Memo to Mailers - July 2002 (Text)
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
VOLUME 37 NUMBER 7
JULY 2002

WHAT'S INSIDE
PMG HONORS
PARCEL SELECT
POTATO CHIP
KEEPING POSTED
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
SEGWAY PHASE TWO

SEND A MESSAGE
"We are Americans. We do not shirk our duty. We do not flee from danger. And we do not forget our heroes."
- Postmaster General John E. Potter
The Heroes of 2001 stamp was issued June 7 at a special ceremony in New York City at Battery Park, not far from where the World Trade Center towers once stood. Sales of the stamp will generate funds to provide assistance to families of emergency relief personnel killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty as they responded to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"Much has changed since that day in September," said Potter. "Some of us may be tempted to trust a little less. Don't. Rather, I encourage you to look to the example of the heroes of 2001, and instead trust a little more."
REFORM? NO ONE SAID IT WOULD BE EASY.
Look at it this way: the last time Congress voted on comprehensive postal reform was 30 years ago. So the fact that a new reform package was put up for a vote by the Government Reform Committee was a signal of real progress, even if it didn't pass this time.
What happened? Some sources point to intense lobbying against the bill - some of it by another delivery outfit. Others talk about politics. Either way, it's fair to say that there's a real understanding - and not just on Capitol Hill - that the Postal Service needs major structural change. And that's not just us talking. It's a fact.
Time to count reform out? Not for a minute. The future of America's postal system is just too important to ignore. Sure, we're disappointed. But we'll keep talking to Congress about the changes we need to transform the Postal Service to continue meeting the nation's communications needs.
Our futures depend on it.
WORKING FROM THE SAME PAGE
The Postal Service is now using the Delivery Confirmation system to measure service performance for Parcel Select, which includes parcels that are drop shipped to destination Bulk Mail Centers (BMCs), sectional center facilities (SCFs) and delivery units. Customers participating in this program receive performance information via the Internet using an assigned username and password.
The new service measurement reports provide:
- Percentage of pieces that met standard and the percentage of pieces delivered by day.
- Destination BMC and SCF reports will be available by facility and 3-digit and 5-digit breakouts within the facility.
- Destination Delivery Units reports will be available by cluster, 3-digit, and 5-digit.
"It's important that the Postal Service continues to develop new ways to make postal services more valuable. This service helps shippers more efficiently manage the logistics side of their business," says Nicholas Barranca, vice president, Product Development. "Detailed shipping information also helps them provide their customers with accurate information about delivery times."
To participate, shippers must prepare a separate electronic file of the Delivery Confirmation and Signature Confirmation pieces for each drop shipment. The number of the electronic file is barcoded on the PS Form 8125, Plant Verified Drop Shipment Verification and Clearance, that is submitted when the mail is dropped at the destination postal facility. Receiving employees will scan the 8125 barcode when they unload the truck. This will "start the clock" for all the Delivery Confirmation and Signature Confirmation pieces that are part of that drop shipment. The standard Delivery Confirmation process is used to "stop the clock" when the delivery employee scans the piece at the point of delivery.
"We are excited that the Postal Service has initiated this program," says Gerald Papp, vice president, Postal Affairs for R.R. Donneley Logistics." What this means for R.R. Donnelley Logistics is that we can jointly manage and improve service for our customers."
Shippers should contact their Postal Service representative for additional information.
AUTOMATION CELEBRATION
USPS is sorting smarter and faster, thanks to the Automated Flat Sorting Machine (AFSM) 100. After a two-year nationwide deployment, there are now 534 AFSM 100s in 239 mail processing facilities. This "intelligent" flat mailing sorting equipment deciphers hard-to-read addresses while sorting three times as fast as previous equipment. This system will save the Postal Service $292.5 million this year.
"One of the Postal Service's long-term goals is to move flats processing - traditionally one of the most labor intensive - from a manual and mechanized environment to one that is automated," says Walter O'Tormey, manager of Processing Operations. "The Automated Flat Sorting Machine 100's innovative design offers several features not previously available including automatic feeders, a tray take-away conveyor with adaptability to robotic handling, and online video encoding for processing non-readable flat mail images."
O'Tormey says holding down costs on flats processing is more important now than ever. "Further technology enhancements to increase machine throughput, improve address recognition, consolidate image processing, enhance feeder systems and the addition of identification tags and tray handling systems are areas that we are pursuing."
LOOK, TEACHER. NO CRUMBS!
Physics experiments in high school are a wonder to behold, especially when the assignment is to use the U.S. Postal Service to mail one potato chip out of southwestern Pennsylvania and have it return intact.
"It was a lot of fun watching the students come into my office looking for boxes and packaging materials," said Postmaster Al Kustra of the Harrison City Post Office. "They were surprised when they asked for a specific size box and I knew it was for mailing a potato chip!"
Not only was it a test of the physics skills of students in Roger Sullivan's class at Penn Trafford High School - "for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction" - it also was an education on how to properly mail a very fragile item in a timely manner.
