USPS Q & A On Plans For Small Footprint Flat Sequencing System (FSS Lite)
Filed under: fedbizopp, flat sequencing system, postal, postal news, usps
USPS posted a notice last month on Federal Business Opportunities website seeking vendors for Small Footprint Flat Sequencing System (FSS Lite). Following are questions asked with regard to the Small Footprint Flat Sequencing System (FSS Lite) Sources Sought Notice and the USPS responses:
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is currently conducting market research and seeking to identify potential sources for a Phase II of our Flat Sequencing System (FSS) Program. Our Phase I designed machine currently in deployment is a large system that was primarily intended to accommodate high mail volume processing runs and targeted for our most highly populated flats mailing markets. Phase II is seeking and envisions a smaller footprint FSS (FSS Lite) machine as a solution to efficiently, reliably, and accurately sort and sequence flat mail to the order in which the mail is delivered on a letter carrier’s route (Delivery Point Sequence or DPS). The USPS seeks a system which can be deployed nationally and incrementally to provide maximum flexibility and efficiency in the DPS of flat mail within the existing and future Postal Service infrastructure.
1) Question: Are there any preliminary size requirements. What would be too big?
USPS Response: The current FSS phase 1 requires 15,000 sq ft. There is no defined requirement for phase 2 machines but the USPS anticipates a footprint less than 10,000 sq ft.2) Question: Are there any preliminary volume/time requirements?
USPS Response: The current FSS Phase 1 effective (both passes) throughput is 16,500 pieces per hour. Due to mail volume declines, the USPS is seeking FSS Lite solutions that can handle a larger number of delivery points but with a lower average volume per delivery point.3) Question: How sequenced will the mail be that enters this potential process? Is it going to be a 1,2 or 3 pass process?
USPS Response: It is anticipated that mail entering will be sorted to a 5 digit zone level. Depending on the solution proposed, other levels of sorting would be possible with potential price/performance impacts.4) Question: Is there any requirement for mixed letters/flats sequencing?
USPS Response: Mixed letters and flats processing is not a requirement for the FSS Lite machine.
5) Question: Is there anything against mixed letters/flats sequencing?
USPS Response: Mixed letters and flats is not anticipated for the FSS Lite solution
USPS Seeking Vendors For Small Footprint Flat Sequencing System (FSS Lite)
Filed under: fedbizopp, flat sequencing system, FSS, postal, postal news, usps
USPS posted the following notice on the Federal Business Opportunities website:
The United States Postal Service (USPS) is currently conducting market research and seeking to identify potential sources for a Phase II of our Flat Sequencing System (FSS) Program. Our Phase I designed machine currently in deployment is a large system that was primarily intended to accommodate high mail volume processing runs and targeted for our most highly populated flats mailing markets. Phase II is seeking and envisions a smaller footprint FSS (FSS Lite) machine as a solution to efficiently, reliably, and accurately sort and sequence flat mail to the order in which the mail is delivered on a letter carrier’s route (Delivery Point Sequence or DPS). The USPS seeks a system which can be deployed nationally and incrementally to provide maximum flexibility and efficiency in the DPS of flat mail within the existing and future Postal Service infrastructure.
The desired system would automate the DPS of flat mail for the purpose of reducing costs, absorbing growth and stabilizing postage rates at the USPS. Delivery point sequencing of flat mail reduces a carrier’s office time at the delivery unit by providing flat mail that is machine sorted, thereby avoiding manual casing. DPS also reduces clerk manual handling at delivery units.
The intent of this initial notice is to seek information from suppliers that currently have a small footprint system that sequences flat mail, or that will have a fully functional system available for demonstration in calendar year 2011. The USPS may request additional discussions relating to a responding supplier’s design, capabilities, and qualifications to manufacture production quantities of the proposed system.
Critical factors for flats DPS success include: sort and sequence accuracy, time to market, price, system reliability, accept rate, operating costs, and overall machine space requirements. As space is a cost consideration for the USPS, the solution should accomplish this task within the smallest footprint possible to allow for a wide range of implementation at USPS facilities. The system would be required to maintain a consistent throughput and be volume independent concerning the number of delivery points processed. We are seeking a solution which would maximize our ability to handle a high number of delivery points as a critical design element.
source: Federal Business Opportunities
USPS: Halfway There – 50 Phase 1 FSS Machines Now In Operation
Filed under: flat sequencing system, postal, postal news, usps
The Postal Service now has 50 flats sequencing system (FSS) machines in operation — half of the 100 machines scheduled to become operational during phase 1 of FSS implementation.
According to FSS Executive Director Rosa Fulton, the 50th machine, located in San Jose, CA, became fully operational this week. An additional 40 machines are installed and ready for testing. “The schedule for system burn-ins and activations is aggressive, with 10 machines starting up every 3 weeks,” said Fulton. All 100 machines are scheduled to be sorting flats by July.
More than 14,000 letter carriers now are receiving sequenced flat mail each day. Route adjustments — made possible with FSS — are ongoing, with more than 500 city routes eliminated since the first FSS machine went online.
