1. Mailers Technical Advisory Committee Update
Great Lakes Area Mailing Industry Focus Group
Thank you!
Good to be here
Enjoy groups
Behalf of USPS
Always enjoy this meeting and my pleasure to present to this group. So, thank you for that and thank you for your Business.
A lot to cover, so let us get started.
August 18, 2016

2. Postmaster General’s Mailers Technical Advisory Committee
Association of Associations
Representatives of the industry – not individual companies
Currently Over 50 Associations have an MTAC membership
Associations include: DMA, PostCom, MPA, IDEAlliance, Alliance of Nonprofit Mailers, PIA, NNA, PSA, etc.
One Association Executive and up to Three Association Representatives per Association
Approximately190 Association Executives and Representatives
Focus
A venue for the USPS to share technical information with mailers, and to receive their advice and recommendations on matters concerning mail-related products and services
Enhance customer value and expand the use of these products and services for the mutual benefit of Mailing Industry stakeholders and the USPS.
We always have new attendees and new folks to the mail, so I would like to spend a minute on structure, process of MTAC.
MTAC Basics – if you will
Then we would like to go into some of the current topics of the day that MTAC is addressing.
A part of my job is all about industry communications. How we communicate, what we communicate.
It’s all about growing the business together.
MTAC is an important communication channel and vehicle in that process of exchanging information and ideas.
USPS  Feed Back
Mailers  Pipeline, Information, Influence, Concerns expressed, and solving issues together
MTAC has been around for more than 50 years – last year we celebrated that milestone all year long – so there are some pretty established processes and procedures to ensure that your voice is heard.
And – if you belong to an association – having your voice and participation in MTAC is one of your membership benefits.
MTAC is an Association of Associations ….We have a few of the Associations listed here but many, many more:
Direct Marketing Association, PostCom or the Association of Postal Commerce, the Magazine Publishers of America, Idealliance, Printing Industries of America, National Newspapers Association, etc.
1 Association Executive + 3 Representatives

3. MTAC Executive Committee Members (2016-2017)
Industry
U. S. Postal Service
Erv Drewek
Industry Chair ( ) Graphic Communications, a Veritiv company
Jim Nemec
Postal Chair Vice President, Consumer & Industry Affairs
Wanda Senne
Industry Vice Chair ( )
Access Worldwide
Judy de Torok
Postal Co-Vice Chair
Manager, Industry Engagement & Outreach
Consumer & Industry Affairs
Christopher G. Lien
Immediate Past Industry Chair ( )
BCC Software
Tom Hughes
Manager, Business Customer Support & Service
Dale Kennedy
Program Manager/Secretary
Manager, Industry Engagement Strategy
Industry Engagement & Outreach
Many years of experience on MTAC Board – All of our industry leaders have served many years on MTAC work groups, and a variety of leadership positions. There is a 6 year commitment on the Industry side.
My counter part, Erv Drewek, began his tenure and two weeks ago we had a meeting with more than 150 members. Wanda Senne is our Vice with Chris Lien serving as our Immediate Past Industry Chair.
On USPS Co-Vice Chairs are – Judy de Torok and Tom Hughes. Dale Kennedy serves as the Program Manager and Secretary. We all really champion MTAC communication.
As a Board, we collaborate, discuss and vote on issues that we think merit senior leadership’s attention to progress/issues within various MTAC work groups or Task Teams and areas that need to be focused on regarding MTAC meetings and administration.

