Visibility Strategy
September, 2006
Visibility Today
CONFIRM provides piece level mail processing
data that can be used for tracking for letters
and flats
218 CONFIRM subscribers with an average of
353 million pieces per month
Each piece receives an average of 2.4 scans
Limited start-the-clock capabilities
Some flats bypass processing equipment
No container tracking data available
2
Recent Visibility Advancements
Recent technology improvements enable
more robust visibility offerings than
previously available.
Deployment of Surface Visibility
PostalOne! capability to support
Large/Medium/Small customers
Deployment of FAST
Deployment of passive tray scanning capabilities
New unique barcodes for pieces and containers
Implementation of common customer identifier
across visibility systems (Business Entity ID)
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Scanning Systems
USPS has deployed a number of systems that
can provide visibility data.
Surface Visibility: Tracking of handling units and
containers via surface transport
Surface-Air Support System (SASS): Tracking of handling
units and containers via air transport
PostalOne!: Handling Unit, Container & Piece electronic
documentation
PostalOne! Transportation Management System: Tray
tracking
CONFIRM: Letter and flat piece-level mail processing data
IBI-Track and Trace: Meter and internet postage piece
tracking
FAST: Advance Notification
Integrated Dispatch and Receipt (IDR): Tray tracking
Mail Handling System (MHS): Tray tracking
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PostalOne! Expansion
PostalOne! provides a comprehensive approach
to submit electronic documentation for all mail
classes.
Provide makeup of mail by Handling Unit, Container, Piece
Enables nesting of visibility data
Provides advance notification that enables planning
First-Class Mail via Mail.dat Enabled in November
Standard
Periodicals
via MAIL.DAT
Mailer
via Web
Services
First-Class
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Parcels
Postage Statement
Wizard
Postal
One!
Barcodes - Piece
Three barcode types enable mailers to
uniquely identify all letter and flat mailpieces.
PLANET Code
13 digits
Limited to CONFIRM
only
Four State Customer
Barcode (4CB)
31 digits
Used for multiple
services (CONFIRM,
OneCode ACS, etc)
Information Based Indicia (IBI)
256 bytes
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Barcodes - Container
New barcodes have also been created to
enable unique identification of containers.
Enhanced Distribution Label (EDL)
– Used on trays, sacks, and tubs
– Uses BEI as customer identifier
– Interim solution allows for both 10 and 24 digit label
Surface Visibility Mailer Placard Barcode
– Used on pallets, APCs and other large containers
– Uses BEI as customer identifier
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New Barcodes
USPS has recently release specifications for
three new barcodes that enable unique
identification.
 Surface Visibility Mailer Placard Barcode: Pallets
 Enhanced Distribution Label (EDL): Trays
 Four State Customer Barcode (4CB): Pieces
Position
MTEL
Surface Visibility
Container
Level
Mailer Placard
Enhanced
24Digit
Distribution Label
Piece
Level
(EDL)
Four 4ST
State
Customer
PieceBarcode
Level
(4CB)
8
1
2
3
4
App ID T ID
2N
1N
5
7
8
9
Business Entity ID
6N
ZIP
3 or 5 digit N
T ID
2N
6
Spcl Srvs
3N
CIN
3N
10
11
12
Adjust Field
3N
L sr
1N
Business Entity ID
6N
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Unique Serial Number
9N
Business Entity ID
6N
Adjust Field
3N
Adjust Field
3N
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
21 Digits
Unique Serial No.
5N
Unique Serial No.
6N
T ID
1N
24 Digits
Routing ZIP
0,5,9,11 digit N
Barcode "type" indicator; used to identify a "large" or "small" mailer
Used to identy services requested by the customer (i.e. ACS, Confirm, PostalOne!; Confirm/ACS)
Used to identify source "Business Entity"
Adjustable field
Used to uniquely identify a container, tray,sack, or piece
Used to route a tray,sack, or piece
Identifies a source system used to create label
31 Digits
Business Entity Identifier
Initially, 20 BEIs will be granted per Customer Location
Obtain BEI by calling PostalOne! help desk initially, will
automate in future
BEI can be 6 or 9 digits
–
6-Digit BEIs provided to customers that require additional digits to
maintain unique serial IDs over 90 days
Will be used to identify a mailer in the Four State Barcode
(4CB), Enhanced Distribution Label (EDL) and Mailer Placard
barcodes
Used to determine who to disseminate Confirm and OneCode
ACS data
Enhances existing USPS services and offerings and provides a
foundation for additional services and offerings to customers
of any size.
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Visibility Enabled – Air Transport
There are many visibility points that are available
for containers transported via air.
24 digit EDL first scanned by P1! TMS to associate to D&R
tag
D&R tag scanned on average 3 times
Air Transportation Supplier nesting of D&R to containers
provides additional visibility
P1! TMS
Scan
D&R Tag
Assignment
Tray
Container
Tray
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Tray
Visibility Enabled – Surface Transport
Significant visibility also exists for surface
transport.
Key Surface Visibility scan points
Tray to Container Scan at Origin
Container Load and Unload at Origin and
Destination
Tray to Container Scan at Destination
Container Arrival at Delivery Unit (next phase)
Each pallet receives, on average, one scan
Tray Scan
Handling Unit
to Container
Nest Scan
Container
Container Container
Dock Depart
Load Scan
Unload Scan Stage Scan
Origin Plant
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HASP
Container
Load Scan
Container Container Ready
Container
Dock Arrive Unload Scan to Process Scan Dock Arrive
Unload Scan
Destination Plant
Delivery Unit
Visibility Uses
Robust visibility enables new capabilities that
benefit both mailers and USPS.
