[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 25, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36136-36156]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-14396]
[[Page 36136]]
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POSTAL REGULATORY COMMISSION
[Docket No. PI2008-1; Order No. 83]
Administrative Practice and Procedure, Postal Service
AGENCY: Postal Regulatory Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: Changes in the law governing the nation's postal system
mandate adoption of service performance measurement and reporting
systems for market dominant products, which include First-Class Mail.
This notice presents a service measurement and reporting plan for
public review and comment. The comments will assist the Commission in
formulating its position on the plan.
DATES: Comments are due July 9, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments electronically via the Commission's Filing
Online system at http://www.prc.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen L. Sharfman, General Counsel,
202-789-6820 and [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Regulatory History, 72 FR 72395 (December 20, 2007).
I. Background
Section 301 of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act
(PAEA), Public Law 109-435, 120 Stat. 3218, requires the Postal
Service, in consultation with the Postal Regulatory Commission
(Commission), to establish by regulation a set of modern service
standards for market dominant products.\1\ The Postal Service completed
this initial task with the publication of ``Modern Service Standards
for Market-Dominant Products'' as a final rule, effective December 19,
2007.\2\
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\1\ Section 301 of the PAEA is codified at 39 U.S.C. 3691.
\2\ See 72 FR 72216 (December 19, 2007) (to be codified at 39
CFR parts 121 and 122).
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By statute, the service standards must be measured by an objective
external performance measurement system, unless the Commission approves
the use of an internal measurement system. 39 U.S.C. 3691(b)(1)(D) and
(b)(2). The Postal Service is in the process of developing its
performance measurement system, and has kept the Commission informed of
its progress through a series of meetings to discuss service
performance measurement issues. The Commission has solicited public
input on the Postal Service's measurement system proposals by providing
the public with an opportunity to comment on the Postal Service's
November 2007 draft Service Performance Measurement plan.\3\
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\3\ PRC Order No. 48, December 4, 2007; 72 FR 72395 (December
20, 2007).
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Since November, the Postal Service has made significant progress in
working with its external measurement vendors and working through the
implementation of the internal Intelligent Mail Barcode system. The
result of this progress has led to a continuous refinement of the
Service Performance Measurement plan. The Commission is in the process
of preparing a reply to the Postal Service's most recent plan which
will address the proposals for internal versus external measurement
systems and the proposals for data reporting.
The text of the June 2008 version of the Service Performance
Measurement plan appears below the signature line of this order. The
perspective of the mailing community will aid the Commission in
developing its reply to the Postal Service and help the Commission
carry out its performance measurement responsibilities under the PAEA.
Interested persons are invited to comment on any or all aspects of the
proposed service performance measurement and reporting systems. This
provides an opportunity for those that previously commented to update
their comments, and for those that have yet to comment to provide
initial comments. Comments are due July 9, 2008. All comments will be
available for review on the Commission's Web site, http://www.prc.gov.
II. United States Postal Service Service Performance Measurement
A. Glossary of Terms
The description of the approach for service performance measurement
includes references to certain postal terminology. For clarification,
the following brief definitions and descriptions are provided.
The Intelligent Mail[supreg] barcode (IMb) is a height-modulated
barcode that encodes up to 31-digits of mailpiece data. The IMb
combines and expands the capabilities of the POSTNET barcode and the
Planet Code[supreg] barcode into one unique barcode and is intended to
replace the POSTNET and Planet Code barcodes by May 2010.
A service standard is defined as ``a stated goal for service
achievement for each mail class.'' See Publication 32, Glossary of
Postal Terms (May 1997, updated through July 5, 2007). The service
standard for each market-dominant mail service incorporates the days-
to-deliver for each 3-digit ZIP Code origin-destination pair within the
Postal Service network. The standards serve as the benchmark for
measuring service performance.
The service performance is the number of calendar days from the
``start-the-clock'' to the ``stop-the-clock''. However, if the day of
the ``stop-the-clock'' event is immediately after a non-delivery day
(Sunday or a holiday), then one day is subtracted from the service
performance measurement calculation for each consecutive non-delivery
day preceding the delivery day.
For inclusion in service performance measurement, a mail piece,
container/handling unit, or mailing must pass verification and meet the
applicable inclusion criteria listed in the appendix to this document.
Verification is a system of checks used to determine if a mailing is
properly prepared and if the correct postage is paid.
The critical entry time (CET) is the latest time that a reasonable
amount of a class of mail can be received at designated induction
points in the postal network for it to be processed and dispatched in
time to meet service standards.
The ``start-the-clock'' is the date and time when the mail piece
enters the mailstream. If the Postal Service accepts a mail piece
before the posted CET for that day, the day of entry is designated as
the ``start-the-clock'' date. If the mail piece is accepted after the
CET or dropped at a collection box, business mail chute, or Post Office
location after the last posted pickup time or on a day when pickup does
not occur, the mail piece has a ``start-the-clock'' date of the
following applicable acceptance day.
``Start-the-clock'' Day zero (or Day-0) is the date when the clock
starts for purposes of service measurement.
The ``stop-the-clock'' is the date on which delivery occurs or is
initially attempted.
A Customer/Supplier Agreement (C/SA) is a written notice that
confirms, for a commercial mailer, the origin-entry acceptance window
during which mail that meets applicable preparation requirements will
be considered to have been entered into the postal network on ``start-
the-clock Day zero,'' for purposes of service performance measurement.
The notice may include mail containerization specifications, designated
postal mail facility entry locations and time-sensitive mail entry
windows.
The Annual Compliance Report includes the national annual service
performance report for market-dominant products and is subject to
compliance review by the Postal Regulatory Commission on a fiscal year
basis.
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A postal area is the administrative level directly below national
headquarters and is comprised of multiple subordinate postal districts.
There are currently nine areas that span the entirety of the postal
network; these nine areas are comprised of a total of 80 subordinate
districts.
In service variance reports, the Postal Service reports the
cumulative percentage for mail pieces delivered after the applicable
service standard. The Postal Service refers to the delivery performance
of pieces delivered after the service standard as ``Within +X'' days of
the standard.
The following are examples of calculating service variance:
Table 1.--Examples of Calculating Service Variance--May 08
[Adapted from the original, which can be viewed on the Commission's Web site, http://www.prc.gov/prc-pages/daily-listing)]
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Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday
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April 28 29 30 May 1 2 3 4
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...................... ...................... Example One. Non-Delivery Day.
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5 6 7 8 Day Zero 9 Day One 10 Day Two 11 Day Three
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...................... Mail Entered After CET ...................... ..................... ..................... Non-Delivery Day.
with 2 Day Service
Standard
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12 Day Four 13 14 15 16 17 18
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Actual ...................... ...................... ...................... Example Two. Non-Delivery Day.
Delivery
Day
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19 20 21 22 Day Zero 23 Day One 24 Day Two 25 Day Three
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...................... ...................... Mail Entered Prior to ..................... ..................... Non-Delivery Day.
CET with 3 Day
Service Standard
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26 Day Four 27 Day Five 28 29 30 31 June 1
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Holiday Actual Delivery Day ...................... ...................... ..................... ..................... Non-Delivery Day.
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Example 1--Mail was entered after CET on Wednesday and delivered on Monday with a two-day service standard. Since the entry was after Wednesday's CET,
day zero is now Thursday. Actual Delivery is the number of days it took (calendar days) to deliver the mail (Thursday to Monday) or 4 days. Expected
Delivery is the service standard, which in this case is 2 days. The service performance measurement is Actual Delivery Day (4) minus Expected Delivery
(2) minus any non-delivery days between the Expected Delivery Day and the Actual Delivery Day (1) = 1.
Example 2--Mail was entered prior to CET on Thursday and delivered on Tuesday with a three-day service standard. Actual Delivery is the time it took
(calendar days) to deliver the mail (Thursday to Tuesday) or 5 days. Expected Delivery is the service standard, which in this case is 3 days, plus 2
days since Sunday and Monday are non-delivery days. The service performance measurement is Actual Delivery Day (5) minus Expected Delivery (5) minus
any non-delivery days between the Expected Delivery Day and the Actual Delivery Day (0) = 0. Therefore, the mail piece was delivered on time.
Definition of Terms:
1. The Actual Delivery Day is the calendar day of the ``stop-the-clock'' for a mail piece.
2. Non-Delivery Days are nationally recognized days on which the Postal Service does not deliver mail to delivery points. Sundays and holidays are non-
delivery days. Non-delivery days may also occur by Presidential proclamation such as a national day of mourning.
3. The Expected Delivery Day is calculated by adding the applicable service standard to the ``start-the-clock'' date for a mail piece. When that date
lands on a non-delivery day, the expected delivery date becomes the next possible delivery date.
4. Service variance, represented as ``Within +X'', is the number of delivery days between the Expected Delivery Date for the mail piece and the Actual
Delivery Date of the piece. ``Within +X'' is calculated by subtracting the Expected Delivery Date from the Actual Delivery Date and then subtracting
any Non-Delivery Days between the Actual and Expected Delivery Dates from the result:
X = Actual Delivery Day-Expected Delivery Day-Non-Delivery Days between Actual and Expected Delivery Days
1. Introduction
Among many requirements, the Postal Accountability and Enhancement
Act (PAEA) instructs the United States Postal Service (Postal Service)
to establish modern service standards for its market-dominant mail
products. According to the law, these standards should be designed ``to
provide a system of objective external performance measurements for
each market-dominant product as a basis for measurement of Postal
Service performance.'' However, with the approval of the Postal
Regulatory Commission (PRC), an internal measurement system may be
implemented instead of an external system.\4\
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\4\ Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, Public Law 109-
435, 120 Stat. 3198, 39 U.S.C. 3691(b)(1)(D) and (b)(2).
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The service performance measurement systems used for measurement
will evolve over time as capacity increases. For example, the
measurement system may be modified annually pending the outcome of the
annual service standards review process. The measurement systems are
designed to provide the Postal Service and its customers with data
sufficiently accurate and reliable for purposes of assessing the
quality of mail service in a cost effective manner. These data are
expected to provide the PRC with the ability to perform its
responsibilities under the PAEA with a high degree of confidence. The
following table
[[Page 36138]]
summarizes the measurement system at full rollout.
Table 2.--Postal Service Measurement Approach at Full Rollout\1\
[Measurement approach by mail segment]
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Single-piece Presort
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Letters Flats Parcels Letters Flats Parcels
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First-Class Mail................ EXFC.............. EXFC.............. Start: Acceptance Start: Documented EXFC as Proxy \2\. Start: Documented
scan. Arrival Time at Arrival Time at
Postal facility. Postal facility.