Students individually designed the packaging that would cushion their chip to best ensure its safe arrival, according to student reporter Ryan Quinn, who wrote about the experiment for the school newspaper, The Warrior. Students were given size limitations, a return deadline date and were required to use USPS. Bonus points were promised to the students whose projects were lightest or traveled the farthest.
Some procrastinators experienced the "high cost of education" when they waited too long, forcing them to use Priority Mail or Express Mail service so they could get their packages back by the deadline, says Kustra. Some experienced the "agony of defeat" when they tried to mail the farthest but didn't allow enough time for the return trip.
Students used a wide array of materials to protect their chips, ranging from cotton and packing pellets to an old Christmas bulb container.
Final results? Out of 71 students participating in the project, only seven had their chips returned with any damage.
USPS delivers … potato chips and good grades.
POSTMASTER GENERAL HONORS NATIONAL POSTAL POLICY COUNCIL OFFICIAL
At the May 2002 Mailers' Technical Advisory Committee meeting at postal headquarters in Washington, DC, Michael Cavanagh, executive director of the National Postal Policy Council, was recognized for his two decades of service. The council is a catalyst for bringing USPS and its major First-Class Mail partners together to work for positive change and significant improvements. The National Postal Policy Council just celebrated its 20th anniversary.
FYI - PRAISE FOR PMG
The Postal Service's Board of Governors praised Postmaster General John Potter for his leadership during the past year. Board Chairman Robert Rider said, "Rarely has a PMG had to deal with challenges of the magnitude of Sept. 11, the bioterrorism incidents, a rash of mailbox pipe bombings and the largest single-year volume drop in postal history - all in one year, and in his first year of office." Not only did PMG Potter rise to those challenges, Rider said, he has brought USPS and the entire mailing industry together to respond to them.
KEEPING POSTED
NEWS FROM AND FOR THE POSTAL CUSTOMER COUNCILS WWW.NATIONAL.PCC.USPS.COM
TOPIC: TRANSFORMATION
Postal Customer Councils (PCCs) play a key role in customer discussions about postal transformation. After the release last April of the Transformation Plan, which is a blueprint for the future success of USPS, postal headquarters requested that PCCs hold "transformation talk" meetings for their members. The PCCs delivered! More than 75 PCCs set up special sessions or included transformation issues in their regularly scheduled meetings. Speakers from USPS at these meetings included district managers, postmasters, postal officers and other representatives.
"Once again the PCC community, working in concert with postal headquarters, responded quickly to a customer need," said John Wargo, vice president, Service and Market Development. "Roughly a third of all PCCs held meetings to discuss this important postal objective. Having a valuable resource like the PCCs is critical to the success of the Postal Service and its customers. If we didn't already have an organization like the PCC, we'd have to create one."
HAVE YOU REGISTERED?
The PCC website at www.usps.com/nationalpcc is the primary communication vehicle of the PCC program. All PCC members should bookmark the site and visit it regularly. In fact, you can stay up-to-date with the latest PCC news and website updates automatically. Simply sign up for the weekly e-mail update.Just log on and register at: register@pcc.tteam.com. Please note that the e-mail account you use to sign up will be the one on which you will receive your updates. No muss, no fuss.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
PCC payments by credit card are accepted at post offices, according to Postal Bulletin dated Oct. 4, 2001 (page 26). This customer-friendly move allows PCC members and prospective members to pay for membership fees, registration fees, meeting fees and the like. However, this convenience applies only to those PCCs that keep their money in postal accounts.
TELL US WHAT YOU THINK
Coming soon, the national PCC website will include a survey/feedback mechanism. PCC members will be asked regularly about issues that concern them. Results of the surveys will be published on the website. This new system will provide data for both USPS and PCCs that can be used to better respond to customers' needs. Look for it in the near future.
SPEAKER'S BUREAU UPDATE
The PCC/Technical Speaker's Bureau is being updated. When you need a speaker or topic for your PCC meeting, check the Speaker's Bureau first. You'll find postal managers and staffers who work on a wide variety of programs, and are knowledgeable about them. Looking for a "fresh face" or a new "hot" topic? Log on to the Speaker's Bureau in the Featured Links section.
AT THE NATIONAL POSTAL FORUM (NPF)
Don't forget the PCC Conference at the National Postal Forum in Boston is coming up fast. It's scheduled for Sept. 22. You must be registered for the NPF to attend. There will be both individual speakers and interactive sessions. So if you want to network, inform, communicate or educate, come to the PCC Conference and join your peers. You'll be glad you did.
INDIANA WANTS YOU
The annual Indianapolis PCC fall workshop will be held Nov. 20. "Mail d'Gras, a Carnival of Solutions" will feature a vending area and educational mailing seminars. For more information, go to www.Indy-PCC.org.
MAILERS' TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (MTAC) WORK GROUP LEADER RECOGNIZED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS
The Postal Service's Cheryl Beller, a marketing specialist with Product Redesign, has been recognized for her contribution to advancing cooperation between USPS and the mailing industry.
