Highlights from the 11.10.21 USPS Industry Update
On Nov. 10, 2021, the USPS® released an Industry Update announcing new competitive pricing and two new mail products. The Market Competitive price increase is scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 9, 2022, if it is approved first by the Postal Regulatory Committee. This is a 60-day notice, which is slightly better than the… Read: Highlights from the 11.10.21 USPS Industry Update »
USPS® Announces that the Implementation of CASS™ Cycle O Has Been Rescheduled for August 2023
CASS Cycle O Implementation Rescheduled to August 2023 The Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) measures the accuracy of address matching software based on rules defined by the Postal Service. USPS is actively working with the mailing industry to perform a new testing cycle referred to as CASS Cycle O. The Postal Service has determined that… Read: USPS® Announces that the Implementation of CASS™ Cycle O Has Been Rescheduled for August 2023 »
USPS Proceeds with August Rate Increases
In a decision issued on July 19, 2021, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) endorsed the United States Postal Service’s call for higher prices on letters, advertising mail, and publications, in hopes of ensuring long-term financial health for the organization. The USPS believes that its prices for market-dominant products and services will increase by approximately 6.9… Read: USPS Proceeds with August Rate Increases »
Mailing and Shipping Solutions Center (MSSC) to Merge With the PostalOne! Helpdesk
June 21, 2021 Mailing and Shipping Solutions Center (MSSC) to Merge With the PostalOne! Helpdesk Effective July 1, 2021, the external PostalOne! Helpdesk will merge into the Mailing & Shipping Solutions Center (MSSC). Customers will need to contact the MSSC with any PostalOne! issues. The current PostalOne! help desk number of 1-800-522-9085 will automatically forward… Read: Mailing and Shipping Solutions Center (MSSC) to Merge With the PostalOne! Helpdesk »
Important Industry Updates – UPU Decision and New USPS® Board of Governors
Last week, the USPS® announced their decision regarding their involvement with the Universal Postal Union (UPU). In her official statement, Postmaster General Brennan shared that an agreement has been made “that accommodates the concerns of the United States and other countries” regarding the current payment system and therefore the United States will not withdraw its… Read: Important Industry Updates – UPU Decision and New USPS® Board of Governors »
New USPS® Board of Governors holds first meeting Oct 2-3
Per an Industry Alert issued by the USPS® on September 16, 2019: Now that the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors has enough members to constitute a quorum, the Temporary Emergency Committee (TEC) has been dissolved and the new board will meet on October 2nd and 3rd in closed meetings. Although an agenda is not… Read: New USPS® Board of Governors holds first meeting Oct 2-3 »
CORRECTION – INDUSTRY ALERT Informed Delivery Promotion Discount
Per an Industry Alert issued by the Postal Service on Friday September 13, 2019 Please take note of this important Industry Alert issued by the Postal Service on Friday September 13th, regarding the Informed Delivery Promotion. If mailers submitted ID campaigns during the period of September 1st through the 5th, they may not have been… Read: CORRECTION – INDUSTRY ALERT Informed Delivery Promotion Discount »
Plus One
Earlier this month the Postal Service filed a request with the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) to conduct a Market Test of a new product called “Plus One.” According to the USPS® filing, Plus One is “an addressed advertising card that may be mailed as an add-on piece with the USPS Marketing Mail Letters ‘marriage mail’… Read: Plus One »
A Flurry of Postal Bills Introduced in the House
Considering there is so much dysfunction in Washington these days, it is a bit surprising that Postal matters are on anyone’s mind. A House committee hearing held on April 30th was, many opined, a precursor to introduction of draft legislation similar to H.R. 756 that was introduced in the 115th Congress. During the hearing, many… Read: A Flurry of Postal Bills Introduced in the House »
The USPS: Privatization or Prioritization?
This article was featured in Mailing Systems Technology in September 2018. On April 12, President Trump issued an executive order establishing a task force on the United States Postal System. The order directed the task force to evaluate the Postal Service™’s finances and operations and issue a report outlining proposed changes within 120 days. Many folks in… Read: The USPS: Privatization or Prioritization? »
Will We See USPS Promotions in 2018?
This article was featured in Mailing Systems Technology in August 2018. The Postal Service™ has been offering mailing promotions and incentives dating back to 2012 and with each passing year, more and more mailers have successfully taken advantage of innovative ways to add value to their mail while gaining postal discounts. Promotions for 2018, however, are very… Read: Will We See USPS Promotions in 2018? »
Green and Secure: Does It Meet the New Move Update Requirements?
