# Presentation: 522975

## ®

## intelligent

**Charles Bravo**
**Senior Vice President**
**Intelligent Mail & Address Quality**

**intelligent**

**MAIL****TM**

**in the U. S. Postal Service**

**Mailers’  Technical  Advisory**
** ****Committee Meeting**
**November 5, 2003**

## VISION

**VISION**

**NEW BUSINESS VALUE**

**End****to end****visibility**

**Information-rich code**

**OneCode Vision****TM**

**Notes:**
What is intelligent mail?
It’s the mail of the future. By using standardized, data-rich codes, the mail and unit loads become unique and trackable.
Unlike ever before, this provides complete end to end visiblility of where the mail is at any time. 
It can help grow and sustain our business.

## INNOVATION

**Patents**
**Initiated patents on 5 new  innovations **
**  ****in Fiscal Year 2003**
**Actively pursuing 18 other innovations**
**23 Trademarks on Intelligent Mail and Address Quality service names**

**Notes:**
Intelligent Mail also fits into the Postal Service’s history of being a leader in innovation.

 USPS has over two centuries experience creating new technologies.

 At this time, we are actively patenting our Intelligent Mail innovations.

We are also actively working to protect our intellectual property rights . 

## STRATEGIES

**Uniquely identify mail and unit loads**
**Develop and deploy enabling infrastructure**
**Enhance address quality**

**Notes:**
 Intelligent Mail Plan identifies three key strategies
Will talk about them today
 Develop standardized codes that uniquely identify mail and unit loads
Progress in several areas
Package codes
Study of mailing industry technology to determine future letter and flat codes
 Develop and deploy key infrastructure pieces
Justify investment
 Continue to improve address quality

## CONFIRM PROGRESS - INTERNAL

**Over 1,000 marketing and operations personnel will be trained on Confirm this month**
**Includes process for internal seeding of operational performance improvements**
**To date, over half the country has been trained**

## Letter and Flat Mail Code Consolidation

**Intelligent Mail and Address Quality**

** ****PDF 417**

**4-State Barcode**

** ****Data Matrix**

**Mail Technology Study - Preliminary Trends**
**Some industries may find it difficult to convert to 2D codes**
**Widely used inkjet printing technology requires replacement**
**Uses more ink and increases recurring costs**
**Reading and sorting 2-D codes would also require significant investments**
**Both USPS and Pre-sorters**
**4-state code being investigated as potentially easier alternative**

**Uniquely Identify Mail and Aggregates**** **

## Letter and Flat Mail Code Consolidation

**Intelligent Mail and Address Quality**

**Effort underway to move planet to a 4-state Code**** **
**Platform to consolidate letter and flat mail codes ****  **
**Currently defining code**
**Length – constraining to current POSTNET size (3.1”)**
**Characters – 31 (includes: international id. (2), service id. (3), subscriber id (6), unique id (9), Zip (11))**
**Includes robust error correction**
**Height – planned testing**
**Requires software updates to:**
**WFOV, AFSM 100, UFSM, DBCS (all), CSBCSs, and IDS**
**Program plan: 18 month effort**
** ****Proof-of-Concept (8 months): NCSC live mail **
** ****Mailer Pilot (14 months): 1-2 mailer test**

## FLATS IDENTIFICATION CODE SORT

**FLATS IDENTIFICATION CODE SORT**

**Add ID Tag read/print capability to AFSM 100****flat sorters**

**Notes:**
How will that benefit mailers: 
 Improve service through better information capture
Deployment Spring ’04
 First to use 4-state code.
 Meets international standards
 Has error correction

## Parcels and Bundles

**Conversion to UCC/EAN Code 128 on Parcels**
**Validation testing at 2 BMCs in July**
**Concatenated codes improve read rates**
**Coding Standards Board approval in Sep**
**Implementation in Jan ‘04**
**Developed requirements for SSP, POS One, and Click-N-Ship to support new standard label**
**Includes 5-digit zip and Del.Con. **
**UCC/EAN Code 128 **
**Defined Code (UCC/EAN Code 128) for Bundle Tracking to support new Parcel and Bundle Sorter**
**Added presort-level and zip to code **

**Intelligent Mail and Address Quality**

**Width Modulated**

**E.g., Code 128**

**Notes:**
Validation testing at 2 BMCs (Greensboro and Pittsburgh)
Mailer and postal produced labels tested 
Test also included concatenated codes

## OCR READABLE CHANGE OF ADDRESS

**Notes:**
Read by PARS

## NEW MOVER’S GUIDE

**NEW MOVER’S GUIDE**

**Initiative to make COA more user-friendly**

## INTERNET CHANGE OF ADDRESS

**INTERNET CHANGE OF ADDRESS**

**Nov 01**

**Oct 03**

**Notes:**
One of our most successful Intelligent Mail initiatives has been internet change of address
A staggering 5 million movers have taken advantage of this option.
Usage is up over 65% from last year
Most accurate, because address information is validated on-line.

## INTERNET CHANGE OF ADDRESS

- 6 Million Forms Processed

**Nov 01**

**Oct 03**

## INTELLIGENT MAIL    MAILER BENEFITS

**INTELLIGENT MAIL    MAILER BENEFITS**

**Adds value to the mailers’ business processes**
**Simplifies the use of services**
**Increases transparency **
**Allows mailer more usable space on mail piece**
**Supports accurate collection of postage**
**Enhances security while maintaining privacy**

**2-D**

- Data Matrix

**Height Modulated**

- 4-State

**Width Modulated**

- Code 128

**Notes:**
Benefits of Intelligent Mail for Mailers
RE-WRITE BULLETS

## WE’RE ON TRACK

** ****Our goals for the next 30-60 days include:**
**Successfully complete the Confirm training of over 1,000 marketing and operations personnel**
**Share results from our Mail Technology Study**
**Release public version of the Intelligent Mail plan**
**Define strategy to reduce UAA **
**Distribute RFP for Intelligent Mail Devices**
**  **

**Notes:**
SO.. what’s next for us? 

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