# Presentation: 345886

## MTAC Workgroup 106 Improve, integrate, and optimize data sources...Brian Euclide, RR DonnelleyBob Galaher, USPS Marketing

- May 16, 2007
- Washington DC

## MTAC Workgroup 106 – Agenda

- Business Needs
- Group Goals
- Objectives
- Status
- Next Steps

## MTAC Workgroup 106 – Business Needs

- Mail industry needs a seamless mail preparation and drop ship business model that supports:
- How to prepare all mail products – content of containerization, work-share discounts, destination of contents, and processing needs.
- What mail products can claim entry point discounts (EPDs)
- Alignment of mail preparation data with drop ship data to determine physical USPS facility drop-off locations for mail products claiming EPDs.
- USPS Administrative policies, business rules, and functions to manage / maintain process and data sources to meet USPS / mail industry needs.

## MTAC Workgroup 106 – Goals

- Optimize the integration of data sources impacting mail preparation, drop ship discounts, and delivery (i.e. Drop Ship products, Labeling Lists, and Facility Information).
- Identify a consolidated data set and determine communication methods to disseminate information in a timely manner.
- Provide recommendations for business rules and processes to update and coordinate changes to maintain accuracy, currency, and implementation.

## MTAC Workgroup 106 – Objectives

- Define problem
- Disconnects between preparation (i.e. containerizing, labeling) and entry (i.e. drop ship product)
- Determine needs
- Comprehensive Data Source
- Direct Data Solution – No Ambiguity
- Maintainable Data Source
- Responsive to Regular Facilitates Changes
- Supports – Creation to Final Delivery Supply Chain
- Develop recommendations/solutions
- Centralized Data Source
- Identifies Container Contents
- Defines Container Zip Code Groupings
- Discount Options
- Physical Entry Locations (facility to induct mail)
- Physical USPS Destination Locations (facility working the mail)

**Notes:**
Define problem
Disconnects between “labeling” information used in preparation and “drop ship product” use in discount determination and drop off points
Current processes not integrated and difficult to maintain. Lack quality assurance, adequate feedback, and update processes. Current data have some ambiguities, lack some elements, and lack effective synchronization and user availability.
Determine needs
Need to establish a comprehensive data source that provides support in the mailing cycle from preparation to drop shipment dispatch. 
The data needs to be easily maintained. Easy to update and maintain the linkages necessary for preparation (construction of the containers) to locating discount eligibility and physical “geo-codable entry point facilities. Must facilitate changes keeping data synchronized. Provides all the data elements necessary to support cross functional supply chain activities (presort, preparation, entry point planning, load planning, etc....
Develop recommendations/solutions
Propose centralized data source containing elements necessary to identify how the mailing is to be prepared, what discount options are available, and what physical location does the mail need to be dropped at to receive the discount.

## MTAC Workgroup 106 – Status

- Developed a solution to propose that identifies a data structure and relationships for preparing and shipping mail based upon the Labeling Lists, Drop Ship Products, and Facility Information
- Comprehensive
- Centralized
- End-to-end (from preparation to entry)
- Closes gaps
- Held discussions with Workgroup 87
- Making great improvements to some areas of data management
- No plans to cover comprehensive solution we are proposing
- Workgroup performing final review and comments to solution
- Will not address implementation level issues

## MTAC Workgroup 106 – Next

- Develop business process for system
- Data management and Business process/rules
- Data integrity
- Change management
- Change implementation rules
- Feedback / validation loop
- Complete report – extension of 6 months
- Business needs and benefits
- Proposed solution
- Business process/rules recommendations
- Discuss proposal and processes at next general session (Aug 2007)
- Submit solution to MTAC leadership by October 2007