Beller was named recipient of the Donald A. Mumma Award at IDEAlliance's 2002 Addressing/Distribution Conference. IDEAlliance, formerly the Graphic Communications Association, is a not-for-profit membership organization. "During the past year, Beller demonstrated consistent and productive efforts to improve the efficiency of mail processing to the benefit of both the Postal Service and the mailing industry as a whole," said IDEAlliance.
Among her efforts, Beller, as a leader of the MTAC Work Group on Flats Packaging Methods and Package Integrity, helped shepherd an initiative to improve mailer packaging and USPS processing of Periodicals and Standard Mail flats. "Credit for the success of this work group must be shared with my industry counterpart, Russ Shores, MTAC representative from IDEAlliance, and many other hardworking postal and industry work group members," she says.
At the same conference, Anita Pursley, vice president of postal affairs for Quebecor World, was named the first recipient of the Norman W. Scharpf Award, which recognizes industry professionals who contribute to the improvement of mail preparation programs and services.
POSTAL NEWS BRIEFS
STAMPING OUT HUNGER
Letter carriers collected 62.7 million pounds of food donations on May 11 in the 10th annual National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive. NALC President Vince Sombrotto said, "These donations will help millions of children and adults have a brighter and healthier summer."
The Postal Service's Priority Mail and Campbell Soup supported the event, which has become the nation's largest one-day food drive. All donations were delivered to local food banks to help needy families.
PRAISE FOR USPS ANTHRAX RESPONSE
"We commend the efforts of Postal Service management and employees in responding to the anthrax attacks on the postal system, its customers and its employees," said Karla Corc-oran, Inspector General for the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (OIG).
In a report summarizing the findings of a review of USPS's anthrax response, the OIG states, "The U.S. Postal Service effectively communicated and took appropriate actions to explore and develop a sterilization process for anthrax-contaminated mail." In addition, OIG auditors found that Postal Service cost estimates to address terrorist attack damages and the threat of anthrax "were reasonable."
The Inspection Service "responded reasonably in ensuring mail security during anthrax decontamination and irradiation efforts, given the emergency nature of the threat," the report also noted.
GOING FOR FOUR
The USPS Pro Cycling Team, featuring Lance Armstrong, competes for its fourth straight Tour de France championship, July 6-28. This season, the team wears the image of the "United We Stand" stamp on its jerseys, showing the team's support for freedom and its unified focus and determination to win against any challenge. The team's website is www.uspsprocycling.com.
REAL PEOPLE. REAL SUCCESS
The Postal Service's latest in-store advertising campaign, "Real People. Real Success," puts successful small business owners in the spotlight. The stories conveyed in the ads "give other business owners concrete examples of how postal services can help them make their businesses thrive," says Chief Marketing Officer Anita Bizzotto.
In the first phase of the campaign, business owners are featured with a USPS product/service that has best served their business' success. A second phase will feature a contest in which small business owners share their stories of how a USPS product or service helped their business. Contest winners will be featured in "Real People. Real Success" in-store advertising campaigns during 2003.
BY LAND… BY SEA… BY BOTH
How does USPS get mail to rural villages along the Kuskokwim River in western Alaska? By hovercraft, of course. Since 1997, this amphibious cargo vehicle has been delivering mail, freight and passengers from its base in Bethel to remote locations where the mail is off-loaded onto sleds in the winter and trucks in the summer.
The Smithsonian's National Postal Museum in Washington, DC, currently is featuring a hovercraft exhibit on one of the most unusual transportation vehicles used by USPS.
USPS delivers!
Volume 37 Number 7
Ilze Sella, Editorial Services
Frank Papandrea, Art Director
David Ostroff, Designer
Jim Fisher, Printing Specialist
John E. Potter, Postmaster General and CEO
Deborah K. Willhite, Senior Vice President, Government Relations and Public Policy
Azeezaly S. Jaffer, Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications
MEMO TO MAILERS is published by U.S. Postal Service Public Affairs and Communications.
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memo to mailers
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LOOKS PROMISING
Desert heat. Big city beat. The Postal Service is putting the Segway Human Transporter (HT) to a summertime test of its ability to deliver the mail in six geographically diverse regions of the country.
This second phase tryout follows earlier feasibility tests which had promising results, according to Postmaster General John Potter. He announced USPS purchased 40 Segway HTs to be used for testing in Norman, OK; Memphis, TN; Bronx, NY; San Francisco, CA; Chandler, AZ and a sixth site yet to be decided.
In addition to their geographic diversity, these sites offer different route structures, climates and manpower needs, allowing USPS to evaluate the Segway HT for efficiency, safety and ergonomics.
Earlier this year, feasibility tests with letter carriers in Tampa, FL, and Concord, NH, found the Segway HT reduced the physical stress of carrying up to 35 pounds of mail and it decreased the time used to walk between delivery addresses.
"The U.S. Postal Service is one of the world's most complicated and demanding pedestrian-intensive businesses," said Dean Kamen, chairman and founder of Segway LLC, based in Manchester, NH. "Segway is proud of our continued, successful partnership with the U.S. Postal Service."