Postal Services
Scottish Procurement
Postal Services:
Ad-hoc and Hybrid Mail
Planned Mail
Framework for the Scottish Public
Sector
Buyer’s Guide
June 2015
Version 4
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Contents
Section Description
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Page
Buyers guide introduction
Foreword and acknowledgements
Framework introduction
3.1 Access scope
3.2 Start date and duration
3.3 Framework pricing
3.4 Price fixed period
3.5 Set-up charges
3.6 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
3.7 Framework terms and conditions
SP-11-004-1 Ad-hoc and Hybrid Mail overview (Whistl)
4.1 Ad-hoc Mail
4.1.1 Ad-hoc Mail collection
4.1.2 Ad-hoc Mail materials
4.1.3 Ad-hoc Mail – 2 + day collection and delivery service
coverage
4.1.4 Ad-hoc Mail - Next Day Collection and Delivery Service
coverage
4.1.5 Minimum volumes and minimum value
4.1.6 Implementation/mobilisation of Ad-hoc Mail
4.1.7 Whistl’s Ad-hoc Mail services
4.1.8 Reducing the cost of Ad-hoc Mail services
4.1.9 Address format
4.1.10 Envelopes
4.1.11 Baseline for savings - Ad-hoc Mail
4.2 Hybrid Mail
4.2.1 Hybrid Mail Introduction
4.2.2 Software
4.2.3 Stationery
4.2.4 Minimum volume
4.2.5 Cut off times
4.2.6 Indicative implementation/mobilisation of Hybrid Mail
4.2.7 Baseline for savings - Hybrid Mail
4.3 Whistl contacts
SP-11-004-2 Planned Mail (Royal Mail Group)
5.1 Framework structure
5.2 Services covered
5.3 Implementation and mobilisation of Planned Mail
5.3.1 Information required from participating organisations
5.4 Stationery
5.5 Baseline for savings
5.6 Royal Mail contacts
Hybrid Mail and Planned Mail - guidance on the distinction
between the two services
Scottish Procurement contacts
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Glossary
Annex 1 – Ad-hoc and Hybrid Mail tariffs
Annex 2 – Planned Mail tariff
Annex 3 – Whistl KPIs
Annex 4 – Royal Mail – KPIs
Annex 5 – Address clear zone for Ad-hoc Mail through Whistl
Annex 6 – Hybrid Mail savings tool
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1.
Buyer’s guide introduction
This Buyer’s Guide intends to assist organisations in utilising the Postal Services framework
to the best of their ability.
2.
Foreword and acknowledgements
Scottish Procurement aims to deliver benefits to the people of Scotland through improved
value for money for taxpayers, improved goods and services for all our citizens and
economic opportunities for Scotland. This is achievable through effective collaboration
throughout the procurement cycle.
Scottish Procurement would like to acknowledge the on-going work, support and contribution
from all sector representatives.
3.
Framework introduction
Scottish Procurement has awarded a national framework for:
SP-11-004-1 (Ad-hoc and hybrid mail) award to Whistl
SP-11-004-2 (Planned mail) award to Royal Mail Group
The framework replaced the previous framework for Postal Services (PS-09-004), supplied
by Whistl and Royal Mail Group. The previous framework ended on 29 February 2012.
3.1
Access scope
The framework agreements are available to all Scottish public bodies (e.g. Central
Government, Local Authorities, Higher and Further Education, NHS, Police and Fire and
Rescue) and Scottish third sector bodies (e.g. registered charities and voluntary
organisations).
3.2
Start date and duration
The agreements commenced on 1 March 2012 and will run for a period of three years, with
the option to extend for a further twelve months.
3.3
Framework pricing
Pricing for ad-hoc and hybrid mail can be found in Annex 1 and pricing for planned mail can
be found in Annex 2.
3.4
Price fixed period
It is a requirement that the supplier maintains a fixed percentage of variable costs margin
throughout the duration of the agreement. The Royal Mail access price will be the only
variable element to the pricing; this will be considered on an annual basis and in line with
Royal Mail’s annual price amendment.
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3.5
Set-up charges
All prices are inclusive of all set-up charges. There will be no additional charge to set up and
implement any of the services included within either Framework.
3.6
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Full KPIs for both suppliers can be found in Annexes 3 and 4.
3.7
Framework terms and conditions
Full Terms and Conditions for both suppliers can be accessed through the Postal Services
SharePoint site. If you require access to the SharePoint site, please contact Scottish
Procurement. Contact details can be found in section 7 of this buyers guide.
4.
SP-11-004-1 Ad-hoc and Hybrid Mail overview (Whistl)
4.1
Ad-hoc Mail
This is a 2+ Day Collection and Delivery and Next Day Collection and Delivery of physical
mail.