This article was featured in Mailing Systems Technology in May 2018. When the Postal Service™ first announced its new Green and Secure program, it was described as a new alternative method to meet the Move Update standard. However, this inadvertently caused confusion, as the Green and Secure program is a subset of ACS™ and does… Read: Green and Secure: Does It Meet the New Move Update Requirements? »
What’s in a Name? A Potential Decline in Response Rates
This article was featured in Mailing Systems Technology in April 2018. While the mailing industry has weathered, and sometimes embraced, many direct communication innovations over the years, direct mail is still the most influential marketing tactic, boasting significantly higher response rates than digital advertising alone. In fact, according to the DMA, direct mail sees a… Read: What’s in a Name? A Potential Decline in Response Rates »
Postal Changes Happening in January and How They Can Affect Your Company
This article was featured in Mailing Systems Technology in February 2018. 2018 is bringing with it many changes in the postal industry. As always, BCC Software is on top of these changes and is dedicated to ensuring that our customers are not only ready for the year ahead, but compliant and pointed toward success. So,… Read: Postal Changes Happening in January and How They Can Affect Your Company »
It’s Time to Talk About Millennials and Direct Mail
Professionals often sneer at the word “millennial,” but the reality is that this generation is powerful when it comes to business—they will make up the majority of the workforce and consumer groups by the year 2020. Millennials range from ages 20-36—they are buying houses and renting apartments, purchasing cars, getting married, growing families, and taking… Read: It’s Time to Talk About Millennials and Direct Mail »
Top 3 Industry Prophecies for 2018
It’s important to get your company prepared for 2018 and the changes that lie ahead. With technological innovations, legislative challenges, and new generations of workers all on the rise, it’s needless to say that change is coming. However, change can also mean opportunities to grow your business and improve the value of direct communication. Here… Read: Top 3 Industry Prophecies for 2018 »
Don’t Call it a Comeback: Direct Mail’s Influential Place in Marketing
With digital marketing seemingly the most popular advertising method, it cannot be forgotten that direct mail is the foundation of effective marketing. And with new technologies and innovations in the mailing industry, direct mail pieces are an integral part of any marketing campaign and are getting companies a greater ROI. Direct mail leads to multi-… Read: Don’t Call it a Comeback: Direct Mail’s Influential Place in Marketing »
3C + IMb = ROI
In today’s challenging economy, every business seems to be focused on the bottom line. Acronyms such as EBITDA (earnings before interest depreciation and amortization), CAGR (cumulative average growth rate) and ROI (return on investment) are often used as measurement tools to determine success. What they do not reveal, though, is the formula for achieving that… Read: 3C + IMb = ROI »
Delivering Software Changes to Support a Changing USPS®
The one constant in the domestic mailing industry is change. Over the course of the last year (2010) , there have been over 100 DMM Advisory notices announcing changes or clarifications to mailing requirements and acceptance systems. Some of these are the result of the USPS meeting Sarbanes-Oxley requirements, some are to usher in new… Read: Delivering Software Changes to Support a Changing USPS® »
Addressing Address Accuracy
A complete, correct, and current name and address on the mail piece is the foundation for any successful mailing campaign. This “3C Approach to Address Accuracy” is something that I’ve personally been preaching for nearly a decade. It is essential for achieving postage workshare discounts and is the only way to ensure timely, predicable, and… Read: Addressing Address Accuracy »
Dependency of Software for Workshare Discounts
As our nation was finishing another annual celebration of our independence, the USPS and the mailing industry were combing through the specifics of the first ever Exigency Rate Case (R2010-4), which was filed on July 6, 2010 by the United States Postal Service. Within the 124 pages and numerous supporting documents, the industry found a… Read: Dependency of Software for Workshare Discounts »
Timing is Everything for Software Development
It is often said that time flows like a river. Perhaps this image is based on the notion that time can only move forward and thus once an experience occurs, it cannot be repeated, such as standing in a river and the water (events) passes us only once. Or perhaps it is the confluence of… Read: Timing is Everything for Software Development »
Logistics of 5-Day Delivery
The dire financial situation for the USPS is well documented and splashed across nearly every media channel: Declining mail volumes projected to bottom out at 150 billion pieces by 2020 … Rising costs per delivery point that exceed revenue attained … And a law that makes it nearly impossible to dynamically adjust their delivery network… Read: Logistics of 5-Day Delivery »
Decoding the Co’s
One of the most effective ways to simultaneously improve mail delivery and reduce postage is to commingle multiple mail pieces together. Although this concept is not at all new, the need for predictable and timely delivery has perhaps never been greater—while advancements in software technology and postage discount opportunities have provided mailers with more means… Read: Decoding the Co’s »
Addressing Move Update Compliance
With this New Year and new decade comes a new opportunity to explore software-enabled growth in mailing. Recently, the Postmaster General announced that there will be no rate increases for market dominant USPS products in 2010. That is great news for the mailing industry. However, in order for the USPS to meet their financial goals… Read: Addressing Move Update Compliance »
Software Enabled Workshare Opportunities
The Postal Service™ is enduring unprecedented losses in mail volume. This, combined with the prefunding of retiree healthcare, has the USPS® facing a projected loss of over $7 billion this year. With such unimaginable numbers, it’s no wonder everyone is searching for cost-cutting solutions, including calling into question the elimination of workshare discounts. Imagining the… Read: Software Enabled Workshare Opportunities »
Your Software is Talking – Are You Listening?