Stop: Delivery Stop: External .................. Stop: Delivery
Confirmation reporting. Confirmation
delivery scan. delivery scan.
Single-Piece First-Class Mail IMMS \3\.......... EXFC as proxy \4\. Single-Piece First- N/A............... N/A............... N/A.
International. Class Mail
parcels as
proxy.\5\
Periodicals \6\................. N/A............... N/A............... N/A............... Start: Documented Start: Documented N/A.
Arrival Time at Arrival Time at
Postal facility. Postal facility.
Stop: External Stop: External N/A.
reporting. reporting.
Standard Mail................... N/A............... N/A............... N/A............... Start: Documented Start: Documented Start: Documented
Arrival Time at Arrival Time at Arrival Time at
Postal facility. Postal facility. Postal facility.
Stop: External Stop: External Stop: Delivery
reporting. reporting \7\. Confirmation
delivery scan.
Package Services................ N/A............... N/A \8\........... Start: Acceptance N/A............... Start: Documented Start: Documented
scan. Arrival Time at Arrival Time at
Postal facility. Postal facility.
Stop: Delivery .................. Stop: External Stop: Delivery
Confirmation reporting. Confirmation
delivery scan. delivery scan.
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\1\ Special Services are not included in Table 1 as they have different methods to ``start-the-clock'' and ``stop-the-clock'' from the market-dominant
mail products.
\2\ The Postal Service will use the External First-Class Mail Measurement System (EXFC) measurement for single-piece flats as a proxy for Presort First-
Class Mail flats due to the very small volume of Presort flats.
\3\ The International Mail Measurement System (IMMS) is an external measurement system for which an independent measurement contractor seeds mail into
the mailstream.
\4\ The EXFC measurement for domestic single-piece First-Class Mail flats will serve as a proxy for single-piece First-Class Mail International flats
due to the small volume in the latter category. After clearing customs, single-piece First-Class Mail International flats enter the domestic
mailstream and are handled with domestic single-piece First-Class Mail flats.
\5\ The Postal Service will use the measurement for domestic single-piece First-Class Mail parcels as a proxy for single-piece First-Class Mail
International parcels.
\6\ Two mailer-operated external systems, Red Tag and Time Inc.'s DelTrak, will be used for Periodicals measurement during FY 2009, as the Postal
Service transitions to a long-term internal solution.
2. Measurement Approach
For purpose of service performance measurement, the Postal Service
will continue use of the External First-Class Measurement system (EXFC)
for single-piece First-Class Mail letters and flats and the
International Mail Measurement System (IMMS) for single-piece First-
Class Mail International letters.\5\ For letter- and flat-shaped
Presort mail within First-Class Mail, Periodicals, and Standard Mail
services, the Postal Service uses an external measurement approach that
supplements mail scans available from an internal Intelligent Mail
system with externally collected data. For parcel-shaped mail within
First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, and Package Services,\6\ the Postal
Service uses an internal solution based on Delivery Confirmation scans
obtained at acceptance and delivery. Additionally, the performance
measurement of various domestic special services uses an internal
measurement approach.
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\5\ The only major type of International Mail classified as
market-dominant is single-piece First-Class Mail International. For
single-piece First-Class Mail International flats and parcels, the
Postal Service will use the domestic flats and parcel measurements
as proxies, as explained in Section 4.1.
\6\ Package Services market-dominant products include Parcel
Post, Bound Printed Matter, Library Mail, and Media Mail, by
operation of 39 U.S.C. 3621. For purposes of service standard
establishment and service performance measurement, these market-
dominant products are grouped together as Package Services due to
their relatively small volumes.
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Destination-entered Standard Mail is subject to national Critical
Entry Times (CETs). All other classes of mail are subject to locally-
defined facility CETs. A Customer/Supplier Agreement between a bulk
mailer and the Postal Service may identify an alternate acceptance
window. In the case where a Customer/Supplier Agreement exists, it is
the responsibility of the mailer to enter mail within the agreed-upon
acceptance window. Customer/Supplier Agreements may include terms
regarding seasonal volumes or split processing windows.
The two critical elements for service performance measurement of a
mail
[[Page 36139]]
piece are the date and time when the mail piece enters the mailstream,
otherwise known as the ``start-the-clock,'' and the date when delivery
occurs or is attempted, otherwise known as the ``stop-the-clock''.\7\
The mail piece service performance measurement can be viewed as the
difference between the ``start-the-clock'' and ``stop-the-clock''
dates, excluding non-delivery days, which is then compared to the
established service standard for the mail category. When assessing mail
piece service performance, relevant facility Critical Entry Times
(CETs) must be taken into account. For commercial mail, Customer/
Supplier Agreements (C/SAs) may also be employed and used to assign the
``start-the-clock'' Day-0 for purposes of service performance
measurement. If the Postal Service accepts a mail piece either before
the CET or within the acceptance window specified in the C/SA on a
given acceptance day, the mail piece will have a ``start-the-clock''
date of the current day. If the mail piece is accepted after the CET,
and outside the acceptance window specified in the C/SA, the mail piece
will have a ``start-the-clock'' date of the following applicable
acceptance day for that facility.\8\
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\7\ Mail must pass verification before being included in service
measurement.
\8\ National CETs have been established for Standard Mail
destination-entered at Sectional Center Facilities (SCFs) and Bulk
Mail Centers (BMCs).
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2.1 Presort Letter and Flat-Shaped Mail
For Presort First-Class Mail, Standard and Periodical letters and
for Standard and Periodical flats, the Postal Service's service
performance measurement system uses documented arrival time at the
postal facility to ``start-the-clock,'' and an external, third-party
``stop-the-clock'' performed by reporters with scanners in their homes.
Additional data on mail piece tracking from Intelligent Mail barcode
(IMb) scans are also used to supplement the external data. However,
data collected by the Postal Service are provided to an independent,
external contractor to calculate service measurement and compile the
necessary reports.
To facilitate an accurate ``start-the-clock'' measurement, mailers
prepare mail with IMb's and, as a part of the acceptance process,
submit electronic mailing information that describes the mail profile.
Mailings are verified at acceptance to ensure they meet applicable
preparation requirements necessary to qualify for service performance
measurement.\9\ For mailers that meet the Full Service Intelligent
Mail[supreg] Option, the Postal Service makes mail arrival time and
mail preparation quality information available.
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\9\ Such requirements are in addition to those which must be met
to qualify for mailing within a particular product or price
category.
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The external measurement contractor determines service performance
based on the elapsed time between the ``start-the-clock'' event
recorded by the Postal Service and the ``stop-the-clock'' event scan
recorded by anonymous households and small businesses that report
delivery information directly to the contractor. The end-to-end service
measure consists of two parts: (1) How long mail pieces take to get
through processing, and (2) how long mail takes from the last
processing scan to delivery. The second portion is used as a delivery
factor differential to determine the percent of mail that is delivered
on the last processing date and the percent delivered after the last
processing date. For Presort letters and non-saturation flats entered
at Delivery Units that do not receive processing scans, postal
personnel scan IMb's to indicate intention to deliver that day. By
comparing the date of the Postal Service's final IMb scan with the
reported delivery date for these mail pieces, the external measurement
contractor calculates the delivery factor differential for each mail
category. With this measurement approach, the core service performance
score is augmented by data provided by external reporters, which
provides a cost-effective method for end-to-end measurement.
External scanning offers many benefits to the Postal Service, the
PRC, and mailers concerning the accuracy and auditability of service
performance measurement: Delivery sampling data are used to provide the
granularity required for district level reporting, and association of
the reporter scan data to the final mail processing equipment scan is
used to assess delivery failures.
The use of external reporters allows for barcoded mail that falls
out of automation to be included in service performance measurement. To
ensure that the external service measurement contractor is able to
measure service performance for properly prepared and addressed mail
pieces, the Postal Service provides the contractor with mail quality
information that it derives by scanning IMb's.
This measurement approach leverages IMb data from internal systems
for Presort letters and flat-shaped mail to enhance service
measurement. It also allows for: Greater representation of mail
characteristics; richer diagnostics; and robust and reliable
measurement at low cost.
2.2 Measurement System Requirements for Presort Mailers of Letters,
Cards, and Flats
The Postal Service performs service measurement on mail that
satisfies generally applicable mail preparation requirements and also
meets the requirements of the Full Service Intelligent Mail[supreg]
Option, which gives the Postal Service the ability to identify unique
mail pieces in the mailstream. These service measurement requirements
include, unique Intelligent Mail[supreg] barcodes on mail pieces, trays
and containers where appropriate, and appointment scheduling for
Destination Bulk Mail Center (DBMC), Destination Area Distribution
Center (DADC), and Destination Sectional Center Facility (DSCF) drop
shipments, and for authorized mailers choosing to transport origin-
entered, postal-verified mail to downstream facilities. They also may
include electronic submission of postage statements and mailing
documentation. More information on the Full Service Intelligent
Mail[supreg] Option can be found in Federal Register notices \10\ and
will be published in future revisions of the Domestic Mail Manual
(DMM).\11\
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\10\ See 73 FR 1158 (January 7, 2008) and 73 FR 23393 (April 30,
2008).
\11\ The requirements for service performance measurement are
separate from addressing, presortation, containerization, or other
requirements generally governing price eligibility published in the
Mail Classification Schedule or USPS Domestic Mail Manual.
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2.3 Parcels
For parcel-shaped First-Class Mail, Standard Mail, and Package
Services, the Postal Service uses an internal solution based on
Delivery Confirmation scans obtained at acceptance and delivery. For
reporting purposes, First-Class Mail parcels are included with the
First-Class Mail aggregate performance results and Standard Mail
parcels are included with the Standard Mail aggregate performance.
For parcel-shaped Retail mail for which Delivery Confirmation
service has been purchased, the Postal Service uses the Delivery
Confirmation scan at the retail counter as the ``start-the-clock''
event. Parcel-shaped Presort mail uses the documented arrival time at
the postal facility as the ``start-the-clock''. For Presort parcels,
validation similar to that for letters and flats is performed to ensure
that the parcels were dropped at the correct postal facility.
[[Page 36140]]
The ``stop-the-clock'' event is the Delivery Confirmation scan
performed by postal personnel at delivery.\12\ Since postal personnel
scan pieces with a Delivery Confirmation barcode at delivery, the
measurement system is truly an end-to-end performance system. In
addition, the sender has access to the Delivery Confirmation ``stop-
the-clock'' information from the Track & Confirm function at the Postal
Service's public Web site, http://www.usps.com and, thus, can
independently verify the delivery date.