4. MTAC Leadership (2016 to 2017) Industry Leaders Postal Service
Classes of Mail
Focus Areas
First-Class Mail
Payment & Acceptance, & Education
Mike Tate
American Bankers Association
Bank of America
Bob Schimek
Idealliance
Satori Software
Pritha Mehra
VP, Mail Entry & Payment Technology
Periodicals
Enterprise Analytics & Data Usage
Randy Stumbo
Gravure Association of the Americas
Meredith Corp.
Angelo Anagnostopoulos
Edison Electric Institute
GrayHair Software Inc.
Isaac Cronkite
VP, Enterprise Analytics
Standard Mail
Mail Preparation, Entry, & Operations
Rose Flanagan
National Alliance of Standard Mailers & Logistics
Data-Mail Inc.
Bob Rosser
Association for Postal Commerce (PostCom)
IWCO Direct
Robert Cintron
VP, Network Operations
Package Services
Emerging Technology & Product Innovation
John Medeiros
Parcel Shippers Association
DHL Global Mail
Steve Colella
Epicomm
The Calmark Group
Gary Reblin
VP, New Products and Innovation
We have MTAC organized in two ways. First – by Classes of Mail and then by Focus Group area. Some of the issues within classes of mail are the same, but some are different and that’s the approach we take with the deeper dives into the four Focus Group areas for 2016:
Payment/Acceptance/Education:
A lot of movement and changes in this area, my team works closely with the Mail Entry and Payment Technology, or BME team to ensure we have the right webinars, the right training. So, we actually added the word “Education” to this Focus Area to ensure its emphasis in 2016.
Enterprise Analytics/Data Usage:
Informed Visibility continues to be very important to both us and the industry.
The new Vice President, Isaac Cronkhite and his team are committed to developing several enhancements to better communicate the status of mail in real time and the engine behind these enhancements comes from this team.
Mail Preparation, Entry and Operations:
Robert Cintron is the new V. P of Mail Preparation, Entry and Operations. This focus group is getting ready for this year’s peak season.
Emerging Technology and Product Innovation:
All of those great ideas to continue to merge the physical and digital worlds of mail and the birthplace of many of the promotion programs came to be as a result of this Focus Group’s discussions.
The industry leaders here also deserve a tremendous amount of thanks from all of us for their commitment to keep these Focus Groups on track with their missions.
Pricing – now we have representatives listening at each of the sessions.
Direct result of feedback from Leadership and a request to be more transparent about pricing initiatives.

5. Association Recruitment
New association added this year: American Association of Political Consultants
Seeking additional association membership with industries not fully represented on MTAC
i.e. Health Care, Insurance, Legal, others
MTAC Industry Vice-Chair to manage recruitment and membership
Member Involvement
Encourage increased member engagement
Workgroups, User Groups, Task Teams
Several associations have open slots
Internal recruitment for new Leadership positions
Our goal is to:
Keep MTAC going for another 50 years and want to continue to use it as a one of the primary communication channels with the USPS and industry.
Get new associations – recently signed up American Association of Political Consultants (New Blood)
Timely – Political Mail – didn’t know some basics about mailing and great way for us to get direct mail into the system and for them to get questions answered.
Let us know if you have some ideas. MTAC leadership has reached out to some Health Care/Pharmaceutical groups. Many changes in laws – requiring these organizations to communicate about the mail.
Member Engagement: Responsibility on both USPS and industry side to keep minutes up to date and information current on line.
At one of our recent meetings, we discussed the need for regular communication between focus, class and USPS leaders and we came up with some strategies to do that.

6. MTAC Structure / Types of Committees
Group Type
Intended Function
Primary Sponsor / Oversight
Group Participants
Approval of Participants
Timeframe
User Group
Ongoing forum for USPS & users of a particular postal product or process.
MTAC Focus Area Leader (postal and/or industry)
Subject Matter Experts (both USPS and industry)
User Group Leaders
Open - No specific end date. Annual review of issue statement in August by the MTAC EC.
Work Group
Address defined issues, and provide recommendations
MTAC Focus Area Leader (postal and/or industry)
Primarily MTAC Members and industry experts
MTAC Focus Area Leader
Concludes when recommendations are submitted for consideration (per the issue statement)
Task Team
Quickly address very specific issue to achieve results in a strict, often urgent period of time.
MTAC Executive Committee (may also be delegated to Focus Area Leader if subject is specific to an Area)
Specifically selected by MTAC Leadership and Executive Committee
MTAC Executive Committee
Concludes when task or problem resolution is completed (per the issue statement)
Judy’s slide.

