Get IMb by Jan. 2013, Or You Will Be Out of Business
By Jeffery Peoples
CEO & Founder, Window Book, Inc.
Are you still asking yourself what the United States Postal Service® (USPS) Intelligent Mail® Full-Service option will do for you? Is it worth investing money in new technologies for discounts of $3/1000 mailpieces for First-Class Mail and $1/1000 for Periodicals and Standard Mail? How long will it take to get my ROI to justify the expenses?
If so, you are asking the wrong questions. Instead of wondering how long it will take to get your ROI to implement IM Full-Service, you should join the band wagon as soon as possible and start using IM Full-Service if you want to stay in business; Currently you have the options to use POSTNET, IMb Basic or Full-Service to qualify for automation discounts. Starting January 2013 – which is right around the corner – the USPS plans to stop offering postage discounts for POSTNET. You will need to use IMb to qualify for automation discount effective January 2013 AND in January 2014 only Full-Service IMb will qualify for automation discounts.
Why is the USPS pushing for Intelligent Mail?
Over the past few years almost everyone has been affected in some way by the downturn of the economy. Many companies have been forced to outsource jobs, downsize, claim bankruptcy or flat out close their doors. The Postal industry is no exception. Between 2000 and 2011, the mail volume declined by 19 percent. Financially, the USPS posted a net loss of $8.5 billion in 2010 and $5.1 billion in 2011. This decline in mail volume and revenue has had a dramatic impact on the USPS financially, forcing them to make cost cutting moves and other changes to the way they conduct business.
Total Mail Volume
Financial Results
Under the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX was designed to improve the accuracy of financial reports by identifying, assessing and reporting on internal controls affecting an organization’s financial reporting.), the USPS is being required by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) and Congress to maintain better data about the mail they get from the mailers. The only way to efficiently and effectively meet SOX requirements – and still allow flexibility for changes in mailings – is through electronic documentation and transactions.
Electronic documentation (eDoc) has been around since the inception of - what is now called - the USPS PostalOne! system back in the early 1990s. The Postal Service has been urging everyone in the Postal industry for years to adapt electronic technology and use eDoc to conduct business with them and the third parties. Now, eDoc and IMb Full-Service will be a requirement in the following years – this will be the new way for mailers to conduct business with the Postal Service if they want to claim automation discounts.
Your Loss or Profit
– How will you stay in business without IMb Full-Service? $2,300,000 can be your loss or profit…
Standard Mail
No Barcode: Letter sized, 1 ounce, commercial non-automation. “Mixed AADC” as the Presort and have no entry discount, machinable.
IMb Basic Service: Letter sized, 1 ounce, commercial automation. “Mixed AADC” as the Presort and have no entry discount, POSTNET barcode or Intelligent Mail barcode, not full service.
IMb Full-Service:Letter sized, 1 ounce, commercial automation. “Mixed AADC” as the Presort and have no entry discount, Intelligent Mail barcode full service.
First-Class Mail
No Barcode: Letter sized, 1 ounce, commercial non-automation, Presorted rates and machinable.
IMb Basic Service: Letter sized, 1 ounce, commercial automation. “Mixed AADC” as the Presort, POSTNET barcode or Intelligent Mail barcode, not full service.
IMb Full-Service: Letter sized, 1 ounce, commercial automation. “Mixed AADC” as the Presort, Intelligent Mail barcode full service.
It’s not just about the postage discounts
Everyone in the Postal industry will benefit from using eDoc and IMb Full-Service. For the Postal Service, it allows them to more readily identify and resolve service issues, improve service performance, increase customer service and better maintain operation expenses.
“Use the IMb,” the Postmaster General advised, “the better you use it, the better it will help us improve your service.”
As for mailers who have implemented IMb Full-Service in their operation, they will be able to automate their daily tasks and run their business more efficiently. To name just a few of them, they can:
- Make great strides towards automating your entire mailing process
- Save time by speeding up the USPS acceptance and verification processes
- Eliminate the need to print, submit and store hard copy postage statements
- Automate your postage payment process
- Access, track and monitor your mailings online 24x7
- Experience near real-time communication between business parties and the Postal Service
- Automate drop-ship scheduling via the USPS FAST website
- Enjoy a centralized online account management
- Improve your postage data management
Conclusion
Examine your current system and methods: How many people and how many hours does it take to get the job out the door? What software do you have besides presort software or MLOCR machines? Do you have a Post-Presort software solution that will help you easily implement eDoc and Intelligent Mail Full-Service? Implementing the Intelligent Mail Full-Service can be a complex process, which can take months to complete all the testing phases and in-house training. Don’t wait until 2013. Get going with your Intelligent Mail implementation plans today if you want to stay in business.
About Window Book, Inc.
Window Book has been helping clients manage their operations more profitably since 1989, and is the leader in mailing and shipping software for Lettershops, Corporate Mailers, Service Bureaus, and Mail Owners. Window Book’s best-in-class postal solutions include: Intelligent Mail Full-Service, PostalOne!, eDocs, Mail.dat, Mail.XML, FAST, Bound Printed Matter, post-presort data management, entry planning, drop shipping, postage accounting, postal documentation & statements, meter and stamp management, Express Mail and Priority Mail Open and Distribute, New Commercial Plus rates, eVS, Delivery Confirmation™, and manifesting shipping system.
Window Book, Inc.
300 Franklin Street
Cambridge, MA 02139-3781
Ph: 800-524-0380
postalspecialist@windowbook.com