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\12\ Either by a carrier on a delivery route or a clerk in a
Post Office Box section as delivery is completed or attempted.
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In accordance with section 3652 of the Postal Accountability and
Enhancement Act, the Postal Service is required to report measures of
the quality of service on an annual basis. The Postal Service's
proposal for service measurement goes far beyond annual reporting and
will instead provide quarterly reporting for all market-dominant
products, almost entirely at a district level.
2.4 Reporting
The Postal Service uses an independent, external contractor to
prepare service performance reports for domestic First-Class Mail,
Periodicals, Standard Mail, and single-piece First-Class Mail
International letters.
The Postal Service will continue collecting performance data for
parcels within each domestic market-dominant mail class based on
Delivery Confirmation acceptance and delivery scans. The Postal Service
sends performance data for First-Class Mail parcels and Standard Mail
parcels to the external service performance contractor for consolidated
reporting of the performance of each mail class. Quarterly reports
include data on the percentage of mail delivered on-time, as well as
the percentage of mail delivered within 1-day, 2-days, and 3-days of
the standard being measured. Annual compliance reports for each market-
dominant product will include the annual target and the annual
percentage of mail delivered on time.
For Special Services, the Postal Service reports a performance
index that combines the measurement of a number of Special Services
into a single index for comparison on an annual basis.
3 First-Class Mail
3.1 Background
First-Class Mail pieces represented 45.2 percent of the overall
mail volume in FY2007,\13\ with nearly 96 billion pieces. Of First-
Class Mail, 41.3 percent are single-piece cards, letters or flats, 0.4
percent are single-piece parcels, 57.1 percent are Presort cards and
letters, 1.0 percent are Presort flats, and 0.2 percent are Presort
parcels. The Postal Service plans to measure each of these different
segments and report a weighted average measurement separately for
presort and single-piece categories. Below, Table 3--First-Class Mail
Volume illustrates the make-up of First-Class Mail by entry volume and
shape. The table also illustrates the percentage of the overall
mailstream that each of these First-Class Mail segments represents.
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\13\ See http://www.usps.com/financials/_pdf/RPW_FY_2007.pdf.
Table 3.--First-Class Mail Volume
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Single-Piece Presort
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Letters Flats Parcels Letters Flats Parcels Total
(percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent)
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First-Class Mail............................................. 38.0 3.3 0.4 57.1 1.0 0.2 100
Overall Mailstream........................................... 17 1.5 0.2 25.8 0.4 0.1 45.2
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3.2 First-Class Mail Single-Piece Letters and Flats
Collection boxes and office building chutes are the primary methods
for entering First-Class Mail single-piece letters and flats. Combined,
this mail represents 18.7 percent of the total mailstream. Service
performance is measured though EXFC.
EXFC continuously measures nearly all 3-digit ZIP Code service
areas. EXFC mail pieces are designed to resemble the rest of the
mailstream; pieces are hand-or machine-addressed, stamped or metered,
and are of different colors, sizes, and weights. Quality reviews are
conducted for droppers and reporters, and data are reviewed on a daily,
weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis.
3.2.1 ``Start-the-Clock''
The date and time that the mail piece is dropped into a collection
box or business mail chute is the ``start-the-clock''. Mail piece
droppers report the ``start-the-clock'' directly to the external
service measurement contractor. If a mail piece is dropped at a
collection box, business mail chute, or Post Office location after the
last posted pickup time or on a day when pickup does not occur, the
next pickup day is the ``start-the-clock''.
The induction points for the ``start-the-clock'' are determined
before the start of each fiscal quarter. External droppers are provided
with a listing of collection boxes that they are allowed to use for
their assigned inductions in a given 3-digit ZIP Code service area.
Enough locations are chosen to ensure a certain amount of coverage, to
accommodate any unforeseen issues that may arise with the selected
induction points. The collection boxes are chosen in a random selection
process with replacement, meaning that the same induction location may
be chosen multiple times. The induction points are weighted going into
the selection process, so that locations in 5-digit ZIP Code areas with
a larger number of collection boxes have a greater chance of being
selected than locations in ZIP Codes areas with a smaller number of
collection boxes. The external contractor monitors drop compliance
continuously throughout the quarter to ensure proper diversification of
mail locations.
EXFC origin-destination mail flows are based on estimated 3-digit
ZIP Code origin-destination pair volume flows for corresponding 3-digit
ZIP Code pairs over the past 12 quarters. The number of pieces entered
from each postal administrative district is proportionate to the
corresponding origin-destination volumes by service standard.
3.2.2 ``Stop-the-Clock''
The date that the mail piece is received at a household, small
business, or Post Office Box is reported by the recipient as the
``stop-the-clock'' event directly to the external contractor for
purposes of EXFC. The service
[[Page 36141]]
performance is the number of calendar days from the ``start-the-clock''
to the ``stop-the-clock''. However, if the day of the stop-the-clock
event occurs immediately after a non-delivery day (Sunday or a
holiday), then one day is subtracted from the service performance
calculation for each consecutive non-delivery day.
3.3 First-Class Mail Presort Letters and Cards
The primary induction method for Presort letters and cards is bulk
entry at postal mail processing plants and Business Mail Entry Units
(BMEUs) across the United States. Presort First-Class Mail letters and
cards represent 25.8 percent of the total mailstream. The Postal
Service's measurement approach uses externally generated delivery scans
of mail pieces containing IMb's by reporters to record delivery dates.
In combination with Intelligent Mail scan data collected by the Postal
Service, this approach enables the granular level of reporting being
sought by the mailing industry.
3.3.1 ``Start-the-Clock''
Full Service IMb mailers are required to submit electronic mailing
documentation listing the IMb's used. Mail is verified to ensure it
meets mail preparation requirements. Mail that does not meet mail
preparation standards is excluded from service performance measurement.
If a mailer decides to rework the mail so that it meets preparation
requirements or decides to pay additional postage, the mail will be
included in service performance measurement but it may have a new
``start-the-clock'' Day-0. Mail ``start-the-clock'' times and mail
preparation quality information are made available to Full Service IMb
mailers.
3.3.2 ``Stop-the-Clock''
External reporters use scanners capable of reading IMb's to record
the ``stop-the-clock'' delivery event for individual mail pieces they
receive and to transmit scan data to the external reporting system. By
comparing the date of the final Postal Service processing scan with the
actual receipt date for these pieces, the external measurement
contractor calculates a delivery factor for the service performance of
First-Class Mail Presort letters and cards. This delivery factor is
combined with postal mail processing data to determine the end-to-end
service performance measurement for mail that may not receive an
external reporter scan.
The use of external reporters allows for mail that is manually
processed and that falls out of automation to be included in service
performance measurement. In these cases, the external reporters record
the actual ``stop-the-clock'' event and provide that information to the
external measurement contractor, which calculates the service
performance for those pieces.
3.4 First-Class Mail Presort Flats
Presort First-Class Mail flats represent only 0.4 percent of the
total mailstream, producing one of the smallest mail categories. The
Postal Service uses the EXFC measurement of single-piece First-Class
Mail flats as a proxy for Presort flats. In order to determine a more
accurate estimate for First-Class Mail Presort flats, the portion of
EXFC that reflects this mail category, i.e., machine-addressed flats,
rather than hand-addressed, is used. If the external measurement
contractor determines that sufficient volume of Presort Flats contains
IMb's, the measurement system for Presort letters will be employed for
Presort flats.
3.5 First-Class Mail Retail Parcels
The Postal Service measures service performance for this mail via
Delivery Confirmation barcode scans. For reporting purposes,
performance results are sent to the external measurement contractor for
inclusion in aggregate First-Class Mail service performance results.
First-Class Mail Retail parcels represent 0.4 percent of all First-
Class Mail and less than 0.2 percent of the total mailstream.
3.5.1 ``Start-the-Clock''
Primarily, the ``start-the-clock'' event occurs at retail counters
when customers purchase Delivery Confirmation for parcels they intend
to mail. When postal retail personnel apply the Delivery Confirmation
PS Form 152 to these parcels, they scan the unique Delivery
Confirmation barcode on each form. The scan is captured via either a
Point of Sale (POS) or Integrated Retail Terminal (IRT) at the retail
counter or an Intelligent Mail scanning device. Since the customer is
present at the ``start-the-clock'' event and receives a time-stamped
receipt with purchase, there are several validation points for the
``start-the-clock'' event.
3.5.2 ``Stop-the-Clock''
At delivery, postal personnel scan the Delivery Confirmation PS
Form 152 barcode to denote delivery or that delivery was attempted,
either of which serves to ``stop-the-clock'' for service performance
measurement. More information on delivery and attempted delivery can be
found in the Appendix.
3.6 First-Class Mail Presort Parcels
First-Class Mail presort parcels represent under 0.2 percent of all
First-Class Mail and less than 0.1 percent of the total mailstream. One
differentiating characteristic of First-Class Mail Presort parcels is
the propensity of senders to purchase Delivery Confirmation service.
Using Delivery Confirmation scan data, performance results are
calculated by the Postal Service and then sent to the external
measurement contractor for inclusion into the First-Class Mail service
aggregate performance results.
3.6.1 ``Start-the-Clock''
For service performance measurement of First-Class Mail Presort
parcels, mailers use Delivery Confirmation and will submit electronic
mailing documentation listing the unique Delivery Confirmation barcodes
used. Mail is verified to ensure it meets applicable mail preparation
requirements. Mail that does not meet mail preparation requirements is
excluded from service performance measurement. If a mailer decides to
rework the mail so that it meets preparation requirements or decides to
pay additional postage, the mail will be included in service
performance measurement but it may have a new ``start-the-clock'' Day-
0. The ``start-the-clock'' event is the documented arrival time of the
mailing at the Postal Service acceptance facility. Arrival times are
made available to mailers.
3.6.2 ``Stop-the-Clock''
Postal personnel scan the Delivery Confirmation barcode upon
delivery and can denote the delivery or attempted delivery, either of
which serves to ``stop-the-clock'' for service performance measurement.
3.7 Reporting for First-Class Mail
3.7.1 Quarterly Reporting
For Single-Piece First-Class Mail, the Postal Service reports on-
time service performance separately by day (i.e., overnight, 2-day, and
3-day/4-day/5-day), for each postal district on a quarterly basis. This
greatly expands the number of performance measures reported, yet is
consistent with the way EXFC currently reports single-piece First-Class
Mail service. The use of data from the final Intelligent Mail scans
allows reporting at a higher degree of granularity. The Postal Service
sends performance data for First-Class Mail parcels to the external
service performance contractor for consolidated reporting purposes.