7. Current User Groups
#1 - PostalOne!, SASP, Intelligent Mail (Bi-weekly) #2 - eVS/Product Tracking System (Monthly) #3 – FAST & eInduction (Bi-weekly) #4 – Informed Visibility (previously IMb Tracing) (Bi-weekly) #5 – Addressing (Technology & Business Strategy) (Bi-weekly) #7 – MTEOR (Bi-weekly) #8 – USPS Promotions (Monthly) #9 – Presort Reference Data (Bi-weekly) #10 – Mail Acceptance and Payment (Bi-weekly)
Wanda’s slide.
Summary of purpose for last meeting:
UG10:
Purpose of last meeting: To provide update on Mailer Scorecard, publication and discuss concerns on undocumented process
Topics discussed:
Federal Register Notice on Move Update
Update to Microstrategy 10.2
Full Seamless
UG 9:
Collaborate to create and discuss the efficient communication, deployment, and accuracy of USPS presort reference data. Creating visibility into any issues around this presort reference data distribution and usage will lead to recommendations for improvements.
Topics discussed at last meetings:
In-depth review of issue list starting with the most recent issues including inadvertent publishing of FSS zone expansion, L011 and the most recent Mail Direction File.
Label List files on FAST now have Download (text files), CSV, PDF and View options available.
Customer EPF suggestion to allow customers to be able to get drop ship files and other files from one location. Under consideration by USPS.
UG 8:
The Industry and the USPS will work together to create and discuss new promotion ideas to enhance the value of mail. In addition, this team will work through the implementation of approved Promotions including (but not limited to); industry software requirements, USPS system and business requirements, documentation requirements, communication of issues and resolution with mailers, and industry education.
No meeting updates available.
Task Team 24 is offshoot of this UG to identify opportunities of promotions geared to Mail Service Providers and Mailing Partners.
UG 7:
The Mail Transport Equipment Ordering System (MTEOR) was rolled out to the mailing industry in September With more than six months in operation, the MTEOR program now has 438 mailers, many of whom have had extensive experience using the application. With this amount of user experience available to us, we now have an opportunity to leverage that experience by establishing a users group to identify and recommend opportunities for future enhancements to the MTEOR program.
July meeting addressed Label Holder order levels and planned enhancements. New release of MTEOR will include: ability to Modify orders instead of Withdraw; New Order Status – Ready for Delivery; allow local mailers to order Plastic pallets at piece level instead of by pallet stack; and new max Label Holder level set at 80 boxes.
Future proposed enhancements: rollout new report showing Ordered vs Shipped; Inventory submission reminder messaging; and added visibility of orders shipped based on connectivity with Surface Visibility.
UG just resumed more frequent meetings (every 6 weeks).
Additional MTE purchases underway for Peak Season.
UG 6:
This was a special UG #5 meeting to review three recently announced Federal Register Notices:
Clarification of the Move-Update Standard
Privacy Act, Systems of Record
Address quality Census Measurement and Assessment Process
IEO is working with NCSC Address Mgmt to highlight internal UAA project to train employees on how to code UAA and properly handle UAA mail. This project is designed to improve our proper coding of UAA reasons to provide the industry with better information to help reduce UAA volume.
UG 4:
The purpose of this meeting is to provide an ongoing forum to facilitate communications between the Postal Service and the mailing industry on Mail Visibility and Informed Visibility, and to define and review improvements in process/production functionality and to address and resolve issues.
Explain links to RIBBS Resources for MTAC and IV™
IMB Tracing® Issue - The significant drop off in flats scan data coming out of an FSS operation was determined by Engineering to be due to a software issue with the IOS controller (a communication link) that was losing connectivity. Other flat sorters were not affected. A fix is going to be put in place as Release 3.4 in the August- September, 2016 timeframe.
IV Update
 RIBBS Document Updates
 Feedback on circulated draft documents (IV™ Data Dictionary and Sample Data Set)
 Release 1 Pilot Feedback Form
UG 3:
The mission of the FAST User Group is to address and resolve issues identified and to define and review improvements in functionality across the FAST and eInduction systems. The User Group will recommend MTAC Workgroups to address specific issues as necessary.
No current meeting minutes available
UG 2:
The mission of the eVS/Product Tracking System (PTS) User Group will be to address and resolve issues identified and to define and review improvements in functionality across the eVS and Product Tracking System (PTS). The User Group will create ad hoc subgroups to address specific issues as necessary.
UG 1:
The mission of the PostalOne!, SASP, Intelligent Mail User Group will be to address and resolve issues identified and to define and review improvements in functionality across the PostalOne!, SASP and Intelligent Mail systems. The User Group will create ad hoc subgroups to address specific issues as necessary.
Move Update FRN filed and posted
The Federal Register Notice (FRN), has been posted on the Postal Pro site and on RIBBS. To provide feedback on the FRN one must go to the Federal Register website:
Recent PostalOne! Outage Summary
IT provided a summary of the recent PostalOne! Outage.
R /R44 Updated Release Notes Review
R and updated R44 release notes were reviewed with the group. Concerns were expressed with the accuracy of the updated release notes. USPS will have the R44 Release Notes reevaluated for accuracy and repost.
External Issues List
The External Issues List was reviewed with the group

