# Presentation: 669717

## Workgroup #80 – Enhancing Confirm

***MTAC General Session ***** *****February****** 23, 2005 ****** ******Washington, DC***

**Workgroup #80 – Enhancing Confirm**

## MTAC Workgroup #80 – Enhancing Confirm 

**Achieved its primary purpose as stated in the *****Desired Results Statement*****: **
**“****To enhance and expand the Confirm service in a manner that raises the usefulness of the Confirm program for customers and the Postal Service across all applicable classes of mail”. **
**Established Five Work Teams: **
**Scan Performance Team**
**Pre-Shipment Notification Team**
**Reports Team**
**Training & Certification Team**
**Future Team**

***Purpose  ***

**Notes:**
Original Confirm Workgroup #22 – Maximizing Value of PLANET Codes.  Originated 9/30/97.  Purpose was to help develop Confirm program into a production service with nationwide coverage.  Sunset 2/5/03.

New Workgroup #80 – Enhancing Confirm.  Originated 5/6/03. 

Achieved its primary purpose as stated in the Desired Results Statement: 
“To enhance and expand the Confirm service in a manner that raises the usefulness of the Confirm program for customers and the Postal Service across all applicable classes of mail”. 

Established Five Work Teams: 
Scan Performance Team (Cameron Bellamy, GrayHair Software)
Pre-Shipment Notification Team (Brian Euclide, Perry Judd’s)
Reports Team (Sue Taylor, Prudential Financial)
Training & Certification Team (Wanda Senne, ACE Marketing)
Future Team (Joe Lubenow, Lubenow & Associates)

## MTAC Workgroup #80 – Enhancing Confirm 

**Addressed issues relating to equipment and scan performance. **
**Accomplishments: **
**Increased Stop-the-Clock Operations.**
**Established scan performance definitions.**
**Developed data quality indicators in reports.**
**Improved data quality of Confirm scan records (i.e., reduced “flawed” data scans).**

***Scan Performance Team  ***

**Notes:**
Addressed issues relating to equipment and scan performance.  [improve validity of scans and help understand scan expectations] 
Accomplishments: 
Increased Stop-the-Clock Operations.  [13 increased to 30]
Established scan performance definitions.  [for instance, we provided more guidance in explaining differences between scan rates on letters vs. flats]
Developed data quality indicators in reports [reports that help identify problems]
Improved data quality of Confirm scan records (i.e., reduced “flawed” data scans).  [Team Leader Cameron Bellamy (Gray Hair Software) reported that the work of this team and USPS has reduced the amount of “flawed” data scans (e.g., invalid Op Codes, invalid Facility IDs) from 12% to 0.04%. ]
The accomplishments of the Scan Performance Team benefit customers and USPS.  Customers benefit from an increased reliability of data for tracking mail status.  USPS benefits from a greater focus on identifying anomalies that can be used to improve mail flows, as well as overall scan rates on mail. 

## MTAC Workgroup #80 – Enhancing Confirm 

**Addressed issues relating to Pre-Shipment Notifications and PLANET Code usage and established targets and processes for promoting accuracy. **
**Accomplishments: **
**Consolidated Pre-Shipment functions with the Mail Tracking & Reporting website.**
**Improved and expanded edit and search functions so mailers can submit more accurate files.**
**Improved capability to test Pre-Shipment files.**
**Enhanced capability to inform customers of Pre-****Shipment file errors.**

***Pre-Shipment Notification Team  ***

**Notes:**
Addressed issues relating to Pre-Shipment Notifications and PLANET Code usage and established targets and processes for promoting accuracy. [The primary purpose was to give mailers tools to be able to provide more accurate Pre-Shipment files]
Accomplishments: 
Consolidated Pre-Shipment functions with the Mail Tracking & Reporting website.  [Mailers no longer have to go to multiple sites to submit Pre-Shipment and obtain Confirm information.]
Improved and expanded edit and search functions so mailers can submit more accurate files.  [Mailers may wish to change a drop date or realign which PLANET Code pieces go with a particular shipment, etc.]
Improved capability to test Pre-Shipment files. [mechanism to test files online]
Enhanced capability to inform customers of Pre-Shipment file errors. [error logs and emails]

The accomplishments of the Pre-Shipment Notification Team benefit customers and USPS.  Customers benefit from more accurate “start the clock” information and service performance reports.  USPS benefits from improved accuracy and reliability of Confirm performance reports that can be used to diagnose problems and resolve service performance issues. 