[[Page 36142]]
The quarterly report format for on-time performance of Single-Piece
First-Class Mail is as follows:
Table 4.--Quarterly Performance for Single-Piece First-Class Mail; Sample Quarterly Report Format for Single-
Piece First-Class Mail
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overnight Two-day Three-day/four-day/
---------------------------------- five-day
District ----------------------
% On-time % On-time % On-time
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capital Metro Area..................................... xx xx xx
Baltimore District..................................... xx xx xx
Capital District....................................... xx xx xx
South Carolina District................................ xx xx xx
Greensboro District.................................... xx xx xx
Mid-Carolinas District................................. xx xx xx
No. Virginia District.................................. xx xx xx
Richmond District...................................... xx xx xx
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A similar report is produced to report quarterly service
performance for Presort First-Class Mail.
The service variance for Single-Piece First-Class Mail pieces is
reported separately as the percentage of mail that is delivered within
one-day, two-days, and three-days of the applicable standard. The
quarterly service variance report format for Single-Piece First-Class
Mail is as follows:
Table 5.--Quarterly Performance for Single-Piece First-Class Mail Service Variance; Sample Quarterly Report Format with Service Variance for Single-
Piece First-Class Mail
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Overnight Two-day Three-day/four-day/five-day
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
District Within + 1- Within + 2- Within + 3- Within + 1- Within + 2- Within + 3- Within + 1- Within + 2- Within + 2-
day days days day days days day days days
(percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capital Metro Area.......................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x
Baltimore District.......................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x
Capital District............................ xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x
South Carolina District..................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x
Greensboro District......................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x
Mid-Carolinas District...................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x
No. Virginia District....................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x
Richmond District........................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A similar service variance report is produced to report quarterly
service performance for Presort First-Class Mail.
3.7.2 Annual Reporting
Separate national measures are compiled per fiscal year for each
First-Class Mail segment (Single-Piece and Presort) and by service
standard (one-day, two-day, and three-day/four-day).
Annual performance consists of a weighted average for each First-
Class Mail segment that allots weight based on the volume of mail in
each district. If the segments are not representatively distributed,
the weighting ensures that each district counts for the appropriate
portion of the national aggregate.
Table 6.--Annual Compliance Report; Sample Annual Report Format for
First-Class Mail
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Target Percent on-
Mail class (percent) time
------------------------------------------------------------------------
First-Class Mail:
Single-Piece Overnight............ xx xx
Single-Piece Two-Day.............. xx xx
Single-Piece Three-Day/Four-Day... xx xx
Presort Overnight................. xx xx
Presort Two-Day................... xx xx
Presort Three-Day/Four-Day........ xx xx
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 36143]]
4 Single-Piece First-Class Mail International
4.1 Background
The United States Postal Service accepts outbound single-piece
First-Class Mail International pieces for processing and transfer to
foreign postal administrations for delivery to their destination
address. The service standard for the outbound domestic transit of this
mail is the same as for First-Class Mail pieces from the domestic 3-
digit ZIP Code of origin to the domestic 3-digit ZIP Code area in which
the Postal Service International Service Center (ISC) designated for
that origin is located.\14\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\14\ The postal mail processing network includes a handful of
ISCs, each of which serves a region of the postal network and is
responsible for conducting the initial international processing for
outbound international mail or the final international processing
for inbound international mail. For outbound mail, the ISC for a
postal network region may be the gateway facility from which mail is
transported from the postal network to the custody of a foreign
postal administration. In a small percentage of cases, outbound mail
may be transported from its designated ISC to another ISC for the
outbound gateway processing that precedes its exit from the postal
network.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inbound single-piece First-Class Mail International originates from
other countries and is destined for delivery to addresses in 3-digit
ZIP Code areas of the United States. The service standard for the
inbound domestic transit of this mail is the same as for First-Class
Mail that originates from the 3-digit ZIP Code in which the designated
ISC is located to the 3-digit ZIP Code area of the delivery address.
Service performance for the domestic transit of both inbound and
outbound single-piece First-Class Mail International is measured
through the International Mail Measurement System (IMMS), which is
operated by an external service performance measurement contractor.
IMMS utilizes only letter-shaped mail pieces, which is the
predominant shape of both outbound and inbound single-piece First-Class
Mail International. The processing of single-piece First-Class Mail
International--during either outbound transit from domestic origin to
the designated ISC or inbound transit from the designated ISC to the
domestic delivery address--is the same as for domestic single-piece
First-Class Mail letters and parcels, which are discussed above in
sections 3.2 and 3.5, respectively. The domestic transit service
standards are the same. Accordingly, the Postal Service will use
service performance data for domestic single-piece First-Class Mail
flats (EXFC) and parcels (Delivery Confirmation) as a proxy for
estimating the service performance for outbound and inbound single-
piece First-Class Mail International flats and inbound surface parcels.
4.1.1 ``Start-the-Clock''
To measure outbound single-piece First-Class Mail International
letters service performance, the external contractor arranges for
sample international pieces to be commingled with pieces created for
the domestic EXFC testing program, which is described above in section
3.2. The date and time that the test pieces are dropped into collection
boxes or business mail chutes is the ``start-the-clock'' event reported
by droppers directly to the independent contractor.
To test inbound single-piece First-Class Mail International letter
service performance, sample letters addressed to reporters in the
United States employed by the external contractor are mailed from
foreign countries by droppers also employed by the IMMS service
performance measurement contractor, which has worldwide operations. To
maintain the confidentiality of the program, the identities and
addresses of the reporters and droppers (as well as the participating
foreign countries of the droppers and receivers) are known only to the
contractor. The inbound ``start-the-clock'' tracking begins with the
date and time of the first Postal Service scan of the PLANET Code
barcode \15\ on a piece at the ISC that first handles the mail.
Mailpieces received at the designated ISC on a Sunday or holiday have a
``start-the-clock'' date of the next processing date.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\15\ The PLANET Code is a barcode printed on mail pieces by
mailers participating in the CONFIRM program. CONFIRM enables
mailers to receive detailed scan information about the pieces they
mail in order to track mail through the postal network. The PLANET
Code will be phased out by May 2010 and replaced by the IMb.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.1.2 ``Stop-the-Clock''
As an outbound international mail letter travels through the Postal
Service's mail processing system, the PLANET Code information on the
piece is captured and used to measure its progress. When the letter is
sorted at the designated ISC, it receives an ID tag and/or PLANET Code
scan. The ``stop-the-clock'' for an outbound mail piece is the date of
the last scan at this facility. The number of transit days for outbound
mail is the difference between the induction date and the last PLANET
Code read at the designated ISC. Because the ``stop-the-clock'' event
takes place at an ISC, as opposed to a delivery point, the transit days
calculation includes Sundays and holidays.
An inbound international mail letter flows through the USPS network
from the ISC to the delivery addresses. The ``stop-the-clock'' event
data for inbound mail pieces are the dates on which they are delivered
to reporters employed by the service measurement contractor. The
reporter is part of the EXFC survey group and is responsible for
receiving the mail and reporting the date of delivery. The number of
transit days for inbound test mail is the difference between the
delivery date and the date of the first PLANET Code read or ID tag at
the designated ISC. The service performance is calculated in the same
method as described in the Glossary.
Because the service standards for both outbound and inbound single-
piece First-Class Mail International flats and parcels are based on the
domestic transit of such mail, on-time performance is measured against
the same set of origin-destination 3-digit ZIP Code area service
standards as domestic First-Class Mail.
4.2 Reporting Single-Piece First-Class Mail International
4.2.1 Quarterly Reporting
Since not all postal administrative districts have sufficient
international volumes for statistically representative reporting, the
Postal Service reports international quarterly service performance at a
postal administrative area level. Each measurement includes the percent
delivered on time for outbound and for inbound single-piece First-Class
Mail International. All scores are weighted at the area level using
proportions derived from a rolling average of estimated volumes for 12
fiscal quarters.
The quarterly report format for Single-Piece First-Class Mail
International is as follows:
[[Page 36144]]
Table 7.--Quarterly Performance for Single-Piece International Mail;
Sample Quarterly Report Format for Single-Piece First-Class Mail
International
------------------------------------------------------------------------
% On-time % On-time
Area inbound outbound
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northeast Area........................ xx.x xx.x
New York Metro Area................... xx.x xx.x
Eastern Area.......................... xx.x xx.x
Capital Metro Area.................... xx.x xx.x
Southeast Area........................ xx.x xx.x
Great Lakes Area...................... xx.x xx.x
Western Area.......................... xx.x xx.x
Southwest Area........................ xx.x xx.x
Pacific Area.......................... xx.x xx.x
------------------------------------------------------------------------
National.......................... xx.x xx.x
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The service variance for Single-Piece First-Class Mail
International is reported separately as the percentage of mail that is
delivered within one-day, two-days, and three-days of the applicable
service standard. The quarterly report format is as follows:
Table 8.--Quarterly Performance for Single-Piece International Mail Service Variance; Sample Quarterly Report Format with the Service Variance for
Single-Piece First-Class Mail International
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Inbound Outbound
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Area Within + 1-day Within + 2-days Within + 3-days Within + 1-day Within + 2-days Within + 3-days
(percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent) (percent)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northeast Area.................................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
New York Metro Area............................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
Eastern Area...................................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
Capital Metro Area................................ xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
Southeast Area.................................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
Great Lakes Area.................................. xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
Western Area...................................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
Pacific Area...................................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National...................................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.2.2 Annual Reporting
The Postal Service's Annual Compliance Report includes the national
measure per fiscal year for the percentage of single-piece First-Class
Mail International delivered on time. Annual performance consists of a
weighted average that allots weight based on the volume of mail in each
of the nine postal administrative areas. If the data are not
representatively distributed, the weighting ensures that each area
counts for the appropriate portion of the national aggregate.
The Annual Compliance Report format for the Single-Piece First-
Class Mail International is as follows:
Table 9.--Annual Compliance Report; Sample Annual Report for Single-
Piece First-Class Mail International
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Target
Mail Class (percent) % on-time
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Single-Piece International Mail................. .......... ..........
First-Class Mail................................ xx.x xx.x
------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Standard Mail
5.1 Background
Standard Mail pieces represented 49.2 percent of the overall mail
volume in FY2007.\16\ At over 103 billion mail pieces, it has the
largest annual volume of any mail product. By shape, Standard Mail, is
61.1 percent letters, 38.3 percent flats, and 0.6 percent parcels.