Respond to Customer Needs for Expanded
Visibility
Seamless Acceptance
Network & Transportation Optimization
Start-the-Clock
Service Performance Measurement
Enhanced Products and Services: CONFIRM
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Seamless Acceptance
Unique piece and container identifiers and
accurate mailer documentation are critical to
Seamless Acceptance.
Presort: Piece scan patterns have been used to verify
presort of ZIP groups
Mailpiece Count: Number of inducted pieces has been
determined from piece scans
Short Tray Validation: Actual piece counts by ZIP group
from scan data have been used to verify mail makeup
Evaluating the use of the following:
–
–
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Accurate Barcode Verification: Read rate for mailing can be
compared to End-Of-Run (EOR) read rate for all mailings
and eMIR reports for problem pieces
Valid Barcode: POSTNET of piece documentation can be
compared to the Delivery Point File (DPF Now) file to
determine if valid POSTNET applied
Start-the-Clock
Accurate electronic documentation and nesting
information enables robust Start-the-Clock
capabilities.
Electronic documentation will link
– Pieces to trays
– Trays to pallets
– Pallets to shipment
Plant Loads
Truck arrival and unload scans can be used
to Start-the-Clock
Pallet scans provide specific unload details
(time and location of each pallet)
Tray scans provide assurance that mail is
being worked
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Service Performance Measurement
Container and piece data can be combined to
determine true end-to-end service performance.
Tray scans used to measure performance
between plants
Piece scans used to measure performance
within plants
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Enhanced Products and Services: CONFIRM
The CONFIRM infrastructure will be leveraged to
provide additional scan data to customers.
Single source/subscription for all visibility
data
Piece and container scans combined in a
single source for mailers
New subscriber levels will be defined
Customers will get scans based on program
participation and subscriber level (i.e.
Seamless Acceptance participants will get
applicable scans)
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Requirements for Visibility Data
Requirements for expanded visibility to
include Pallet, Tray, Sack, Tub Scans
– Advanced Notification
– Electronic Documentation & Postage
– Unique Barcodes on Handling Units and
Containers
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Requirements for Visibility Data
Advanced Notification
– Induction Location
– Induction Date and Time
– Plant Load Mailing Indicator and Last Process
Location
– Recurring (Frequency) or One-Time Mailing
– Pre-sort of Handling Units (HU)
– Average HU weight
– Destination ZIP code of HUs
– Number of Containers (Rolling Stock or Pallets)
– Mail Shape
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Requirements for Visibility Data
Electronic Documentation & Payment
–
Manifest Mailers/List/MLOCR
»
Tray
–
–
–
–
»
Piece Level
–
–
–
»
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Processing Category
Batch/Itemized Manifest ID
Unique 4 CB barcode/POSTNET (for Seamless Acceptance
Only)
Container
–
–
»
Unique Physical/Logical Tray Identification (unique)
Pre-sort
# of Mailpieces per Tray
ZIP Code Range(s)
Number of Containers (Rolling Stock or Pallets)
Unique Surface Visibility Mailer Placard Barcode
Unique Identifier for a Mailing
Mailer Interest in Visibility Data
Mailers have shown significant interest in
receiving visibility data.
USPS acceptance and delivery are the most
important data elements.
Predicted delivery date and how well it was processed
are less important to mailers.
Average Im portance of Each Category of Data
Where is it now ?
2.97
Consolidation
3.44
Category of Data
USPS Acceptance
3.67
Enroute Tracking
2.59
USPS Delivery
3.58
When w ill it be Delivered?
2.89
When w as it Delivered?
3.53
How w ell w as it processed?
2.76
Was it redirected, replied to or returned?
3.17
Original Mail
3.40
Reply Mail
0.00
0.50
This data represents 12 interviews with mailers in various
industries and does not show differences by shape.
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2.88
1.00
1.50
2.00
2.50
Average Importance
3.00
3.50
4.00
Information Needs
Raw data preferred to individual inquiries
Hold data elements for 90 days
Timeliness of data – Real Time, Near Real Time,
Daily
– Parcel mailers in real time where and when
– First-class, standard mailers near real time where & when
– Periodical mailers daily
Mailers have highly varied uses for the data
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– Provide better customer service through increased
information.
– Actively manage the supply chain.
– Optimize call center staffing to reduce labor costs.
– Prevent or reduce fraudulent claims.
– Improve marketing and fulfillment planning.
Questions for Group
Visibility Scan Approach for Letters & Flats
–
–
–
–
–
–
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Integration with Confirm
Raw Data
Unit Scans – Piece, Tray, Container
Frequency of dissemination
Data Elements to be included
Mail Class Distinction – First, Standard, Periodicals
CONFIRM Scan Elements
Scan ID: sequential scan identifier
Scan Facility ID: 5 digit ID of the facility
Operation Code: 3 digit code of the
operation
Scan Date/Time
Scan POSTNET: the POSTNET of the
piece
Scan Tracking Code: the 4CB of
PLANET code on the piece
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Transportation Visibility Scan Elements
ID Tag: the unique identifier on the
container
Scan Facility ID: the identifier of the
location at which the scan occurred
Scan Date/Time
Scan Type: the type of scan that was
conducted (i.e. possession, delivery,
unload, load, etc.)
Nested Info: the identifier if a parent or
child record exists
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