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Seamless Acceptance:
The Future Appears Bright
Bob Rosser
Director, Postal Affairs
September 18, 2013
Session Agenda
Seamless Acceptance overview
Requirements to make Seamless Acceptance successful
Our company’s experience so far
Lessons learned by IWCO Direct
Seamless: anticipated benefits for USPS and mailers
Q&A
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Seamless Acceptance Definition
Seamless Environment:
Automated census and sampling data collection of actual mail data as
compared to planned mailing claimed in mailer’s eDoc. This standardized
process is used on all mailings to verify accurate postage payment and mailing
preparation quality over calendar month. Acceptable quality minimum
thresholds must be met over aggregate volume mailed for month.
Current Environment:
Manual sampling, MERLIN, manual piece count, data collection by on-site
DMU or BMEU verification of mail as submitted via eDoc based on
Performance Based Verification. Numerous mailing methods and postage
payment systems have resulted in more than 150 different SOPs for USPS
acceptance personnel.
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Mailer’s Concerns on Seamless
Current Environment:
USPS DMU/BMEU clerk is last quality assurance step
Clerk will reject poor quality mailing to fix and re-submit without penalty
Future Seamless Environment:
Mailers must be proactive and vigilant with QA process to control risks and
avoid unbudgeted financial surprises
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Seamless Acceptance Requires:
Solution Components needed for Seamless Acceptance:
1. Unique IMb on every piece – including Non-Auto
2. Unique IMtb on handling unit labels (trays/sacks)
3. Unique IMcb on container placards (pallets)
4. Standardized electronic documentation including nesting information for above
5. Handheld bar code scanners for data collection
6. Mail Processing Equipment (MPE) data streams available from USPS production
7. Hardware to house vast amounts of data
8. Software to analyze, compare and connect data from many disparate systems
9. Standardized processes for implementation for all parties
10. Reliable networks and data transmission capabilities
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Sampling Verifications for Impact Adjustment
Sampling verifications compare FS-IMD piece sample to eDoc:
Postage Affixed: postage affixed on piece from sample is different than postage
affixed of piece in eDoc
Piece Weight Error: piece weight retrieved from sample is greater than piece weight
claimed in eDoc
Sample weight crosses into new rate category
Sample weight exceeds percent threshold set for pound postage
Nesting/Sortation Error: piece is nested in sampled tray that has sortation level that is
different than sortation level of eDoc tray
Processing Category: processing category retrieved from sample scan is different
than processing category claimed in eDoc
Content: sample identifies content error
Such as mailpiece is First-Class Mail and claimed as Standard Mail in eDoc
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Mail Processing Equipment (MPE) Scans
Actual scan data of unique IMb on mailpieces
is compared to planned IMb Full-Service mailing data in eDoc
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Planned Full-Service Thresholds
Take effect July 2014
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Planned Seamless Thresholds
Mail quality targets for
allowable mailer “real world”
production issues
Measured over calendar month
Subject to change as more
mailers and mailing
environments begin parallel
testing
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Seamless Error Summary Report
Data from manual sampling by DMU/BMEU clerk via FS-IMD handheld scanner
(e.g. 1-3-30) and MPE scans compared to all data submitted in eDoc
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Seamless Error Reports by Job ID
Report enables drill down into details of errors
Allow mailer to determine root cause for systemic errors
Can be very time consuming
Undocumented pieces are only errors not available by Job ID as no match
could be found by USPS against mailer submitted eDoc file
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Drill Down Example – Appointment Error
Above is description of errors reported on one error type for single job
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Drill Down – DPV Detail Example
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Current Status of Seamless Development
Seamless is still evolving!
Validating data / report information
Known bugs
Capabilities planned for specific quarterly software releases
Software has been developed based on letter environment
Most automated mailstream
Flats environment will become more robust
Bundle scanning being rolled-out – more scan data becoming available
Mailers in pilot test are providing feedback to USPS
Debug reports
Validate data accuracy
Improve reporting tools needed by mailers to troubleshoot quality issues
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Seamless Acceptance Deployment
What does
Phase 1
mean for
me?
Phase 1
Streamline DMUs and
undocumented
invoicing
Phase 2
Streamline
BMEU entry
Phase 3
Sampling at induction
and mail quality
invoicing process
mid-November
February 2014
Summer 2014
Many existing SPPS agreements require additional time and effort for
mailers and USPS employees
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Lessons Learned (So Far)
Manual data entry issues
Identify mailing statements so it is easy to discern client or type of mailing
method causing reported error condition
Undocumented pieces can legitimately happen
IMb assignment process
Single-piece
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Lessons Learned (So Far)
Invoices  known bugs for eInduction to be fixed in October
Validate move update compliance
Seamless reporting of read rates may vary slightly from IMb Tracing
Adjusted read rates where automated processing is not expected
Issues using MID on undocumented piece to identify mailer
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IWCO Direct Insights on Seamless Benefits
Potential for USPS:
Revenue protection
SOX compliance
Easier cross training
More mailer innovation
with standardized
automated verification
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Advice for Getting Ready
Looking at your Full-Service IMb scorecard
You have access from your PostalOne! (BCG) log on if you are mailing Full-Service
Look at attributable causes for big error quantities
Address systemic errors in your process, software, etc.
Be prepared – research is painful
We recommend cross functional team from Operations and DP
Divide and conquer
Get familiar with FS-IMD 1-3-30 scan data sampling methods
USPS clerks use now for FS IMb verification
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Seamless is NOT Rocket Science!
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But You Need to Think Like Spock
Think logically for every cause and effect in your mailing process
that can affect mailing quality and data accuracy!
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Summary
Seamless physical requirements center on 100% IMb Full-Service automation
rate eligibility
Seamless data requirements center on 100% IMb Full-Service automation rate
eligibility requirements in conjunction with new eInduction requirements
Error thresholds are realistic and based on monthly volume
Published on PostalOne!
More mailer participants will help identify what’s needed to shore up gaps in
reports, validate thresholds, and improve system performance
Remember Seamless is currently an optional program
Seamless is RIGHT thing to do but it will take time and more mailer
participation to get it RIGHT!
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Q&A
Contact information for Bob Rosser:
Email: bob.rosser@iwco.com
Phone: 562-382-4725
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