Table 10--Standard Mail Volume below illustrates the make-up of
Standard Mail and illustrates the percentage that Standard Mail
letters, flats, and parcels represent in relation to the overall
mailstream. Different categories of Standard Mail have different
preparation and entry requirements for mailers and thus are measured
separately. Accordingly, this section has been separated into the
following sub-sections: Non-saturation letters, non-saturation flats,
saturation letters and flats, and parcels.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\16\ See http://www.usps.com/financials/_pdf/RDW_FY_2007.pdf.
[[Page 36145]]
Table 10.--Standard Mail Volume\1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Presort
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Letters Flats Parcels Total
(percent) (percent) (percent) (percent)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standard Mail............................... 61.1 38.3 0.6 100
Overall Mailstream.......................... 30.1 18.8 0.3 49.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For purposes of publication, the reference to Table 3 in the plan has been changed to Table 10.
5.2 Standard Mail Non-Saturation Letters
The primary induction method for Standard Mail non-saturation
letters is bulk entry. The Postal Service bases service performance
measurement on the documented arrival time at the postal facility where
the mail is accepted, and in-home IMb delivery scan data provided by
external reporters.
5.2.1 ``Start-the-Clock''
Full Service IMb mailers are required to prepare mail with IMb's
and submit electronic mailing documentation listing the IMb's used.
Mail is verified to ensure it meets preparation requirements. Mail that
does not meet mail preparation requirements is excluded from service
performance measurement. If a mailer decides to rework the mail so that
it meets preparation requirements or decides to pay additional postage,
the mail will be included in service performance measurement, but it
may have a new ``start-the-clock'' Day-0. Drop shipment mailers
schedule appointments for Standard Mail non-saturation letters in the
Postal Service's Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) system
for DBMC, DADC and DSCF drop shipments. The ``start-the-clock'' is the
documented arrival time at the Postal Service acceptance facility. For
mailers that meet the Full Service Intelligent Mail[supreg] Option,
mail arrival times and mail preparation quality information are made
available.
5.2.2 ``Stop-the-Clock''
External reporters are equipped with IMb scanners for recording the
``stop-the-clock'' delivery event for all mail they receive containing
an IMb and transmitting data to the external reporting system. By
comparing the date of the final postal mail processing scan with the
actual receipt date for these pieces, the external service performance
measurement contractor calculates a delivery factor for Standard Mail
letters. This delivery factor is combined with the mail processing data
for Full Service IMb Standard Mail letters that may not receive an
external reporter scan to determine the end-to-end service performance
measurement.
The use of external reporters allows for mail that is not exposed
to or that falls out of automation to be included in service
performance measurement. The external reporters provide the actual
``stop-the-clock'' on such pieces, and the external measurement
contractor calculates the service performance for those pieces that go
to the external reporters.
5.3 Standard Mail Non-Saturation Flats
The primary induction method for Standard flats is bulk entry. As
of May 2009, mailers of automation non-saturation flats will be
required to have a delivery point POSTNET or IMb. Also as of May 2009,
in order to qualify for the lowest automation prices, Full Service IMb
mailers will be required to apply an IMb on automation non-saturation
flats.
5.3.1 ``Start-the-Clock''
Full Service IMb mailers are required to submit electronic mailing
documentation listing the IMb's used. Mail is verified to ensure it
meets mail preparation criteria. Mail that does not meet mail
preparation standards is excluded from service performance measurement.
If a mailer decides to rework the mail so that it meets preparation
requirements or decides to pay additional postage, the mail will be
included in service performance measurement, but it may have a new
``start-the-clock'' Day-0. Drop shipment mailers create appointments
for Standard Mail flats in the Postal Service's Facility Access and
Shipment Tracking (FAST) system at DBMC, DADC and DSCF facilities. The
``start-the-clock'' is the documented arrival time at the Postal
Service acceptance facility. For mailers that meet the Full Service
Intelligent Mail[supreg] Option, mail arrival times and mail
preparation quality information are made available.
5.3.2 ``Stop-the-Clock''
External reporters are equipped with IMb scanners for use in
recording the ``stop-the-clock'' delivery event for individual mail
pieces that bear an IMb and transmitting data to the external reporting
system. By comparing the date of the final postal mail processing scan
with the receipt date for these pieces, the external service
measurement contractor can calculate a delivery factor for the service
performance of Standard Mail flats. This delivery factor is combined
with the mail processing data that may not receive an external reporter
scan to determine the end-to-endservice performance measurement for
Standard Mail flats.
5.4 Standard Mail Saturation Letters and Flats
For Standard Mail saturation letters and flats, the primary
induction method is Sectional Center Facility or Delivery Unit dropped
bundles and saturation trays. Due to the distinct characteristics of
saturation letters and flats, the Postal Service is proposing a
measurement approach specific to these mail types.
5.4.1 ``Start-the-Clock''
When required, Full Service IMb mailers submit electronic mailing
documentation listing the IMb's used. Mail is verified to ensure it
meets mail preparation criteria. Mail that does not meet mail
preparation standards is excluded from service performance measurement.
If a mailer decides to rework the mail so that it meets preparation
requirements or decides to pay additional postage, the mail will be
included in service performance measurement, but it may have a new
``start-the-clock'' Day-0. Drop shipment mailers create appointments
for Standard Mail in the Postal Service's FAST system at DBMC, DADC and
DSCF facilities providing advance notification of the mail profile and
arrival times. The ``start-the-clock'' is the documented arrival time
at the Postal Service acceptance facility. For mailers that meet the
requirements of the Full Service Intelligent Mail[supreg] Option, mail
arrival times and mail preparation quality information are made
available.
5.4.2 ``Stop-the-Clock''
As with non-saturation Standard Mail letters and flats, saturation
mail with IMb's is scanned by external reporters to
[[Page 36146]]
``stop-the-clock''. However, unique barcodes are not required on
saturation mail. The Postal Service will develop methods for external
reporters to capture the ``stop-the-clock,'' such as requiring training
for external reporters to identify saturation mail and have them report
delivery of such pieces without an IMb on the date of receipt. These
data will be sent to the external reporting system and will be the
``stop-the-clock'' for the individual mail pieces. The external service
measurement contractor calculates the service performance for the
pieces that go to the external reporters.
5.5 Standard Mail Parcels
Many Standard Mail parcel shippers choose to purchase special
services such as Delivery Confirmation for their mail. The Postal
Service performs service measurement on Standard Mail parcels that pass
verification and use Delivery Confirmation service. For reporting
purposes, results are calculated by the Postal Service then sent to the
external measurement contractor for inclusion into aggregate Standard
Mail results. Full Service implementation will include electronic
submission of postage statements and mailing documentation, unique
Intelligent Mail Package barcodes, unique Intelligent Mail Container
barcodes, and appointment scheduling for drop shipments at DBMC, DADC
and DSCF facilities. These requirements are separate from addressing,
presortation, containerization, or other specifications generally
governing price eligibility.
5.5.1 ``Start-the-Clock''
The ``start-the-clock'' for Standard Mail parcels is the documented
arrival time at the Postal Service facility.
5.5.2 ``Stop-the-Clock''
Postal personnel scan Delivery Confirmation barcodes upon delivery
of parcels for which Delivery Confirmation service has been purchased.
They can denote the delivery or attempted delivery, either of which
serves to ``stop-the-clock''.
5.6 Reporting for Standard Mail
5.6.1 Quarterly Reporting
Quarterly reporting for Standard Mail reflects performance by
postal district separately for destination entry mail and end-to-end
mail. Reporting destination entry mail and end-to-end mail separately
by service standard day significantly expands the number of performance
measures reported and the number of external reporters required. The
measurements provide ample detail to assess the quality of service
without becoming cost prohibitive for the Postal Service. The Postal
Service sends performance data for Standard Mail parcels to the
external service performance contractor for consolidated reporting
purposes.
The quarterly report format for Standard Mail is as follows:
Table 11.--Quarterly Performance for Standard Mail; Sample Quarterly Report Format for Standard Mail
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Destination entry End-to-end
District ---------------------------------------------
On-time (Percent) On-time (Percent)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capital Metro Area................................................ xx.x xx.x
Baltimore District................................................ xx.x xx.x
Capital District.................................................. xx.x xx.x
Greater South Carolina District................................... xx.x xx.x
Greensboro District............................................... xx.x xx.x
Mid-Carolinas District............................................ xx.x xx.x
No. Virginia District............................................. xx.x xx.x
Richmond District................................................. xx.x xx.x
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The service variance for Standard Mail pieces is reported
separately as the percentage of mail that is delivered within one-day,
two-days, and three-days of the applicable standard. The quarterly
report format for Standard Mail service variance is as follows:
Table 12.--Quarterly Performance for Standard Mail Service Variance; Sample Quarterly Report Format for Standard Mail Service Variance
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Destination entry End-to-end
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
District Within +1-day Within +2-days Within +3-days Within +1-day Within +2-days Within +3-days
(Percent) (Percent) (Percent) (Percent) (Percent) (Percent)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capital Metro Area................................ xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
Baltimore District................................ xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
Capital District.................................. xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
Greater South Carolina District................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
Greensboro District............................... xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
Mid-Carolinas District............................ xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
No. Virginia District............................. xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
Richmond District................................. xx.x xx.x xx xx.x xx.x xx.x
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 36147]]
5.6.2 Annual Reporting
The Postal Service reports a national aggregate measure per fiscal
year for the percentage of Standard Mail delivered on time. The Annual
Compliance Report includes letter, flat, and parcel-shaped Standard
Mail. It consists of a weighted average for each Standard Mail segment
that allots weight based on the volume of mail in each postal
administrative district. If the segments are not representatively
distributed, the weighting ensures that each district counts for the
appropriate portion of the national aggregate.
The Postal Service's Annual Compliance Report format for Standard
Mail is as follows:
Table 13.--Annual Compliance Report; Sample Annual Report Format for
Standard Mail
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Target Percent on-
Mail class (percent) time
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standard Mail.........................
Letters, Flats, and Parcels....... xx.x xx.x
------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 Periodicals
6.1 Background
Periodicals represented just over 4 percent of the overall mail
volume in FY2007,\17\ with 8.8 billion mail pieces. Periodicals consist
of letter- and flat-shaped pieces, most of which are destination-
dropped. The Postal Service uses the same interim service measurement
approach for both letters and flats, which relies on external reports
generated by Red Tag and DelTrak.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\17\ See http://www.usps.com/financials/_pdf/RPW_FY_2007.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.2 Periodicals Letters and Flats
All Periodicals are bulk entry or drop shipments, and the vast
majority of the volume is flats. Table 14--Periodicals Mail Volume
illustrates the make-up of Periodicals Mail. It also illustrates the
percentage that each Periodicals shape represents within the overall
mailstream.
