1. How to Work with Your Mail Preparer to Implement IMb™ Services

2. Agenda Your mailing practices IMb™ Services Company Decisions
Your Mail Preparer
The Project Plan 2

3. IMb™ Services A technology leap forward for the USPS®
Significant undertaking by both the USPS and mailers
Software and operational changes must be in tandem
Decisions which affect participants within the supply chain
Time and planning for implementation
Good partnership with your mail preparers and vendors 3

4. Acquire Knowledge Postal Service®, Service Providers & Vendors
Find out what they have to offer
Determine potential fits
Obtain details, details, details…
Incorporate discovery into YOUR solution
Customers & Internal Resources
Assess current practices
Document future expectations & constraints
Training
Attend IM™ sessions
Step 1) Acquire Knowledge
You must understand what Intelligent Mail means to your company
Challenges – Opportunities – Expectations – Constraints - Commitments.
Training”
NPF hosting 4 full day Intelligent Mail University sessions:
February 24 Addison IL,
February 26 Los Angeles CA
March 3 Atlanta GA
March 5 New York NY 4 4

5. IMb™ Education RIBBS® – http://ribbs.usps.gov
USPS® maintains the specific mailing requirements for IMb, technical documentation, etc.
Review available materials
Attend your local Postal Customer Council (PCC) meetings.
Find a mailing association that can support some of your educational and information needs
Look for ways to keep up with changing information. Stay involved! 5

6. Determine who … Owns the customer database Constructs the mailpiece
Prints the mailpiece
Prepares the mailing
Presents the mail to the Postal Service®
Receives directly or co-receives with service provider(s) data distributions from the Postal Service
Uses in-house constructed and/or third party software 6

7. Understand Your Mailing Practices
What you mail
Invoices, notices, marketing mail, catalogs, packages, etc.
Understand requirement impacts to letter, flat, automated, non-automated, all mail classes and categories evaluated.
How is your mail produced?
In-house, partially in-house, by service provider, etc.
Printing, finishing, mail preparation and sorting 7

8. Understanding Your Addressing Practices
Who you mail to
Your own client list, purchased lists, etc.
Different departments
Different lists
How you acquire, use and update the addresses you use on the mailings
How you meet the USPS® Move Update requirement 8

9. IMb® Service Options Two service options Basic Full-Service
Same mailpiece barcode design
Full-Service has more complex data content within the barcode.
Full-Service has additional benefits. 9

10. More data = more decisions
IMb® Content
31 digits, 65 bars, 5 fields
Barcode ID
Ex: 50
for Mixed AADC
Service Type
Ex: 260 for
First-Class Mail
Mailer ID
Ex:
USPS assigned
Routing Code
Ex: 6449 Amberview Ct., Memphis, TN
Serial Number
Ex: Mailer Assigned
What makes this barcode so Intelligent? Well, let’s learn about the barcode’s 65 bars, 31 digits, and five fields. So you know, the following breakdown of the bars is only meant to provide a visual representation of the fields – the fields do not map directly to the barcode as shown.
The first field is the Barcode ID.
The second field is the Service Type Identifier. These codes will be different for Basic or Full-Service.
The third field is the Mailer ID.
The 4th field is the Serial Number.
With the Basic Option mailers are not required to uniquely number the mailpieces – mailers may choose to populate the Serial Number field of the Intelligent Mail® Barcode with zeroes or any other number that is meaningful to the mailer.
With the Full-Service Option mailers will be required to apply a unique Intelligent Mail® barcode on mailpieces and keep this number unique for a period of 45 days from the date of induction. The combination of the Mailer ID and the Serial Number determines uniqueness.
The Intelligent Mail barcode’s final field is the Routing Code. This field may contain a 5-digit ZIP Code®, a 9-digit ZIP+4® code, or an 11-digit delivery point code. It serves as the POSTNET™ code’s replacement. .
The POSTNET™ contains only Delivery Point information
More data = more decisions 10 10

11. Basic versus Full-Service
IMb™ barcode on mailpiece
Required
Required – unique
IM tray barcode on labels
Optional
IM container barcode on placards
Electronic Documentation
Start-the-Clock NA
Available
Address Correction
Let's review the differences between Basic and Full-Service:
Basic Service requires an Intelligent Mail® barcode on the mailpieces. The barcode data does not need to be unique.
The IM™ BC tray/sack labels, IM™ BC container labels and electronic documentation are required for the Full-Service option. When transitioning from Basic to Full-Service, each of these items may be implemented as the mailer is ready.
The benefits of Start-the-Clock and address correction at no charge are available only with Full-Service.
Start-the-Clock at no charge and automated address corrections at no charge are available if all electronic documentation requirements are met. 11 11

12. Full-Service Benefits
Apply to Full-Service pieces only
DO NOT apply to the portion of a mailing that:
has only a 5-digit ZIP Code® or no ZIP Code in the Routing Code field.
is prepared as machinable/presort.