## MTAC Workgroup #80 – Enhancing Confirm 

**Analyzed the old Confirm reports and provided suggestions for enhancements and improved reporting capabilities. **
**Accomplishments: **
**Provided valuable feedback and contributed to the design of new and improved web-based Confirm Shared Reports that address Confirm mail performance.**
**Suggested expanded analytics and longer data retention.**
**Supported inclusion of more specific diagnostics.**
**Helped test and identify anomalies within reports in order to improve report performance.**

***Reports Team  ***

**Notes:**
Analyzed the old Confirm reports and provided suggestions for enhancements and improved reporting capabilities [used what we had in place and examined how we could expand the functionality in the new web-based environment]
Accomplishments: 
Provided valuable feedback and contributed to the design of new and improved web-based Confirm Shared Reports that address Confirm mail performance. [goal is to work off one common platform when discussing resolving service issues]
Suggested expanded analytics and longer data retention.  [expanded to 90 days from 30 days]
Supported inclusion of more specific diagnostics.  [problems identified through the reports]
Helped test and identify anomalies within reports in order to improve report performance. [participants were very active in helping us test the reports and validating information]
The accomplishments of the Reports Team benefit customers and USPS.  Customers benefit by having their suggestions incorporated into the design, thus providing a high level of confidence in the information. USPS benefits from reports that customers can accept as a common platform for measuring service performance.  This has the potential to improve service performance for all mailers. 

## MTAC Workgroup #80 – Enhancing Confirm 

**Addressed training needs for both USPS and customers; helped develop new Confirm Certification Program. **
**Accomplishments: **
**Reviewed Confirm SOPs oriented toward customers use of Confirm.**
**Provided input and approval on developing initial draft Confirm Certification documents.**
**Participated in Initial Certification pilot and suggested changes to process.**
**Reviewed and recommended changes to Confirm User Guide (Pub. 197), including inclusion of more data interpretation guidance.**

***Training & Certification Team  ***

**Notes:**
Addressed training needs for both USPS and customers; helped develop new Confirm Certification Program.  [input from the customer to help shape internal training and certification]
Accomplishments: 
Reviewed Confirm SOPs oriented toward customers use of Confirm.  [group was active in reviewing our processes that impact our customer service function]
Provided input and approval on developing initial draft Confirm Certification documents.  [group provided feedback on what Certification should entail]
Participated in Initial Certification pilot and suggested changes to the process.  [conducted some initial certification work in order to help validate the process]
Reviewed and recommended changes to Confirm User Guide (Pub. 197), including inclusion of more data interpretation guidance.  [made revisions based on direct feedback from this group]
The accomplishments of the Training & Certification Team benefit customers and USPS.  Customers benefit from having their input incorporated into USPS internal training content which is used to directly assist Confirm users.  Certification will help customers fine-tune their internal mail preparation processes and provide access to service performance reports.  USPS benefits from the valuable customer feedback that has helped shape internal training that impacts customer interface.  The Certification Program will help assure accuracy in Confirm service performance information. 

## MTAC Workgroup #80 – Enhancing Confirm 

**Examined future strategies for Confirm, including new barcode technologies. **
**Accomplishments: **
**Explored alternative architecture for the PLANET Code to provide uniqueness without reliance on POSTNET.**
**Identified potential future applications utilizing USPS database architecture.**
**Collaborated with USPS Intelligent Mail and Address Quality’s (IMAQ) effort on 4-State barcode technology.**
**Supported 4-State technology as the next phase in Intelligent Mail rollout.**

***Future Team  ***

**Notes:**
Examined future strategies for Confirm, including new barcode technologies.  [there is where we discussed the future of Confirm, the 4-State barcode and other barcode technologies] 
Accomplishments: 
Explored alternative architecture for the PLANET Code to provide uniqueness without reliance on POSTNET.  [discussed whether or not PLANET Code alone could provide uniqueness needed]
Identified potential future applications utilizing USPS database architecture.  [in other words, putting more information in databases with less information on the piece itself]
Collaborated with USPS Intelligent Mail and Address Quality’s (IMAQ) effort on 4-State barcode technology.  [helped determine suitability of moving to 4-State within the mailing industry]
Supported 4-State technology as the next phase in Intelligent Mail rollout.  [validated this next generation as feasible]
The accomplishments of the Future Team benefit customers and USPS.  Customers benefit from helping determine the “next phase” of Intelligent Mail that is feasible for the industry as a whole.  USPS benefits from the customer acceptance of new mail tracking barcode technology and enables USPS to accurately focus resources in the short- and long-term. 

## MTAC Workgroup #80 – Enhancing Confirm 

**Thank You to Workgroup Participants**
**Special Thanks to the Team Leaders:**
**Scan Performance – Cameron Bellamy (GrayHair Software)**
**Pre-Shipment Notification – Brian Euclide (Perry Judd’s)**
**Reports – Sue Taylor (Prudential Financial)**
**Training & Certification – Wanda Senne (ACE Marketing)**
**Future – Joe Lubenow (Lubenow & Associates)**

***Workgroup Sunset  ***

## Workgroup #80 – Enhancing Confirm

***MTAC General Session ***** *****February****** 23, 2005 ****** ******Washington, DC***

**Workgroup #80 – Enhancing Confirm**