Table 14.--Periodicals Mail Volume \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letters Flats Total
(Percent) (Percent) (Percent)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Periodicals.................................................. 1.5 98.5 100.0
Overall Mailstream........................................... 0.1 4.1 4.2
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For purposes of publication, the reference to Table 3 in the plan has been changed to Table 14.
6.2.1 Interim Approach
Until the Intelligent Mail system has sufficient Periodicals volume
using IMb's, the Postal Service uses two external systems, Red Tag and
DelTrak, to measure Periodicals service performance. The ``start-the-
clock'' for both external systems is the mailer-reported induction
time. For Red Tag and DelTrak, the ``stop-the-clock'' is the delivery
date reported online by the external reporters. These reporters are
mainly concentrated in postal administrative districts with high
population density. Due to the limited number of reporters
participating in these programs, data are only statistically valid for
the desired precision at a postal administrative area level.
6.3 Reporting for Periodicals
6.3.1 Quarterly Reporting
In FY2009, the Postal Service will use Red Tag and DelTrak data for
reporting at the area level on a quarterly basis. The data from both
systems will be provided to an external measurement contractor for
application of business rules and combining of the data for overall
performance reporting.
The Postal Service reports service performance at a postal
administrative area level in the interim until the volume of
Periodicals with IMb's and electronic mailing documentation is
sufficiently robust to provide statistically significant results at a
lower level of aggregation. As additional performance data become
available, the granularity will increase and may allow for reporting at
the district level.
The quarterly report format for Periodicals is as follows:
Table 15.--Quarterly Performance for Periodicals; Sample Quarterly
Report Format for Periodicals
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Area Percent on-time
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northeast Area......................................... xx.x
New York Metro Area.................................... xx.x
Eastern Area........................................... xx.x
Capital Metro Area..................................... xx.x
Southeast Area......................................... xx.x
Great Lakes Area....................................... xx.x
Western Area........................................... xx.x
Southwest Area......................................... xx.x
Pacific Area........................................... xx.x
------------------------------------------------------------------------
National........................................... xx.x
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The service variance for Periodicals is reported separately,
reflecting the percentage of mail that is delivered within one-day,
two-days, and three-days of the applicable standard. The quarterly
service variance report format for Periodicals is as follows:
[[Page 36148]]
Table 15.--Quarterly Performance for Periodicals Service Variance; Sample Quarterly Report Format With Service
Variance for Periodicals
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Within +1-day Within +2-days Within +3-days
Area (percent) (percent) (percent)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northeast Area............................................... xx.x xx.x xx.x
New York Metro Area.......................................... xx.x xx.x xx.x
Eastern Area................................................. xx.x xx.x xx.x
Capital Metro Area........................................... xx.x xx.x xx.x
Southeast Area............................................... xx.x xx.x xx.x
Great Lakes Area............................................. xx.x xx.x xx.x
Western Area................................................. xx.x xx.x xx.x
Southwest Area............................................... xx.x xx.x xx.x
Pacific Area................................................. xx.x xx.x xx.x
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National................................................. xx.x xx.x xx.x
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.3.2 Annual Reporting
The Postal Service reports national measures per fiscal year for
the percentage of Periodicals mail delivered on time.
Annual performance consists of a weighted average for each
Periodicals segment that allots weight based on the volume of mail in
each Area. If the data are not representatively distributed, the
weighting ensures that each Area counts for the appropriate portion of
the national aggregate.
The Postal Service's Annual Compliance Report format for
Periodicals Mail is as follows:
Table 16.--Annual Compliance Report; Sample Annual Report Format for
Periodicals
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Target Percent on-
Mail class (Percent) time
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Periodicals.................................
Letters, Flats, and Parcels............. xx.x xx.x
------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 Package Services
7.1 Background
Market-dominant Package Services products include single-piece
Parcel Post, Bound Printed Matter, Library Mail, and Media Mail.
Presort Package Services flat-shaped mail is mainly composed of
oversized catalogs, which are operationally handled the same as
Standard Mail flats. Accordingly, the Postal Service measures Presort
Package Services flats using the same approach as Standard Mail flats.
Package Services parcel-shaped mail represented less than 0.3
percent of overall mail volume in FY2007.\18\ Among Package Services
parcels, 14.5 percent are Retail and 85.5 percent are Presort.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\18\ See http://www.usps.com/financials/_pdf/RPW_FY_2007.pdf.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 17--Package Services Parcel-Shaped Mail Volume illustrates
the make-up of parcels by entry method. The table also illustrates the
percentage that market-dominant Package Services parcel-shaped mail
represents within the overall domestic mailstream.
Table 17.--Package Services Parcel-Shaped Mail Volume \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Retail Presort Total
(Percent) (Percent) (Percent)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Package Services (Parcel-shaped)............................. 14.5 85.5 100
Total Domestic Mailstream................................ 0.1 0.3 0.4
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ For purposes of publication, the reference to Table 5 in the plan has been changed to Table 17.
7.2 Retail Package Services
The Postal Service measures service performance for Package
Services Retail mail via Delivery Confirmation scans. Retail Package
Services parcels represent 14.5 percent of all Package Services
parcels, but less than 0.1 percent of the total mailstream. Delivery
Confirmation is included on 16 percent of such parcels, which
represents a significant volume.
7.2.1 ``Start-the-Clock''
The ``start-the-clock'' for Retail Package Services mail occurs at
the retail counter when the customer purchases Delivery Confirmation.
When retail personnel apply the Delivery Confirmation PS Form 152 to
parcels, they scan the Delivery Confirmation form barcode. The scans
are captured via either a POS or IRT terminal at the retail counter or
an Intelligent Mail handheld scanning device. Because the customer is
present at the ``start-the-clock'' event and receives a time-stamped
receipt with purchase, there are several validation points.
7.2.2 ``Stop-the-Clock''
Postal personnel scan the Delivery Confirmation barcodes upon
delivery or attempted delivery, either of which serves to ``stop-the-
clock''.
7.3 Presort Package Services
The Postal Service performs service measurement on presorted mail
that passes verification and uses Delivery Confirmation service or the
IMb. Service performance preparation requirements include electronic
submission of postage statements and mailing documentation (when
required), unique Intelligent Mail[supreg] Package barcodes or IMb's,
unique Intelligent Mail[supreg] Container barcodes, and appointment
scheduling for drop shipments at DBMC, DADC and DSCF facilities. These
requirements are separate from addressing, presortation,
[[Page 36149]]
containerization, or other requirements generally governing price
eligibility.
7.3.1 ``Start-the-Clock''
The ``start-the-clock'' for Presort Package Services is the
documented arrival time at the Postal Service acceptance facility. For
drop shipments at DBMC, DADC and DSCF facilities, the ``start-the-
clock'' event is based on the customer's documented appointment and the
driver-reported arrival time to the Postal Service, which are used to
determine when the mail is available for processing. For mail that is
presented at the BMEU, the arrival of the mailing is used as the
``start-the-clock'' as long as the mailing meets applicable preparation
and service measurement requirements. For mail that is presented at the
Delivery Unit, delivery confirmation or Intelligent Mail Container
barcode scan events are used to ``start-the-clock''. As with other
mailings that enter a postal facility loading dock area, the Postal
Service scans containers that have an Intelligent Mail Container
barcode or uses electronic documentation to validate mailer shipment
content and acceptance time.
7.3.2 ``Stop-the-Clock''
For Package Services parcels, postal personnel scan Delivery
Confirmation barcodes upon delivery or attempted delivery, either of
which serves to ``stop-the-clock'' for service performance measurement.
For flats, mail with IMb's is scanned by external reporters to record
``stop-the-clock'' delivery events and transmitted to the external
reporting system. By comparing the date of the final postal mail
processing scan with the delivery date for these pieces, the external
service measurement contractor can calculate a factor for the service
performance for Package Services flats. The delivery factor is combined
with the mail processing data that may not receive an external reporter
scan to determine the end-to-end service performance measurement for
Package Services flats.
7.4 Reporting for Package Services
7.4.1 Quarterly Reporting
The Postal Service reports quarterly on the percentage of mail that
is delivered on time. The quarterly report format for Package Services
parcels is as follows:
Table 18.--Quarterly Performance for Package Services; Sample Quarterly
Report Format With Service Variance for Package Services Parcels
------------------------------------------------------------------------
District Percent on-time
---------------------------------------------------------
Capital Metro Area...................... xx.x
Baltimore District...................... xx.x
Capital District........................ xx.x
Greater South Carolina District......... xx.x
Greensboro District..................... xx.x
Mid-Carolinas District.................. xx.x
No. Virginia District................... xx.x
Richmond District....................... xx.x
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The service variance for Package Services parcels is reported
separately as the percentage of mail that is delivered within one-day,
two-days, and three-days of the applicable standard. The quarterly
report format with the service variance for Package Services is as
follows:
Table 19.--Quarterly Performance for Package Services Service Variance; Sample Quarterly Report Format With
Service Variance for Package Services Parcels
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Within +1-day Within +2-days Within +3-days
(percent) (percent) (percent)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capital Metro Area........................................... xx.x xx.x xx.x
Baltimore District........................................... xx.x xx.x xx.x
Capital District............................................. xx.x xx.x xx.x
Greater South Carolina District.............................. xx.x xx.x xx.x
Greensboro District.......................................... xx.x xx.x xx.x
Mid-Carolinas District....................................... xx.x xx.x xx.x
No. Virginia District........................................ xx.x xx.x xx.x
Richmond District............................................ xx.x xx.x xx.x
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7.4.2 Annual Reporting
The Postal Service reports national measures per fiscal year for
the percentage of Package Services mail delivered on time.
The Postal Service's Annual Compliance Report format for Package
Services parcels is as follows:
Table 20.--Annual Compliance Report; Sample Annual Report Format for
Package Services
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Target Percent on-
Mail class (percent) time
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Package Services............................
Parcels................................. xx.x xx.x
------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 Special Services
8.1 Background
There are two categories of special services: Ancillary and stand-
alone. Ancillary special services are purchased in addition to the
postage applicable to First-Class Mail, Periodicals, Standard Mail, and
Package Services. These optional special services are varied in nature
and include Delivery Confirmation, Signature Confirmation, Certified
Mail, Electronic Return Receipt, Registered Mail, Collect on Delivery,
and Address Correction Service, among others. In contrast to ancillary
special services, stand-alone special services are not contingent on
sending or receiving a particular mail piece and include services such
as P.O. Box Service, CONFIRM, and Address List Services, among others.