Ad-hoc Mail collection
Whistl will collect mail items from each customer or customer’s 3rd party collection point at a
time agreed with the customer and will be responsible for the provision of equipment and
labour at the collection location for loading items on to their collection vehicles.
Ad-hoc Mail materials
Whistl will provide each customer with the use of materials required to fulfil their mailing
requirements. Such materials are free of charge and will include:
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Labels
Mail Bags / trays
Bag ties
Manifest templates
Mail cages
Ad-hoc Mail – 2 + day collection and delivery service coverage
2 + Day Collection and Delivery Service covers delivery to all UK postcodes.
Ad-hoc Mail - Next Day Collection and Delivery Service coverage
Next Day Collection and Delivery service covers only the central belt of Scotland. The
following postcodes are classified as Central Belt:
EH
TD
FK
KY
DD
PH
G
PA
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KA
ML
Minimum volumes and minimum value
Collections of mail items under 200 items or a sub £50 value per collection will incur a
collection charge of £5. If organisations cannot achieve the minimum volume and/or value
they are strongly advised to consider Whistl’s hybrid mail service which is covered in this
Buyer’s Guide.
Implementation/mobilisation of Ad-hoc Mail
Please contact Whistl to discuss the implementation/mobilisation of ad-hoc mail within your
organisation.
If required, Whistl will carry out a full audit on your current mail practices and make
recommendations as to how you can improve your mail quality and achieve maximum
savings.
Whistl’s Ad-hoc Mail services
The Whistl services that cover the requirement for Ad-Hoc Mail are:
AllSort
This is a 2+ day service for non-machineable (manually processed) unsorted mail items.
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The Whistl AllSort User Guide
Flex
This is a 2+ day service for machine processed unsorted mail.

The Whistl Flex User Guide
FirstSort
This is a next working day service for areas covered by the postcodes stipulated.

The Whistl FirstSort User Guide
Premier
This is a 2+ day service for pre-sorted bulk mailings, where mail can be presented as follows:
• Premier 1400
Letters, Large Letters, A3 Packets or Packets sorted to 1400 selections
based on the full UK Postcode sorted to Royal Mail Delivery Offices.
• Premier 70 Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
Machinable Letters meeting the OCR specification sorted to selections
based on the full UK Postcode sorted to Royal Mail Inward Mailing Centres.
• Premier 70 Customer Barcode Customer Barcode recognition
(CBC)
Machinable Letters meeting the CBC specification sorted to selections
based on the full UK Postcode sorted to Royal Mail Inward Mailing Centres.
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WHISTL Premier user Guide
Reducing the cost of Ad-hoc Mail services
Whistl accepts all specifications and formats of post, though savings are greater based on
item quality, (full training provided).
Where possible organisations are recommended to undertake the following actions to ensure
their mail is machine readable and therefore qualifies for the cost effective Flex service:
Address format
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Should have printed addresses.
Address should be printed in a machine readable font as per user guide
The font size should be as per font per user
Fonts should always be in acceptable colours as per user guide
The address must be full and accurate
Address must have a full and accurate postcode as the last line
There must be a 5mm clear zone around the address block, please refer
to the diagram in Annex 5
The address must have no vertical movement within window
The address must not drop below the window
There must be no more than a 5 degree skew with a label or in a window
Envelopes
Only DL, C5 and C4 envelopes can qualify for machineable items as long as:
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They are less than 100g in weight
They are less than 5mm thick
They can be bent into an S shape along their longest edge
They are cream, white, manila or pastel colour
They meet the address format expectations as stipulated.
Compatible envelopes can be purchased from the Scottish Procurement General Stationery
and Office Paper agreement, through Office Depot.
Baseline for savings - Ad-hoc Mail
Scottish Procurement will utilise the Royal Mail second class Frank and/or Mailsort prices
from the current year as the baseline to calculate savings for each organisation.
Scottish Procurement will use the management information provided to them by Whistl to
calculate total quarterly spend and savings figures for each organisation. The quarterly
collaborative procurement savings reports issued to organisations via the Centres of
Expertise will include these figures as part of the overall report.
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4.2
Hybrid Mail
Hybrid Mail introduction
Whistl’s Hybrid Mail service allows users to develop mail items at the desktop. The software
allows users to produce, format and issue the e-file to a central production area whereby
Whistl’s fulfilment partners will produce the physical items. The items are produced in a
secure manner and to an agreed format ensuring that the most optimum tariff available is
achieved. The items are presented to Royal Mail and delivered via their final mile delivery
service.
As well as cost savings, Hybrid Mail provides significant stationery, process and
environmental benefits.
It is recognised that not all organisations will have the resource to improve their mail quality
or have the sufficient mail volumes to achieve the full benefits of the Flex service. Hybrid
Mail may be an option for these organisations. Further instructions as to the migration to
Hybrid Mail can be found here.