8. Status of Workgroups and Task Teams
Congratulations! Mission Accomplished!
WG Refining Package Machinability Standards
WG PAVE Enhancement
WG An Informed Delivery APP
In-Progress
WG FSS Multi-scheme Pallets (Target Completion Date: 8/31/16)
WG 170 – Certificate of Mailing (COM) Improvements (Target Completion Date: Extended)
WG Payment Modernization (Target Completion Date: 6/30/17)
WG 175 – Streamlining CSA Mail Preparation (Target Completion Date: Extended)
WG 176 – Streamlining RIBBS Information (PostalPro) (Target Completion Date: 9/23/16)
WG 177 – Improvement in Address Quality Methodologies (Target Completion Date: Extended)
WG 178 – IMpb Compliance Quality Metrics & Thresholds (Target Completion Date: Extended)
Wanda’s slide.
Three workgroups recently completed their cycles. Each workgroup submitted a resolution statement and recommendations were approved by the Work Group sponsors and MTAC Executive Committee.
WG Refining Package Machinability Standards - This group successfully sought to eliminate the term “Outside” since the definition of an outside was similar to a non-machinable parcel. “Irregular” was another parcel category that the group reviewed. The group conducted a polybag root cause analysis and will communicate “Polybag best practices” with the rest of the industry.
WG PAVE Enhancement - This group recommended the extension of the current CASS Cycle O to December 31st. This was recommended because New Full Service Certification process is in beta testing. This group worked to enhance the Full Service Certification.
WG An Informed Delivery APP - There were so many recommendations that were offered by this group that an on-going Informed Delivery User Group has been suggested. The group recommended delaying further expansion while gathering additional mailer test data, developing Individual level functionality and not just Household. The workgroup also suggested that Identity Validation and Change of Address information be tightened. There were so many more recommendations were offered that like I said earlier, an ongoing User Group for Informed Delivery was recommended. The User Group would work with the USPS to create solutions for the recommendations.
For updates on active groups, see separate WG summary document.

9. Status of Workgroups and Task Teams
In-Progress
TT 23 - Readiness for Trend Based Verification (Target Completion Date: Extended)
Payment, Acceptance and Education V.P. - Pritha Mehra
TT 24 – MSP Incentive Implementation for Growth
(Target Completion Date: 8/15/16)
Product Innovation and Emerging Technology V. P. - Gary Reblin
Wanda’s slide.
TT 23 - Readiness for Trend Based Verification -This task team has helped reduce the errors found on the Mailer Scorecard and was instrumental in the improvements to the communication of the Full Service Assessment process.
Discussion Items
• Walk through of Federal Register Notice (FRN)
• Currently mailers can submit eDoc with Non-Full Service pieces (Reporting is determined in Mail.Dat>Service Level Indicator)
• Streamlined Publication posting schedule discussed (concurrent with FRN posting)
• Make announcement that assessments will start in October (Announce at MTAC Webinar)
• Industry on TT-23 call provided concurrence for FS Assessment October date implementation
• USPS has ongoing Outreach for Full Service Non-Compliance Mailers
• EIN has CR for Mis-Ship- Patch in September for fix (9/25)
• Overview of Mailer Hotline Calls o New call set up to explain mailer concerns on PAF
o Clerk data entry errors
o Creating a deck to be presented to TT-23 Prior to all Industry
• This is final week of MU testing with Industry o Mailer concern with not getting feedback when a correct STID is used
o Kai Fisher is looking at concern above (Heather)
• Dave Horton-Seeing duplicate errors in the SC reporting and Monthly Data extract not matching o COA data provided to Dave each month from Chip
o Mailer identifying errors for correction  Number of records provided by Chip does not match SC
 Mail Preparer counts are also off
 Mailer is provided a Monthly Extract
• Undocumented Process discussion o Industry feedback includes that USPS is making them account for every piece of Undocumented
o USPS Operational Variance determined to be 0.05%
o Mailer’s also have Operational Variance should be addressed  Mailers follow documented process to identify Known Undocumented causes
• Walked through Undocumented Process and USPS Operational Variance
TT 24 – MSP Incentive Implementation for Growth - This is a new task team which will explore developing new incentives for Mail Service Providers who work with customers who take advantage of promotional discounts.
In 2015, MTAC User Group 8 proposed the formation of a specific incentive to assist Mailing Service Providers (MSP) to encourage more mail volume and participation in future USPS promotion programs. These suggested MSP incentives would allow the USPS to leverage knowledgeable MSP Sales forces and their Operations teams to retain and grow the value of mail. This Task team will assist the USPS in exploring the User Group 8 proposal by defining certain methodologies and changes necessary in procedures, data, Mail.dat, and Mail.xml that will result in a PRC approved incentive specifically for MSPs. The Task Team will provide specific recommendations with a minimal amount of USPS/Industry changes regarding: reliable method to prove new promotion program participating volume (i.e. growth), credit and attribute earned incentive, and help build project plan for successful automated implementation of this supply chain based solution.
No current meeting minutes available