8.2 Delivery Confirmation, Signature Confirmation, Certified Mail,
Registered Mail, Electronic Return Receipt, and Collect on Delivery
A principal feature of these special services is the electronic
provision of information by the Postal Service to the sender regarding
the delivery status of a particular mail piece. That information may
consist of confirmation that delivery was attempted, completed, or that
a copy of the recipient's signature was captured.
For a number of these services, delivery-related information is
generated by postal scanning of mail pieces at delivery units or during
delivery. Before the completion of daily
[[Page 36150]]
work shifts, postal personnel dock their portable handheld scanners, so
that delivery information pertinent to each scanned mail piece can be
transmitted to appropriate postal data systems. Handheld scanners allow
for signatures to be captured at delivery and transmitted with the
delivery information. Delivery information captured is then made
available to the purchaser of the special service.
The service measurement for Delivery Confirmation, Signature
Confirmation, Certified Mail, Registered Mail, electronic Return
Receipt, and Collect on Delivery uses data generated from delivery
event barcode scans to measure the time between when delivery
information is collected and when that information is made available to
the customer. When the delivery scan event is captured by the handheld
scanner, a time-stamp is associated with the scan, which is the
``start-the-clock''. When the scanning device is docked, the delivery
scan event information is transmitted through postal data systems to
the customer-accessible Track & Confirm page at http://www.usps.com,
the Postal Service public Web site. The posting time to the customer-
accessible Web site is the ``stop-the-clock''.
8.3 CONFIRM and Address Correction
The electronic provision of information by the Postal Service to
the mail piece sender is a key component for CONFIRM and automated
Address Correction services as well. CONFIRM scanning of mail and
identification of automated Address Correction of applicable mail
pieces are each performed passively by automated mail processing
equipment, which then transmits information to postal data systems.
Information from these systems is made available to the purchaser of
the special service.
The service measurement for both CONFIRM and automated Address
Correction uses the IMb on individual mail pieces. For CONFIRM, when
mail processing equipment scans a mail piece, the scan information is
transmitted to the CONFIRM system in near-real time and made available
to CONFIRM subscribers. The ``start-the-clock'' is the time stamp
associated with the scan. The ``stop-the-clock'' is the date and time
when data are made available to subscribers. For automated Address
Correction customers, scans are transmitted to the Address Correction
System (ACS) at preset intervals during the day and the corrected
address information is forwarded to customers who subscribe to the
service. The ``start-the-clock'' is the date and time when data is
transmitted to ACS. The ``stop-the-clock'' is the date and time when
data are forwarded to participants.
8.4 Post Office Box Service
Post Office Box service is internally measured using scanning
technology to compare the availability of mail delivered to a P.O. Box
section by the posted ``uptime''. The ``uptime'' is the posted time of
day when customers can expect to collect the mail from their P.O. Box.
A barcode in the P.O. Box section is scanned when the distribution of
mail is complete.
8.5 Insurance Claims Processing
The Postal Service's Customer Inquiry Claims Response System
(CICRS) is an application used to process indemnity claims when
domestic insured articles are lost or damaged in the mail. For domestic
claims, after the customer has submitted the appropriate claim form,
Postal Service employees verify completion of the form and submit it
for processing to the CICRS system. The claim is keyed into the system
and the data are uploaded for processing. For claims that are not
complete and that require additional information from the customer,
correspondence is mailed to the customer requesting the missing
information, with instructions regarding where to send the additional
information. Once all information is received by CICRS, the system
proceeds to the claims processing resolution phase. The date that all
information is available for claims processing resolution is the
``start-the-clock''. Depending on the value of the item lost or
damaged, the claim may be automatically paid or denied by the system or
sent for review by a postal insurance claims adjudicator or the Postal
Service Consumer Advocate. The adjudicator or Consumer Advocate decides
if the claim should be paid, denied, or closed. The date on which the
system, adjudicator, Consumer Advocate pays, denies, or closes the
claim and transmits a response to the customer is the ``stop-the-
clock''.
8.6 Postal Money Order Inquiry Processing
The Money Order Inquiry System (MOIS) is an application used to
process customer inquiries regarding Postal Money Orders they have
purchased. After the customer has completed PS Form 6401 and paid for
the inquiry service, Postal Service employees submit the form to a
centralized facility for processing. The inquiry is scanned into the
system and the data are uploaded for processing. MOIS verifies whether
the money order in question has been cashed by running the money order
number against a database of cashed money orders. The system generates
correspondence to the inquiring customer regarding the status of the
money order in question. The purchase of the inquiry service is the
``start-the-clock'' event. Transmission of a response to the customer
is the ``stop-the-clock'' event.
8.7 Address List Services
Address List Services are available to customers seeking correction
of the addresses or ZIP Codes on their mailing lists, or the sequencing
of their address cards. The Postal Service will use a system to record
``start-the-clock'' and ``stop-the-clock'' times for these services.
The ``start-the-clock'' event is the receipt of the address list or
address cards from the mailer at the delivery unit or the postal
district Address Management Systems office. The ``stop-the-clock''
event is the transmission of the corrected address information from the
delivery unit or district AMS office to the requestor.
8.8 Reporting
8.8.1 Quarterly Reporting
The Postal Service reports Delivery Confirmation, Signature
Confirmation, Certified Mail, Registered Mail, electronic Return
Receipt, and Collect on Delivery as an aggregate score on a quarterly
basis by district. The service performance for these special services
is aggregated, as they all use the same system to measure the time
elapsed from when the delivery information is captured by the Postal
Service until it is available to the customer. Post Office Box service
is also reported quarterly by district.
Since CONFIRM, automated Address Correction, Insurance Claims
Processing, Money Order Inquiry Processing, and Address List Services
each use a national or centralized system for providing the majority if
not all of each respective service, performance will be reported at a
national level. The Postal Service reports quarterly on the percentage
of those services that meet the service standard.
The quarterly report format for Special Services is as follows:
[[Page 36151]]
Table 21.--Quarterly Performance for Special Services; Sample Quarterly
Report Format for Special Services Reported at the District Level;
Sample Quarterly Report Format for Special Services Reported at the
District Level
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delivery Post office box
information service
special ----------------
District services
combined score
----------------- Percent on-time
Percent on-time
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capital Metro Area.................... xx.x xx.x
Baltimore District.................... xx.x xx.x
Capital District...................... xx.x xx.x
Greater South Carolina District....... xx.x xx.x
Greensboro District................... xx.x xx.x
Mid-Carolinas District................ xx.x xx.x
No. Virginia District................. xx.x xx.x
Richmond District..................... xx.x xx.x
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The quarterly report format for CONFIRM, automated Address
Correction, Insurance Claims Processing, Address List Services, and
Postal Money Order Inquiry Processing is as follows:
Table 22.--Sample Quarterly Report Format for Special Services Reported at the National Level
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CONFIRM Address Insurance Address List Money Order
----------------- Correction Claims Services Inquiry
----------------- Processing ---------------------------------
Percent on-time -----------------
Percent on-time Percent on-time Percent on-time Percent on-time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
National........................................................... xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x xx.x
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8.8.2 Annual Reporting
The Postal Service has developed a Special Services Index to
reflect an annual combined service measurement score per fiscal year
for Special Services. This index weights and aggregates various special
services so that all components are reflected appropriately and still
maintain distinctness. The Annual Compliance Report format for Special
Services is as follows:
Table 23.--Annual Compliance Report; Sample Annual Report Format for
Special Services Reported at the National Level
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Target Index
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Special Services...................... xxxx xxxx
------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 Appendix
9.1 Service Measurement Business Rules
The business rules for service performance measurement are intended
to maintain a clearly defined structure for and ensure the reliability
of the measurement system. The business rules are grouped into the four
subject areas below: ``Start-the-clock'', ``Stop-the-clock'', Special
Services, and Inclusions.
1 ``Start-the-Clock''
Generally, if the mail arrival time is before the CET, the ``start-
the-clock'' Day-0 will be the day of entry. If the day of entry is a
Sunday or holiday, the ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 will be the next
applicable acceptance day. If the mail arrival time is after the CET,
then the mail will have a ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 of the next
acceptance day for that facility. CET rules apply to mail entered at
retail and through bulk induction.
As mail entry processes and systems change over time, so too will
the methods by which the Postal Service will gather ``start-the-clock''
and ``stop-the-clock'' information. The following rules apply to
current entry scenarios.
1.1 Mail Entered at the Business Mail Entry Unit (BMEU)
1.1.1 Customer/Supplier Agreement
Bulk mailers subject to a Customer/Supplier Agreement may have
different acceptance windows than the established BMEU hours of
operation. Each Customer/Supplier Agreement will specify the applicable
``start-the-clock'' Day-0 window mutually established by the mailer and
the Postal Service. Mailers who require BMEU verification must work
within the posted BMEU hours of operation unless alternate arrangements
specified through Customer/Supplier Agreements.
1.1.2 Critical Entry Time
For mailers who deposit mail at a BMEU, the CET for specific
classes of mail is determined locally by the facility manager at the
Postal Service mail facility at which bulk entry will occur.
1.1.3 ``Start-the-Clock''
The ``start-the-clock'' event for mail deposited at a BMEU is
either the time the mailer arrives, as documented in PostalOne![supreg]
or when mailing verification is complete, depending on the
circumstances surrounding the mail entry. Mailer arrival time is
recorded by postal personnel in PostalOne! upon mailer arrival at the
BMEU. Mailing verification completion also is documented in the
PostalOne! system.
For mailers with a Customer/Supplier Agreement in place, the
``start-the-clock'' Day-0 will be the day of entry if the mailer
arrival time is prior to the latest acceptance time specified by the
Customer/Supplier Agreement. The ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 for mailers
that arrive after the latest acceptance time specified by their
Customer/Supplier Agreement is the day of entry if
[[Page 36152]]
verification is completed before the facility CET; otherwise, the
``start-the-clock'' Day-0 will be the following applicable acceptance
day.
For mailers without a Customer/Supplier Agreement in place, if the
mailer arrival time is prior to the facility CET for the class of mail,
the ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 will be the day of entry; otherwise, the
``start-the-clock'' Day-0 will be the following acceptance day.