13. Full-Service Option Benefits
Class & Processing Category of Mail
Start-the-
Clock
ACS®
Full-Service Discounts
First-Class Mail®
Automation Letters ü
Automation Flats
Automation Cards
Standard Mail®
Basic ECR Letters
High-Density ECR Letters
Saturation ECR Letters
Basic ECR Flats x
High-Density ECR Flats
Saturation ECR Flats
This table shows, by price categories, the availability of Full-Service features. 
A checkmark in the ACS® column means that pieces of the mail category shown in the left column that are prepared in accordance with the Full-Service standards can receive Address Correction notifications at no extra charge.  An "x" means that if ACS® is available, the applicable ACS® prices apply.
A checkmark in the Price column means that pieces of the mail category in the left column that are prepared in accordance with the Full-Service standards are eligible for the applicable price differential in the Fall of 2009.  Those price differentials, which may vary by mail category, will be included in the prices expected to be announced in February 2009. 
   
While "Start-the-Clock" applies to a mailing, a checkmark means that a Full-Service mailing with volume from the mail category in the left column would generate Start-the-Clock information that would be provided to the Mail Owner and Mail Preparer.  An "x" means that a mailing made up exclusively of this mail category is not eligible for the Full-Service Option. 13 13

14. Full-Service Option Benefits
Class & Processing Category of Mail
Start-the-
Clock
ACS®
Full-Service Discounts
Periodicals - Outside-County
Barcoded Letters ü
Barcoded Machinable Flats
Barcoded Nonmachinable Flats
Carrier Route Basic Letters/Flats
Carrier Route HD Letters/Flats
Carrier Route Sat. Letters/Flats
Periodicals - In-County
Automation Letters
Automation Flats
Bound Printed Matter
Barcoded Presort Flats - non-DDU
Barcoded Presort Flats - DDU x
Barcoded CR Flats
This table from the previous slide to finish showing the Full-Service benefits (Start-the-Clock, Address Correction, and Fall 2009 Price) that are available for Periodicals and Bound Printed Matter.
Address Correction information will not be available for Bound Printed Matter Presort Flats at DDU or Carrier Route. 14 14

15. Benefits Analysis
Will price difference justify the investment to start using the IMb™ or to switch from Basic to Full-Service to see an improved Return-on-Investment?
How often does your company currently update its address lists? Would you increase frequency because of Full-Service ACS™?
What would Start-the-Clock data be used for? 15

16. Share Knowledge
Work with your various mail preparers and vendors to exchange current knowledge about your business needs and impacts
Ensure your vendors are aligned with the information about changing USPS® requirements and impacts
Establish a communication plan with vendors to keep informed of mutual changes/impacts that impact your business 16

17. Construct a Plan Incorporate expectations & constraints
Determine timeline
Determine internal and external resource needs and allocate
Determine procedural, operations and technical changes and opportunities
Establish test criteria to ensure content and print quality
Determine implementation sequence through applications and customers
Incorporate tests & validate
Construct a Plan
Why Step 4; this could go first….but may then be the evaluation plan.
The Implementation Plan foundation is prior Information Gathering and Evaluation.
The items you include here will be critical to the success of your overall implementation.
We can’t overstress interacting with internal and external resources and clients and testing. 17 17

18. Mail Preparers Ad Agency List Broker Printer
Finisher (binding, inserting)
Mail preparation (traying, present to USPS®)
Mail sortation (commingle)
Consolidator
Transportation providers 18

19. Mail Preparer Services
Determine responsibilities and liabilities for
Physical mail production
IMb™ on mailpieces
Mail preparation
IM™ tray and container labels
Mail presentment
Electronic documentation (eDoc)
USPS® feedback
Start-the-Clock
ACS® data
Mail data quality reports 19

20. In-House Portion How much will you be able to handle
Database management for eDoc and uniqueness of data
Mailer ID assignments
IT and software updates
Print capabilities
Mailpieces, tray labels, container placards 20

21. Mail Preparer Readiness
When is your preparer or printer planning to enter IM™ testing (Test Environment for Mailers)? 21

22. What is best for your company?
IMb™ Basic or Full-Service option
Basic replaces PLANET Code® and POSTNET™
No additional information is included
Full-Service allows for:
Free Start-the-Clock
Free container visibility induction scans (where available)
Full Service ACS™
First-Class Mail® unlimited
Standard Mail® and Bound Printed Matter – free notices for 30 days
Periodicals – free notices for 60 days
Mail data quality reporting 22

