts to tighten costs across the organization, we’re working to make route adjustments that reflect the current economic reality.

In October 2008, the National Association of Letter Carriers — the union representing city carriers on more than 160,000 routes — and the Postal Service reached a historic agreement on streamlining the process by which letter carrier routes are adjusted. The new process enables speedier, data-driven workload evaluations and adjustments, so that if mail volume declines or grows significantly, USPS can quickly respond to the changes.

Thousands of routes across the country will be evaluated by the end of 2008. Most of the changes resulting from those evaluations will take place in January 2009. The adjustments will consolidate deliveries onto fewer routes and result in the elimination of some assignments. Some customers will be assigned a new mail carrier and a different delivery time during the day. 

These changes to city routes, and changes coming from the evaluations of rural routes scheduled for February and March, will cause changes in carrier-route and sequencing data each month through April 2009. Presorted mail that is not aligned with these changes will require additional processing, especially mail that is drop-shipped to delivery units. To avoid the cost of reworking that mail, the Postal Service will be posting a schedule of ZIP Code updates on its RIBBS website at ribbs.usps.gov. Mailers also can contact their local district office for current information, and are encouraged to update their mailing lists as frequently as is appropriate. 

As everyone in the mailing industry deals with the current tough economy, you can depend on the Postal Service commitment to providing great service at affordable prices.

Enhanced RIBBS Website

Technical resource for business mailers gets a new look

The RIBBS website has been updated and enhanced with new features and capabilities for business mailers. RIBBS long has been a primary technical resource for the mailing industry. Now, with new search capabilities and better navigation, finding the right information is even easier.

New indexes are searchable alphabetically or by topic, and improved print capabilities and drop-down menus provide easy access to the Postal Service’s many products and services that help mailers standardize, validate and update their address data.

For example, the site offers mailers several solutions to make sure their addresses are actual delivery points and that addresses are updated when people move. The new website also features software that helps mailers standardize their addresses with correct abbreviations and spellings.

“Cost-effective and timely delivery of every mailpiece depends on valid addresses that contain complete and accurate address elements,” says Alice VanGorder, manager, Address Management. “And the Postal Service is here to help.”

Links to Intelligent Mail services and the Flats Sequencing Strategy also are available.

Visit the new and improved RIBBS website at ribbs.usps.gov.

2009 National Postal Forum

Registration is now open for next year’s event

More than 6,000 industry professionals are expected to attend the National Postal Forum May 17-20 in Washington, DC. This is the mailing industry’s premier educational event and trade show, bringing USPS together with its customers, suppliers and business partners.

How is today’s mail meeting the needs of today’s businesses? The forum is the place to find answers and educational opportunities. NPF offers more than 140 workshops. There will be symposiums on Intelligent Mail services and Shipping Services, and assorted business tracks, including topics ranging from mail center management and quality addressing to a brand new offering, “Sustainability in Today's Environment.”

Postmaster General John Potter, who delivers the keynote speech May 18, will be joined at the forum by speakers sharing the message of the powerful role mail can play in business, marketing and advertising. In addition, the exhibit hall will feature 150 companies, the largest number of exhibitors in NPF history.

Make plans now to attend. For more information and to register, go to npf.org or call 703-218-5015. PCC members get a $100 discount on four-day registrations, and a $50 discount on two- and three-day registrations.

WHAT'S UP

Finding Mail-Related Services

Starting a new business and need help with mail preparation and address lists? Looking for equipment or supplies? Want to expand your efforts nationally? Postal Service customers seeking mail-related services can turn to the National PCC website at usps.com/pcc to search for a list of mail service providers. Just click the link for “Find Mail Service Providers.”

Businesses can search by city, state, ZIP Code and mail-related service categories. A successful search shows an alphabetical list of all local providers in a geographical area based on the search criteria. In addition to standard contact information, a map showing the provider’s location and directions to the provider’s location also is available. National providers always will be listed at the top of the search results.

Intelligent Mail Full-Service Guides

USPS has updated three technical guides and added a new guide for customers who are implementing the Intelligent Mail full-service solution for their businesses. The guides indicate what functions will be supported in Intelligent Mail Release 1 on May 11 and support Mail.dat version 09.1. We encourage customers to use these guides at http://ribbs.usps.gov/files/fullserviceguides/ as they prepare for the transition.

PostalOne! Mail.Dat Technical Guide for Full Service 3.0  (New)
Mail.dat is an industry-defined database structure. Learn how to use Mail.dat to submit electronic information for full-service mailings.

Guide to Intelligent Mail for Letters and Flats  (Updated)
Answers technical questions on the full-service option. Find out what changes are required to electronic documentation, how to populate electronic documentation files and how to create or update electronic appointments.

PostalOne! Technical Guide for Mail.XML  (Updated)
Mail.XML supports two-way communication in near real time. Customers can provide eDoc data, including qualification reports and postage statements; create FAST appointments and receive start-the-clock, container scan and address correction information.

A Guide to Customer/Supplier Agreements  (Updated)
Customer/Supplier Agreements define mail preparation and entry for mailers and the postal plants where their mail is entered.

FYI…

PCC co-chairs received an advance copy of the latest Workshop-in-a-Box, New Shipping Choices for 2009. It explains the Jan. 18 price changes for Shipping Services and the added value customers receive by shipping with USPS. The new workshop soon will be available for download at the National PCC website at usps.com/pcc. 

SPOTLIGHT ON SUCCESS

PCC Membership A Terrific Return On Investment

The greatest assets of PCC membership are networking opportunities and access to postal officials, says Art Gerckens, one of the newest members of the national PCC Advisory Committee.

“In these troubled economic times, joining the PCC has been a terrific return on investment for something that was free to join,” he says. “PCC membership is the best deal around, but you have to keep it fresh and exciting.”

He adds, “New members can always learn something and be introduced to a whole network of experts, and ‘mailing vets’ can stay on top of new pricing and procedures.”

Gerckens, manager of the Mail and Duplicating Center at Sacred Heart University, is industry co-chair of the Fairfield County Connecticut PCC. The former Greater Bridgeport and Greater Fairfield County PCCs were merged to create the council. “By combining the two PCCs, we have become a more vibrant and financially stable PCC,” says Gerckens. And, he notes, the PCC has been on the leading edge of promoting “green” practices in the mailing industry. The council sponsored an event that brought together green vendors, members of the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, and the Direct Marketing Association. “It was a huge success,” he says.

Certificate programs also are a great way to increase membership, according to Gerckens. “After completing a workshop, people walk away with something tangible that they can show their supervisors or potential customers.”

Gerckens says he knew very little about the mailing industry when he became a manager 11 years ago. He credits membership in a PCC for bringing him up to speed quickly. “Through my membership, I’ve made lifelong friends and business associates,” says Gerckens, who also is president of the Association of College and University Mail Services.

KEEPING POSTED

2009

• The 2009 National Postal Forum will be held May 17-20 in Washington, DC. Check the NPF website at npf.org for more information.
• National PCC Day is scheduled for Sept. 16 in New York City.

INFO@USPS

Your Links To Mailing Resources

U.S. Postal Service: usps.com

National PCC Network: usps.com/pcc

Rapid Information Bulletin Board System: ribbs.usps.gov

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