10. MTAC at July Meeting Recap & Upcoming Items
Opening Session speakers on Wednesday July 12, 2016
PMG Megan Brennan
CMSO & EVP Jim Cochrane
COO & EVP David Williams
CFO & EVP Joe Corbett
CIO & EVP Kristen Seaver
VP Pricing & Costing Sharon Owens
VP Sales Cliff Rucker
VP Mail Entry & Payment Technology Pritha Mehra
Important Issues discussed during July MTAC meetings
Discussed potential Pricing and Costing strategies of Market Dominant products
USPS will present Industry-wide Political and Election Mail seminars
Announced that Full Service assessments will begin Nov Notification of Assessment testing begins in August. Local BMEU can assist with your preparation.
Deadline for review of publication “Streamlined Mail Acceptance for Letters and Flats” is Aug. 15, 2016.
During our recent MTAC meeting each member of the Executive Leadership team addressed the attendees and provided updates on policies, programs or other initiatives that they oversee. To demonstrate how transparent the USPS is, we discussed potential pricing and costing strategies. We responded to the request to provide Mail Service Providers with Political and Election mail seminars. There was the big announcement for those who are currently taking advantage of the discounts offered to Full Service mailers that assessment period will begin. Mailers who present Full Service mailings that exceed certain error thresholds will be assessed, for the first time, beginning November If you are a Full Service mailer, contact your local Business Mail Entry Unit to avoid losing your full service discount due to a threshold error.
Lastly, the publication which lays out the process and plan for streamlining the acceptance of Letter and flat mail is again open for review and public comment. The deadline to provide comments on the document is Aug. 15, 2016.

11. RIBBS web address: https://ribbs.usps.gov/
2016 Meeting Schedule
MTAC Meeting Dates- November 1-3, 2016
Contact an MTAC Association Executive if you would like to attend as a guest!
RIBBS web address:
Our final session for the year will be held in November – tough with the election, Veteran’s Day and then Thanksgiving. So, as you see, our final meeting date for calendar year 2016 is early November. We will followed the normal meeting flow with the Open Session and Reception on Tuesday. Wednesday we will feature each Focus Group and hold a Business meeting. We are a hardworking dedicated group of Postal Service and Industry representatives.
If you are interested in highlights from past MTAC meetings, we invite you to the RIBBS website and look for the MTAC link in the left column. The address is R-I-B-B-S dot USPS dot G-O-V.

12. “TUNE IN TO…” NATIONAL PCC WEEK SEPTEMBER 19 - 23, 2016
We would like to also encourage you to become involved with your local Postal Customer Council, also known as PCC’s. This is a great educational and networking opportunity! Check your local area for PCC week activities. Our theme encourages you to “Tune in to…” either Innovation, Education. All events for PCC week are scheduled for September 19th through the 23rd.

13. Questions? MTAC@usps.gov.
Thank you for this opportunity to share the exciting ways we are working with the industry.