It is important that the distinction between Hybrid Mail (part of Lot 1) and Planned Mail (Lot
2, see section 5) is clearly defined. Please see section 6 for an additional guidance note on
this.
A Hybrid Mail savings tool is available within Annex 6.
Please also refer to the relevant section for baseline for savings information.
Software
Whistl will provide and install all necessary software at no extra cost to the customer.
Stationery
All stationery provided to fulfil the requirement is provided at no extra cost to the customer.
Minimum volume
There are no minimum volumes for organisations to access the Hybrid Mail solution through
Whistl
Cut-off times
The cut-off time for organisations to send items is 16.00 hours.
Indicative implementation/mobilisation of Hybrid Mail
Step
1
Process
For each end user organisation, the service will, at first, be
piloted in a nominated department. This will then be
duplicated on department by department basis, whilst working
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Timescale
1 week
2
3
4
5
to a planned mobilisation schedule.
All necessary files, including the template profiles, attachment
images, site addresses and organisation logos are imported
into Scottish Public Sector Hybrid Solution.
There is no
requirement for the customer to change or amend any of its
core applications or processes.
Each end user organisation’s IT Department is required to
open 3 ports on the network, 2 internal ports to enable staff to
access the solution and 1 SSL (Secure Socket Layer) to
enable the outbound only transmission of data.
Super user Training which involves:
 How to create templates
 How to create and print documents
 How to remove letters from the process
Authorised staff go through approval process in order to
validate the finished document types before approving the
system is ready to go “live”.
2 weeks
To be confirmed
by customer IT
department
1 day
1 week
Baseline for savings - Hybrid Mail
Scottish Procurement will utilise the Royal Mail second class post prices from the current
year as the baseline to calculate savings for each organisation. For further details please
contact Scottish Procurement.
Scottish Procurement understand that the savings reported will be approximate figures and if
organisations wish to calculate their savings utilising figures based on other Management
Information, a Whistl Hybrid Mail savings calculator can be found in Annex 6.
4.3
Whistl contacts
Customer services
Contact phone
number
01236 505315
Contact email address
cs.scot@whistl.co.uk
Operations
Contact phone
number
01236 505307
Contact email address
scotops@whistl.co.uk
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5.
SP-11-004-2 Planned Mail (Royal Mail Group)
5.1
Framework structure
This framework is for the production and delivery of planned mailings by Royal Mail.
It is important that the distinction between Planned Mail (Lot 2) and Hybrid Mail (part of Lot 1)
is clearly defined. Please see section 6 for an additional guidance note on this.
Services covered
5.2
Planned Mailings are fulfilled by the secure transfer of the address file and the data files (the
mail template and structure) to Royal Mail’s fulfilment location. The mail is developed,
printed, sorted and delivered to the final destination by Royal Mail to an agreed timeframe.
Implementation and mobilisation of Planned Mail
5.3
The mobilisation period will involve organisations working closely with Royal Mail to define:
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Demand for the service
Contact details for key users of the service within each organisation
Schedule of print requirements for the forthcoming year
Type of print requirements where known
If they have a preferred Royal Mail account they would like to use for the services or
whether a new account will need to be set up
Billing requirements
This period will also be utilised to establish a secure connection via which the data will be
exchanged.
Royal Mail should be contacted for further information on the required Implementation and
Mobilisation process. Contact details can be found here.
Information required from participating organisations
The list below is not exhaustive and it is recognised that users of the service may not have all
of the information to hand when making an initial enquiry, however, Royal Mail will work
closely with each organisation to establish as much of the following key information as
possible at the enquiry stage:
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5.4
General Mailing Information: Organisation contact details, quantity of mailing and
the target mailing date
Data and Print Information: Such as file format and layout, the method of data
transmission, the format of document and what insert requirements there are
Fulfilment Information: Such as the pack contents and the sequence of contents
Stationery
All stationery provided to fulfil the requirement is provided at no extra cost to the customer.
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5.5
Baseline for savings
It is understood that different organisations will have different baselines to determine the
savings that can be achieved.
Scottish Procurement will write to early adopters to determine their baseline costs, this
information will then be used to establish a consolidated baseline which will be used to
calculate savings for all users going forward.
When the baseline has been established, details will be published within the Scottish
Procurement Courier and Postal Services Sharepoint site.
5.6
Royal Mail contacts
Helpdesk
08456 092 929
Please choose from the following 2 options:
Option 1
Option 2
Print Enquiries - For ordering new print jobs. Discussing existing print orders.
Service Enquiries and General Enquiries - For invoice queries, any issues
regarding Royal Mail collections or deliveries of Planned Mail services and
general enquiries.