The mailing industry’s dependency on software is becoming more apparent with every USPS rule change. Whether in the areas of address quality, bundle preparation, or the Intelligent Mail barcode, software is a necessity in order to ensure maximum postage discounts and timely, predictable mail delivery. The investment in this mission critical software is not a… Read: Your Software is Talking – Are You Listening? »
The Best Defense is a Good Offense
There is much at stake today in address quality. Postage discounts, timely delivery, and customer response are all directly tied to the upfront investment in address quality. Unfortunately, so much emphasis has been placed on the penalties of poor address quality that the overall benefits of keeping an address complete, correct, and current is getting… Read: The Best Defense is a Good Offense »
Software’s Role in Intelligent Mail
The criticality of software in the mailing industry is well-established. Postage discounts are predicated on the use of CASS™– and PAVE™-certified software. The same can be said for the Intelligent Mail® barcode, or the IM®BC, as it’s often referred to. The IM BC is the next generation in mail visibility and a new foundation for… Read: Software’s Role in Intelligent Mail »
Moving Ahead with Move Update
Address quality all starts with using CASS-certified software, which should result in your addresses being complete and correct. But what can be done to ensure the address is current? That’s where Move Update methodologies come in. Properly utilized, they provide a crucial role to your overall address quality strategy. There are basically five approved methods… Read: Moving Ahead with Move Update »
The ABCs of Postal Software
From address cleansing to presorting, to producing the Intelligent Mail® barcode on the mailpiece, postal software is a crucial component of any mailing operation. This dependency on USPS®-certified software and its underlying data is now more critical than ever for mailers who wish to achieve the essential postage discounts derived from workshare opportunities. In this… Read: The ABCs of Postal Software »
Going Digital for Postage Optimization
Commingling mailpieces is one of the most effective ways to optimize your postage investment. Postage continues to be the largest attributable cost per mailpiece, and judging by the current dire financial situation of the United States Postal Service®, it doesn’t look like that situation is going to change anytime soon. Thus, many mailers are still… Read: Going Digital for Postage Optimization »
USPS News: New Prices & IMb Implementation
Today, the United States Postal Service announced that it filed new mailing services prices with the Postal Regulatory Commission that would be effective April 17, and that they’re delaying the Intelligent Mail barcode requirement for automation discounts. Despite delaying the requirement, remember that the barcode offers benefits including more services in one barcode, increased space on mailpieces,… Read: USPS News: New Prices & IMb Implementation »
USPS News: New Prices & IMb Implementation
Today, the United States Postal Service announced that it filed new mailing services prices with the Postal Regulatory Commission that would be effective April 17, and that they’re delaying the Intelligent Mail barcode requirement for automation discounts. Despite delaying the requirement, remember that the barcode offers benefits including more services in one barcode, increased space on mailpieces,… Read: USPS News: New Prices & IMb Implementation »
Adding efficiency to mailing
Newsweek senior editor Daniel Gross’s recent post Going Postal posed some good questions about why mailers do what they do—and he submits that “power mail users should do what others do when the price of any resource rises—figure out how to use it more efficiently.” He has a good point, and one that I have… Read: Adding efficiency to mailing »