Bringing an FSS machine online requires an orchestrated quality process — one that takes a few weeks to implement. In the first week, zones are added to the machine. Over the next 2 weeks, acceptance tests are conducted. After the machine has met acceptance criteria, the Postal Service begins to ramp up to full FSS operations.
Postal Service’s Flat Sequencing System won’t need breaks
Filed under: flat sequencing system, postal, postal news, usps
The U.S. Postal Service’s new mail-sorting machine is about the size of 14 double-decker buses —- and it’s fast.
It can do the job of 26 humans working at full-bore. Unlike its fleshy counterparts, it will work nonstop 17-hour shifts and won’t ever get paper cuts or carpal tunnel syndrome.
It’s part of a $1.5 billion investment expected to shave hours off the processing time for millions of pieces of mail every day and save the financially ailing Postal Service billions of dollars. And it’s coming to San Diego County in May.
The machine is called the Flats Sequencing System. It sorts flats, a type of mail that includes magazines, advertisements, newspapers, manila envelopes and the like.
full story: North County (CA) Times
DPMG Donahoe:USPS FSS Deployment On Track To Deliver Improved Efficiency
Filed under: flat sequencing system, FSS, usps, USPS News Link
As national deployment of flats sequencing system (FSS) equipment continues, DPMG and COO Pat Donahoe emphasizes that communication is key to successful implementation. This means delivery, processing, transportation and maintenance must be sure they complete all identified readiness activities.
“Right now, about two-thirds of all FSS systems are either currently installed or in the process of being installed,” says Donahoe, explaining that 12 machines are now fully operational in five sites — Dulles, VA; Columbus, OH; Kansas City, MO; Phoenix, AZ; and South Florida.
According to Donahoe, more than 140 delivery units with 259 zones are now on-line with FSS, and more than 4,100 routes are receiving sequenced flats. By mid-December, USPS expects to have a total of 28 systems operational in nine sites and all 100 systems will be operational by the summer of 2011.
USPS Manager Can’t Say If Flats Strategy Is Achieving Hoped-For Savings
Filed under: flat sequencing system, postal, postal news, rate increase, usps
As many readers may recall, Frank Neri, is the former district manager for the USPS Philadelphia district. He was replaced in 2008 by Jim Gallagher, a veteran USPS manager,after news reports of excessive mail backlogs. Now Neri is now at USPS Headquarters as Manager, Mail Processing Operations.
In Neri’s testimony to PRC he reportedly said: Neri said he does not know whether any of the programs or concepts that currently under focus by the Postal Service will lead to any real measurable savings. Neri said he could not today say definitively whether the flats program was achieving hoped-for savings.
More From PostCom.org
At the Postal Regulatory Commission: From today’s hearing at the PRC on Docket R2010-4.
Witness: Frank Neri, USPS (regarding the USPS Flats Strategy)
- * The USPS has no projections on savings for FY2011 that will come from its FSS program.
- * The flats strategy (as a whole) is still under consideration by Postal Service engineers. There has been no determination thus far that its flats strategy merits moving forward.
- * The Postal Service provided no estimates of cost savings from the flats strategy or when they would be actualized.
- * There’s no decision analysis report yet for reconfigured package and bundle sorters.
- * Ultimately, decisions as to when to run periodicals on automation are made by local facility managers.
- * There’s a whole lot of “expectations” by management that may not be actualized in facilities that are provided considerable operational discretion.
- * Witness Neri, who is in charge of overseeing FSS operations, has not yet read completely the OIG study which concluded that the FSS program may be not cost justified.
- * Commissioner Acton and the Chairman felt compelled to recommend that Witness Neri take the time to review the OIG study.
- * Neri said that he has been aware for about ten years that the USPS was having cost-efficiency problems with the processing of periodicals and non-carrier route Standard flats.
- * Neri said he does not know whether any of the programs or concepts that currently under focus by the Postal Service will lead to any real measurable savings.
- * Chairman Goldway said that there did not appear to be any projected savings associated with the Postal Service’s planned strategies.
- * Commissioner Blair said he could not discern anything from what the Postal Service has offered that indicates that there is a clear link between the flats program’s success or lack of success and its budget allocations.
- * Neri said he could not today say definitively whether the flats program was achieving hoped-for savings.
- * Neri said that the Postal Service’s decision to pay for all 100 FSS machines even though the final determination on savings that could come from the program was due to “contractual procurement obligations.”
Witness: James M. Kiefer, Pricing Economist, USPS
- * Pricing decisions in this case were developed under “tight guidance” provided by the very top of the Postal Service. There were specific “management directives.”
- * Most products were to be set around the 5.6% average. Periodicals were to be kept within 10%. Standard parcels were allowed to rise above 20%.
USPS Update On Flats Sequencing System
Filed under: automation, flat sequencing system, FSS, mtac, usps
USPS Update on FSS presented at the MTAC meeting last montn.
Download PDF file of the presentation
New Video On USPS Flats Sequencing System
USPS Flats Sequencing System (FSS) Video
[video]http://youtube.com/v/KBA3Q9i0qVE[/video]