Improving the Drop Shipment Process MTAC

1
Improving the Drop Shipment ProcessMTAC
87Update

• Washington, D.C.
• February 2007

2
Agenda

• Mailer Rating Review
• FAST January Release
• May 2007 Release
• External Label List System
• Next Steps

3
Mailer Rating Review

• USPS and MTAC 87 mailers kicked off a 6 week
  mailer rating review process
• So far, mailers have reviewed their appointments
  and worked to understand the calculations that
  support the Ratings
• In the following weeks, mailers will be reviewing
  the following areas
• Content accuracy, pre-notification deductions,
  irregularities, and exceptions
• In mid-March, the pilot mailers will utilize FAST
  with the rating system in a test environment
• Pilot Test at specific facilities will follow the
  CAT test
• Communications to mailers not participating in
  the CAT test will begin
• Webinars will describe the rating process
• Web Based Training will be updated in March

4
FAST February Release

• FAST released enhanced functionality for Standard
  Mailers.
• ASFs have been consolidated into their respective
  Plant Facility Records. This allows scheduling at
  a single, FAST-active Facility Record rather than
  having a separate, FAST-inactive ASF Facility
  Record.
• Bi-Weekly Recurring Appointments will start based
  on the user request date rather than the approval
  date to ensure the intended week is scheduled.
• Users creating a Recurring Appointment Request
  without content are warned that their Recurring
  Appointment Request will not be reviewed until
  contents are associated.
• Two Mail Integrity and Load Irregularities added
  to Appointment Closeout, Package on BMC
  Non-Machinable and Overweight Pallets. These
  irregularities are currently on PS Forms 8125.
• FAST will notify (via email) and adjust Pure
  Periodicals Recurring Appointments for
  fluctuations in actual volume and redirections
  when certain criteria is met (see release notes
  for specifics).

5
5/2007 Release

• FAST will begin supporting the new IDEAlliance TM
  Specification in May 2007
• Enhancements include
• Using mail.dat to provide content for recurring
  appointments
• Joint Scheduling via Web Services utilizing
  Appointment Shell by Scheduler and Delivery
  Content messages by Mail Owners and Mail
  Preparers
• Ability of Schedulers to query FAST for content
  information in joint scheduling scenarios
• Visibility for Mail Owners and Mail Preparers
• Receive redirection warnings via Web Services
• Ability to provide the Mailer Placard Barcode
  when making Web Services appointments without the
  use of mail.dat
• Rate Case changes for mixed loads and Non-Flats
  Machinable (NFM)
• Ability to note if Tandem Trailers are associated
  with appointment

6
External Label List

• USPS will be developing the External Label List
  Maintenance System to better track and manage
  Label List data changes. The system will
• Audit, track, and implement a Label List
  hierarchy to ensure that lower level discounts
  align to similar ZIP Code ranges as others. Thus
  avoiding SCF splits across ADCs.
• Utilize effective date ranges to enable advance
  notification of Label List changes to internal
  and external systems
• FAST will be the conduit for mailer inquiries
  including
• Enhancements to the Mail Direction Report to
  search by Label List
• Validations in appointment scheduling by
  effective dates for Label changes
• Improved file layouts mapping Label List
  locations to Drop Entry Points

7
Next Steps

• Continue CAT and Pilot test for Mailer Rating
• Begin communicating Rating process to the rest of
  the Standard Mail community
• Next Workgroup meeting in mid-March