MTAC Summary

# Subcommittee Name

# 

MTAC Subcommittee on Unit Load Tracking

**NOTE: This first summary was prepared after the first meeting of the
subcommittee, held at USPS Headquarters on December 11, 1997.**

## [USPS and Industry Co-Chair]{.underline}

Rick Glickman, Manager, Decision Support Systems, USPS Engineering

Jim Schemmel, Director of Distribution, Communication Data Services,
Inc.

# 

# MTAC Objective / Mission

The MTAC working group was tasked by the Blue Ribbon Committee to "..
explore the requirements for a unit load (i.e., trays, containers or
van) tracking capability and to suggest how the resultant information
might be utilized by the postal service." The blue ribbon committee was
formed in the fall of 1996 at the request of the Postmaster General. The
subcommittee's charter is part of an ongoing effort by the United States
Postal Service to reach out and work together with it's customers.
Together they would determine what strategic issues the Postal service
and industry could jointly pursue to ensure the organization's ability
to achieve it's historic mission of reliable universal service into the
21st century".

# 

# 

# Significant Accomplishments/Findings/recommendation to date

Accomplishment:

A Unit load tracking initiative was piloted at five Midwest area test
facilities, Des Moines IA (GMF & BMC) Cedar Rapids IA, Burlington IA and
Omaha NE GMF's (this pilot was initiated under the auspices of another
subcommittee addressing pallet tracking, which has now been combined
with the new subcommittee on unit load tracking). The test sites
utilized hand held barcode scanners to identify and track uniquely
identified test pallets going through the system.

The information scanned from the test pallets contained Mail Entry Point
(MEP), destination ZIP, presort preparation level, number of copies,
number of pieces, weight, and transportation summery information. This
preliminary testing has provided promising container tracking results.
Mr. Roger Warren (Midwest Area Operations Support) was the primary
Postal contact, responsible for project data acquisition and analyses.
Jim Schemmel also provided mailer support for this effort.

During the first unit load tracking subcommittee meeting, a wide-ranging
discussion was held in which we tried to reach some initial agreement
on:

-   What we meant by "Unit Load" items (to be identified and tracked)

-   Possible uses for Unit Load tracking information,

-   Other related Unit Load tracking issues and concepts

The outcome of this discussion is summarized in the table that follows:

***[UNIT LOADS INFORMATION RELATED ISSUES AND TOPICS]{.underline}***

  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
  Pallets and pallet      Where it is (site &     Quality
  boxes                   process)                

  Bundles (magazines)     Origination information Resource planning
                          and arrival times       

  Individual pieces       Volume information      Process Optimizing
  (periodicals)                                   opportunities

  Trays, Sacks            Time in process at      Service performance
                          facility                measurements
                                                  opportunities

  GPMC's (rolling stock)  Need unique ID for each Mailer remittance
                          unit                    tracking (not a ULTRA
                                                  issue)

  Airline Containers (@   Nesting Information     Operation network
  AMC's)                                          capacity and
                                                  utilization

  Outsiders (large        Relevant mailer summery 
  packages that are not   information             
  containerized)                                  

  Planes, Trains and Mail Relevant Postal system  
  Transport vehicles      level information       

  Carrier Satchel         Destination information 
                          and arrival times       

  Open and Distribute     Mail makeup, &          
  Boxes                   classification          

                          Cost and revenue        
                          information             

                          Transportation data     
                          (plant load and drop    
                          shipment)               
  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

# Significant Issues

Establishing an unit load tracking information infrastructure will
primarily provide the Postal Service and Industry Mailers with the
ability to actively track the status ((i.e. process, location, time) of
mail distribution by the unit load (trays,, containers, rolling stock).
The concept and inherent logistics for development of a unit load
tracking infrastructure are associated with the following items;

-   Develop new Sources of Revenue (new strategic business alliances)

-   Develop New Quality Measurements Tools for Postal and Industry
    Management

-   Incorporate Delivery Performance, and Process Improvement Tools

-   Develop and Implement Cost Reductions Opportunities

#  {#section-4 .unnumbered}

#  {#section-5 .unnumbered}

# Significant Next Steps {#significant-next-steps .unnumbered}

Identified expectation and goals for the MTAC subcommittee:

-   Define the implementation steps, funding requirements, procedures
    and time tables

-   Clearly define objective, stay focused on the objectives, get job
    done

-   See issues and solution through, escalating and forwarding request
    to senior executive management as necessary

-   Establish consensus ,on preliminary objective(s) or target(s) for
    workgroup activities

-   Define preliminary work tasks - distribute possible assignments and
    establish work sub groups.

    **[Expected Outcomes]{.underline}**

-   Uniquely define and identify mail entry points for unit loads that
    would assist distribution management to identify critical path
    processes and solutions (Postal)

-   Utilize Unit Load Tracking to efficiently control and implement
    employee staffing plans associated with staging, inducting and
    tracking mail distributions (Industry & Postal)

-   Provide specific information to mailer about when, where and how
    their mail is processed, identifying delays, and where possible,
    attempt to solve the problem.

# Expected Completion Date

Need to first establish committee consensus for preliminary objective(s)
or goal(s)