PostCom Responds To APWU Article On Mailers
The Postcom.org EdNote below is in response to this article from APWU President William Burrus.
[EdNote: Well, the last I checked, it wasn't mailers who were sitting idle in holding rooms refusing to do work because contract agreements said they didn't have to. Talk about 'immeasurable' damage. And, the last I checked, those who pushed for PAEA ultimately included the USPS and postal employee groups. It wasn't PostCom who was sitting at the White House on the day of PAEA's presidential signing. At the time of PAEA's enactment, the chairman of PostCom, Vincent Giuliano, was strenuously objecting to the health pre-funding provision. Oh yes, I also remember it was the Postal Service's mantra that it could live (as it claimed it always had done) within the bounds of inflation. The APWU President's sense of historical revisionism is without equal. ]“
USPS To Mailers: Shipping Is the Key To Our Future
Speaking this week at National Postal Forum in Nashville, Vice President of Expedited Shipping Gary Reblin told mailers the Postal Service is in the shipping business and that shipping is key to its future.
“We want USPS to be known as much for shipping as it is for mailing,” said Reblin. “With the boom in online ordering, shipping will be an important part of the Postal Service’s business plan for the future.”
In large part because of the successful advertising campaign promoting Priority Mail Flat Rate Boxes, the Postal Service has gained market share and experienced double-digit growth in flat-rate shipping. Equally important, innovations in pricing and product design have been popular with customers.
New cubic pricing, an industry first, was introduced in January and bases shipping prices on the size of the box, not on the weight. This groundbreaking strategy has been well received by businesses and the mailing industry. To date, more than two dozen very large shippers have signed on. Cubic pricing allows shippers to reduce shipping costs and lower their carbon footprint through the use of smaller packaging.
“Just a few years ago, we had only one pricing table for all Priority Mail,” explained Reblin. “Today, we offer channel discounts, volume discounts, contracts and now cubic pricing. We will continue to innovate, continue to grow and — most importantly — continue to provide the best possible value and pricing for our customers.”
Other innovations include the Priority Mail Gift Card Envelope, which was introduced on a trial basis for the winter holiday season. It has been expanded nationwide just in time for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, summer weddings and school graduations. In addition, Customized Packaging — which allows customers to create boxes, envelopes, cohesive packaging and address labels that are tailored to meet a customer’s specific needs — has helped the Postal Service bring in new business.
“We believe we are the best business-to-consumer solution,” added Reblin. “Through product innovations and enhanced technology, the Postal Service will continue to deliver better value at a lower cost.”
source: USPS News Link
USPS: Mailers Show Success in Printing Intelligent Mail Barcode
Readability Threshold to Be Raised, As Planned
WASHINGTON — According to verifications performed by the U.S. Postal Service since January 2009, 95 percent of mailings with the Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) are quality, readable barcodes, enabling the commercial mailers who print them to receive the benefits that Intelligent Mail Full Service has to offer: mail tracking and address correction information.
It’s this success in printing the Intelligent Mail barcode that has given the Postal Service the confidence to move ahead with previously published plans to raise the Intelligent Mail barcode readability threshold to 90 percent, according to Thomas G. Day, senior vice president, Intelligent Mail and Address Quality.
“The industry has consistently improved in its ability to print the Intelligent Mail barcode,” said Day. “The fact that more than 95 percent of the mailings being verified are passing the 90 percent threshold means that our customers are doing an even better job of printing the IMb as they are with printing the POSTNET barcode,” said Day. “The change in the threshold is consistent with the trends we have seen in overall mailer performance.”
This new threshold took effect March 15, the target date previously announced to the industry.
Mailings that meet the 90 percent barcode readability threshold are eligible for automation prices. The barcode readability threshold for IMb aligns with the barcode readability threshold for the POSTNET barcode.
In May 2009, the barcode readability threshold for mail using an Intelligent Mail barcode was established at 70 percent. At that time, the plan to raise the threshold in November 2009 to 80 percent and in March 2010 to 90 percent was communicated to the mailing industry. In November 2009, the Postal Service raised the threshold to 80 percent.
For more information about Intelligent Mail Full Service or barcode readability thresholds, visit ribbs.usps.gov.