6.
Hybrid Mail and Planned Mail - guidance on the distinction between the two
services
It is important that the distinction between Hybrid Mail (part of Lot 1, see section 4.2) and
Planned Mail (Lot 2, see section 5) is clearly defined. In addition to the information provided
in the previous sections on each of the Lots, Scottish Procurement have produced the
guidance note, below:
*** This guidance clarifies the differences, in accordance with the Contract Terms and
Conditions, between Hybrid Mail and Planned Mail. It should not be confused with the
physical daily/ad-hoc mail produced by public sector organisations ***
Lot 1: Hybrid Mail through Whistl:
Hybrid Mail is a service that allows users to develop their mail format and content on their
own desktop and then issue the soft letter to an off-site mail production centre for daily/adhoc printing and mail generation. The mail is then sorted and passed for delivery to the final
destination. Hybrid Mail achieves environmental benefits; reduces expenditure on stationery;
and ensures that the most optimum tariff through Whistl is achieved. Services offered
include: • Both letter and large letter items;
• Up to 12 pages, be either mono or colour, simplex or
duplex print and can include inserts;
• A bespoke customer departmental return address application;
• No set-up, implementation, maintenance, training or template charges are levied by
Whistl;
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• No minimum or maximum volume.
Lot 2: Planned Mail through Royal Mail:
This is for the production and delivery of planned or bulk mailings by Royal Mail. Planned
mail includes but is not limited to Council Tax Bills; Appointment Cards; Time specific mail
production; and Housing Benefit Letters. This is achieved via the secure transfer of address
and data files to an off-site mail production centre where the address/data files are used to
create the mail item; the mail is then printed, sorted and passed for delivery to the final
destination. Services include:• An inclusive price for a print, fulfilment and postage package; bespoke variants
available;
• Both letter and large letter items;
• Either mono or colour, simplex or duplex print and can include inserts;
• No minimum or maximum volume.
This guidance is for public sector organisations who are considering using the Postal
Services framework for Hybrid/Planned mail. Should you require further guidance,
please contact Scottish Procurement.
7.
Scottish Procurement contacts
Job Title
Contact phone number
Darren Russell
Senior Portfolio Specialist
0131 244 3645
Tom Waring
Portfolio Specialist
0131 244 5485
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8.
Glossary
Allsort - Whistl service for unsorted, non machine readable mail.
Customer barcode (CBC) - When your mail is addressed using a barcode containing the
address of each item
Duplex – Print applied to both sides of
Flex read – Whistl Service for unsorted mail for organisations that have achieved the
relevant criteria and uniformity for full machine readable discounts as per user guide.
Final mile - A term used to describe the delivery of the mail from the last Royal Mail mail
centre to the doorstep
Hybrid Mail – Hybrid Mail is a service that allows users to develop their mail format and
content on their desktop and then issue the soft letter to a mail production site whereby the
item will be securely produced and entered into the Royal Mail network for final mile delivery.
Inward mailing centre (IMC) - Royal Mail’s inward main delivery offices around the UK
Mailsort/Premier/Presorted - Service dependent on type of item, volume, delivery timings
and level of preparation:
Mailsort 70 - Letter format, Minimum quantity 4,000
OCR or CBC, Sorted to approx. 70 delivery selections
Mailsort 1400 - Letters, Large letters, A3 items and packets up to 2kg
Minimum quantity 4,000 letters (2,000 if entire mailing is within same postcode area), 1000
large letters or A3 packets. Sorted to approx. 1400 delivery selections
Machineable mail - Mail that conforms to specific requirements as set by Royal Mail and
Whistl, which can be processed through their automated sortation process.
Machine readable mail - Mail that conforms to certain mail read requirements set by Royal
Mail and Whistl.
Mono – Black and white print
Non-machineable mail – Mail that does not conform to specific requirements required by
either Royal Mail or Whistl.
OCR - An abbreviation for Optical Character Recognition. OCR is the mechanical or
electronic translation of images of handwritten, typewritten or printed text (usually captured
by a scanner) into machine-editable text.
Premier - Whistl service for pre-sorted mail.
Simplex – Print applied to one side of A4
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Second Class - Delivery by 3rd working day after posting
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Annex 1 – Ad-hoc and Hybrid Mail tariffs
Please contact Scottish Procurement for further details
Annex 2 – Planned Mail tariff
Please contact Scottish Procurement for further details
Annex 3 – Whistl KPIs
Please contact Scottish Procurement for further details
Annex 4 – Royal Mail – KPIs
Please contact Scottish Procurement for further details
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Annex 5 – address clear zone for ad-hoc mail through Whistl
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Annex 6 – Hybrid Mail savings tool
Please contact Scottish Procurement for further details
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