By Monica Lundquist, Window Book

In Part 2 of this series, we explained additional elements of Presort Software, including Move Update and sequencing of mail according to postal regulations. In this article, we will introduce Intelligent Mail and discuss additional mail sequencing options.

Intelligent Mail Barcode (IMb)

For mailers who are ready to implement the Intelligent Mail Full Service and producing IMb, it is important to understand that there are four types of IMb:

Mailpieces, Trays, Containers, Packages:

Image Source:  IMAQ PCC Presentation                    

Mailpiece Sequencing by Production or Transportation Requirements

In addition to the USPS sortation requirements, mail service providers may have specific sequencing needs based on their production workflows and/or transportation requirements.  For example, a single mailing may be physically produced and/or sorted on multiple production lines.  In these cases, the presort software must not only take the USPS regulations into account, but also the needs of the manufacturing or sorting facility.  The software needs to be intelligent enough to be able to split the mailing across multiple mailing lines, but not disrupt the USPS regulatory sorts by splitting the mailing in the middle of a bundle, tray, sack or pallet.  Likewise, if the mail service provider plans on transporting the mail to multiple drop-ship entry points, they may need specific sequencing of the ZIP Codes to match their planned transportation dispatches.  Again, the presort software needs to be intelligent enough to do this without negatively impacting the USPS-required sortation or the production-flow sequencing.

Output files

There are multiple output files produced by the presort process. These include the name-and-address file(s), which may be formatted specifically for inkjet printing equipment, printing directly on to mailpieces or on to paper address labels.  Other output files may include container label files for printing sack tags, tray tags, or pallet placards, or postal documentation, such as qualification report files.  A critical output file of the presort process is the Mail.dat^® file.

Mail.dat is an industry-standard database file set that consists of detailed presort mailing information based on specifications set by the International Digital Enterprise Alliance (IDEAlliance^®) (http://www.idealliance.org/maildat/).  Mail.dat is a group of files that represent virtually all the detailed information regarding a mailing with the exception of the names and addresses of the recipients. Mail.dat is the primary format of data files accepted by the Postal Service for exchanging electronic mailing information.  In order to use Mail.dat you need to apply for a User License Code from IDEAlliance, which involves payment of a nominal fee.  Currently, there are hundreds of licensed Mail.dat users consisting of mailers, software vendors, publishers, service providers, systems integrators, and the USPS. Mail.dat is the standard format most typically accepted by the majority of mail service providers and mail owners in the mailing industry.

Presort software is a very powerful group of tools, and allows for more time- and cost-efficient processing of mail.  In fact, due to the complexity of mailing regulations and rates, there is virtually no way to physically prepare mail without the use of presort software tools. 

In Part 4 of this series, we will illustrate that there are limitations to presort software that require the use of post-presort software.

Click here for Part 1 or Part 2.

Monica Lundquist is Postal Affairs Manager for Window Book, Inc. She can be reached at mlundquist@windowbook.com. 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

Fax: 617-395-5900

www.windowbook.com

postalspecialist@windowbook.com