23. Things you need to know - MID
What Mailer ID (MID) to use?
Mail service provider or mail owner
Where do you get an MID?
Who needs to be indentified? Regardless of whose MID is in the IMb™, the mail owner must be identified in documentation.
Important to understand when a service provider works through an agency and not directly with the mail owner.
Need a Customer Registration ID (CRID) for each mail owner if not using their MID or mailing permit. 23

24. Things you need to know – UAA Mail
Undeliverable-as-Addressed Mail
Use the “free” ACS™ information from IMb™ to meet the Move Update requirement
Incorporate changes into file within 30 days for Standard Mail® and Bound Printed Matter
Incorporate changes into file within 60 days for Periodicals
Clear understanding of how pieces are disposed is needed to understand which endorsement is needed on the piece 24

25. Things you need to know – UAA Mail
When a mailpiece is printed with an ancillary service endorsement, the printed endorsement takes priority over the Service Type ID in the IMb™.
Very important that envelopes are imaged correctly. 25

26. Decision Factors The costs and benefits of the IMb™ Basic option
The costs and benefits of the IMb™ Full-Service option
The costs and benefits of staying with POSTNET™ barcodes, at least for a while
The costs and benefits of any postal services that you use or may want to use
USPS® rules and standards governing what can be mailed at what rates and the consequences of errors 26

27. Company Decisions
Whether you want to use Intelligent Mail® barcodes prior to May 2011
The type(s) of mail you want to send using Basic or Full-Service IMb™
Each application may be different
How will the Full-Service uniqueness of data – 45 or more days – be managed
How to begin a transition plan with your mail preparer 27

28. PROJECT TIMEFRAME – for complex mail owner environments
The following is an example of timeframe milestones for USPS® requirement changes to be introduced into mailer company systems:
This example supports:
Mail owner with internal mail manufacturing facilities
Large / complex IT systems
Multiple vendor and internal stakeholders impacted
Company business focus is not mail 28

29. MAIL OWNER - Project Schedule Timeline Example
MAIL OWNER - PROJECT TIMELINE
Evaluation
Requirements & Funding
Design
Develop
Pre-Production Testing
Production & Factory Testing
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Project Approved for Initial Evaluation
Business Case Funding Submit
Production & Factory Testing
Mail Factory Introduction
Project Close
Solution Defined
Design Complete
Development Complete
Unit / System / Integration Testing
Quality & Factory Training
Deploy-ment Review
Factory Work Intake
Require-ments Finalized
Production Release Commit Defined
Vendor Solution Integration
Full-Scope Document from finalized USPS® and Vendor Requirements received, identifies Impact Assessment, creates Time & Cost estimates, Project receives authorization to proceed to next step. Team evaluates and baselines internal / Vendor Solution Approach, Freezes Requirement Changes and develops IT Technical Requirement & Architecture Solution.
Time & Cost updated, submit Business Case, obtain authorization to proceed, obtain release commit, Document System & Feature Design, Support Vendor Product Integration, as needed.
Detailed Design Finalized, Develop, Perform Pre-production Testing, User Acceptance, Quality and Factory Testing. Train Factory personnel.
Install Code, User Certification Testing, Project Review / Close 29 29

30. Mail Preparer - Project Schedule Timeline
Using the same format as mail owners, the following is an example of the timeframe milestones for introduction of production and/or system changes due to USPS® changes.
This example supports:
Mail preparers with internal mail manufacturing facilities
Medium and large complex IT systems
Multiple vendor and internal client impact 30

31. Mail Preparer - Project Schedule Timeline
MAIL Preparer - PROJECT TIMELINE
Evaluation
Requirements & Funding
Design
Develop
Assessment of need
Gap List Created
Solution Defined
Requirements finalized
Expenditure Approved
Outside vendor integration
Product defined & personnel allocated
Product Developed
Evaluation of project scope
Capital Expenditure Defined
Establish scope of project; personnel requirements; list of gaps for future processes versus current processes; outline define solution; estimate project costs with business case
Finalize costs; prepare capital expenditure and submit for approval
Allocate actual personal based on budget; design solution in detail with stakeholder input
Develop solution and user interface; interface with outside vendor processes as required; continue stakeholder input for product solution 31 31

32. MAIL Preparer - PROJECT TIMELINE Production & Factory Testing
Mail Preparer - Project Schedule Timeline
MAIL Preparer - PROJECT TIMELINE
Pre-Production Test
Production & Factory Testing
Implementation
CAT Testing
Production & Factory Testing
Quality & Factory Training
Deployment Review
Mail Factory Introduction
Project Close
Evaluation & Review
Pre-Production tests; user interface; system updates/changes as required; debug for production implementation; prepare training material.
Prepare quality control requirements for production; finalize training requirements and guidelines; prepare training program and schedule
Establish review period for factory; train factory employees; test certification; close project 32 32