If the mailing fails acceptance verification, the mailer will be
notified and presented with the option of fixing the mailing so that it
conforms to the preparation requirements associated with acceptance at
the requested price categories or paying additional postage based upon
the degree of preparation associated with the mail as presented. A new
``start-the-clock'' event may occur when mail that initially fails
verification is finally released for processing.
A decision tree illustrating the ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 for mail
deposited at a BMEU is depicted below [and identified as] Appendix
Figure 1--``Start-the-Clock'' Decision Tree for mail deposited at the
BMEU[.] [Appendix Figure 1 omitted for publication purposes, but can be
viewed on the Commission's Web site, http://www.prc.gov/prc-pages/daily-listing.]
1.2 ``Start-the-Clock''
Mail Deposited at a BMEU: Mailer has Customer/Supplier Agreement;
latest time of acceptance in agreement is 3 p.m.; verification start
time is 4:30 p.m.; verification complete time is 5:15 p.m.; hours of
Operation are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 is the
next day of acceptance. [Decision Tree omitted for publication
purposes, but can be viewed on Commission's Web site, http://www.prc.gov/prc-pages/daily-listing.]
1.3 Plant Load Using Postal Transportation
1.3.1 Critical Entry Time
The CET is determined locally by postal facility managers and is
documented in a Customer/Supplier Agreement.
1.3.2 ``Start-the-Clock''
The ``start-the-clock'' event for a plant load mailing using postal
transportation is based on the mail ready time as indicated by mailers
and verified by postal personnel in PostalOne![supreg]. Mailers
document that mail was ready within the acceptance window specified in
the Customer/Supplier Agreement and this is verified by postal
personnel. If the ``start-the-clock'' event occurs before the latest
acceptance time specified by the Customer/Supplier Agreement, the
``start-the-clock'' Day-0 will be the day of entry. If this activity
occurs after the latest acceptance time, the ``start-the-clock'' Day-0
will be the following acceptance day.
If a mailer with multiple dispatch events cannot identify what is
physically in each container or tray, the ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 for
all mail entered within the mailing period defined in the mailer's
electronic documentation will be based on the ``start-the-clock'' event
of the last truck dispatched.
1.4 Plant Load Using Mailer Transportation
1.4.1 Critical Entry Time
For plant load using mailer transportation, the CET for each class
is determined locally by postal facility managers.
1.4.2 ``Start-the-Clock''
For plant load using mailer transportation, the ``start-the-clock''
event will be defined in the mailer's Customer/Supplier Agreement. If
the ``start-the-clock'' event occurs before the latest acceptance time
specified by the Customer/Supplier Agreement, the ``start-the-clock''
Day-0 will be the day of entry. If this event occurs after the latest
acceptance time, the ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 will be the following
acceptance day.
1.5 Destinating Drop Shipment at Plants--Standard Letters and Flats
1.5.1 Critical Entry Time
The CET for destination-entered Standard Mail drop shipments is a
nationally standardized entry time documented in the Postal Service's
Mail Processing Operating Plan System (MPOPS) and made visible to the
mailers.
1.5.2 ``Start-the-Clock''
The ``start-the-clock'' event is documented in FAST at the
destination entry facility. For mailings that arrive at the scheduled
appointment time, the ``start-the-clock'' event is the driver-reported
arrival time. For mailings that arrive prior to the scheduled
appointment, the ``start-the-clock'' event is either the appointment
time or unload start time, whichever is earlier. For mailings that
arrive after the mailer-scheduled appointment time, the ``start-the-
clock'' event is the unload start time.
Mailings will be subject to the national CET. For mailings that
have a ``start-the-clock'' event prior to the CET, then Day-0 is day of
entry. For mailings that have a ``start-the-clock'' event after the
CET, then Day-0 is the next applicable acceptance day.
When a mailer schedules multi-stop appointments to drop mail at two
or more facilities using the same surface transportation vehicle and
mail arrives late at a downstream facility because of a delay caused
solely by the Postal Service, the following litmus test will be used to
determine ``start-the-clock'' Day-0. If the multi-stop appointment
schedule reflects consideration of inter-facility drive-times and
designated unload times for the category of mail and is on time at the
first appointment, the mailer will receive credit for on-time arrival
at downstream facilities and the ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 will be the
day of entry. If the mailer fails to adhere to these considerations in
making multi-stop appointments, the ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 will be
the next processing day.
The Postal Service encourages mailers to account for foreseeable
traffic and construction delays in scheduling all drop ship
appointments. Mailers who schedule the minimum time for transportation
and designated unload times run a higher risk of missing appointments
versus mailers who allow for traffic and construction delays.
Where available, a postal acceptance facility will use handheld
scanning devices or computer terminals located on the dock to record
the mailing's driver-reported arrival time. The FAST system uses these
arrival times. Otherwise, manual-entered appointment data will be used
to document the mailing's arrival time.
A decision tree illustrating the ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 for
destinating drop shipment at plants is depicted below [.] [and
identified as Appendix Figure 2--``Start-the-clock'' Decision Tree for
Destinating Drop Shipment at Plants.] [Appendix Figure 2 omitted for
publication purposes, but can be viewed on the Commission's Web site,
http://www.prc.gov/prc-pages/daily-listing.]
1.6 ``Start-the-Clock''
Drop Shipment at an SCF; mail received after appointment time: FAST
appointment at 12 p.m.; arrival 1 p.m.; CET is 4 p.m.; unload start
time is 1:30 p.m.; and ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 is the day of entry.
[Decision Tree omitted for publication, but can be viewed on the
Commission's Web site, http://www.prc.gov/prc-pages/daily-listing.]
1.7 Destinating Drop Shipment--Periodicals
1.7.1 Critical Entry Time
The CET for destination-entered Periodicals drop shipments is
determined locally by facility managers.
[[Page 36153]]
1.7.2 ``Start-the-Clock''
The ``start-the-clock'' rules for destination-entered Periodicals
drop shipments are the same as the rules for destinating drop shipment
at plants for Standard letters and flats, with one exception. For
destination-entered Periodicals, if the day of entry is a Sunday or
holiday, the ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 will be the day of entry.
1.8 Drop Shipment at the Delivery Unit
1.8.1 Critical Entry Time
The CET for drop shipment at a Delivery Unit is determined locally
by postal facility managers, documented in the Postal Service's
Facilities Database (FDB), and will be made visible to the mailers. A
Customer/Supplier Agreement may be established between a bulk mailer
and the Postal Service. In the case where a Customer/Supplier Agreement
exists, it is the responsibility of the mailer to enter mail in
compliance with the agreement.
1.8.2 ``Start-the-Clock''
The ``start-the-clock'' event at the delivery unit will be based on
the container acceptance scans generated by postal personnel via the
Intelligent Mail Data Acquisition System (IMDAS) scanner. When the
``start-the-clock'' event occurs at or before the CET, the ``start-the-
clock'' Day-0 will be the day of acceptance. If the ``start-the-clock''
event occurs after the CET, the ``start-the-clock'' Day-0 will be the
next applicable acceptance day.
2 ``Stop-the-Clock''
The ``stop-the-clock'' event for service measurement will be a scan
by an external reporter or postal personnel.
2.1 Final Scan by Postal Personnel
If a mail piece meeting the requirements for service performance
measurement also is subject to Delivery Confirmation service, postal
personnel will scan the Delivery Confirmation barcode on the piece at
delivery. The time of this scan will be the ``stop-the-clock'' for the
piece. In cases where multiple acceptable ``stop-the-clock'' events
take place, the first event assigned will ``stop-the-clock''. Any of
the following Delivery Confirmation scans may be a ``stop-the-clock''
event: Delivery; attempted delivery; forwarded; undeliverable-as-
addressed; refused; return to sender; dead mail; and arrival at pickup
point.
2.2 External Reporter ``Stop-the-Clock'' Scan
When an external reporter scans a mail piece, the time of the scan
will be the ``stop-the-clock'' for the external measurement contractor.
Reporters are required to scan mail on the day of receipt. Quality
control checks will verify process compliance.
2.3 Delivery Factor
The external measurement contractor will calculate delivery factors
and apply those factors to calculate service measurement for categories
of mail. The external measurement contractor will determine the
delivery factor for each district on a quarterly basis. Because the
following mail segments are processed differently by postal operations,
the delivery factor will be distinct for the following mail segments:
First-Class Mail and Standard Mail Presort Letters with DPS secondary
sort scans; Standard Mail Non-Carrier Route Flats (scanned on postal
mail processing equipment); Standard Mail Carrier Route Flats
(including saturation flats, scanned at delivery unit); Standard Mail
Letters without DPS scan; Standard Mail Saturation Flats (visually
identified by external reporters); and manual mail (mail that falls out
of automation or does not destinate in an automated zone).
If the delivery factor is not sufficiently precise for the mail
piece characteristics over the period of a fiscal quarter, an annual
factor will be used.
3 Special Services
3.1 Delivery Information Services
3.1.1 Delivery information from the following Special Services riding
on market-dominant products will be included in service measurement:
Delivery Confirmation, Signature Confirmation, Certified Mail,
electronic Return Receipt, Collect On Delivery, and Registered Mail.
3.1.2 ``Start-the-Clock'' and ``Stop-the-Clock''
The ``start-the-clock'' is the time-stamp associated to the
delivery event scan. The ``stop-the-clock'' is the posting of the
delivery information for customers via the customer-accessible Web
site. Delivery information services included in service measurement
must have both a recorded ``start-the-clock'' and ``stop-the-clock''.
3.2 CONFIRM and Automated Address Correction Service
3.2.1 ``Start-the-clock'' and ``Stop-the-Clock'' for CONFIRM
The time stamp associated with the mail processing equipment scan
is the ``start-the-clock''. The posting time of the scan information in
CONFIRM is the ``stop-the-clock''. CONFIRM scan information included in
service measurement must have both a recorded ``start-the-clock'' and
``stop-the-clock''.
3.2.2 ``Start-the-Clock'' and ``Stop-the-Clock'' for Automated Address
Correction
The date and time scans are transmitted to the ACS system is the
``start-the-clock''. The date and time information is forwarded to
subscribers is the ``stop-the-clock''. ACS scan information included in
service measurement must have both a recorded ``start-the-clock'' and
``stop-the-clock''.
3.2.3 Customers that choose to receive data outside of the service
standard will not be included in service measurement.
3.3 Post Office Box Service
3.3.1 Post Office Box service is internally measured using scanning
technology to compare the actual availability of the day's mail
delivered to a P.O. Box section to the posted ``uptime''. If there is
no daily scan from an office, the P.O. Box uptime for that office on
that day will be considered late for service measurement.
3.3.2 Contract postal units will not be included in service
measurement.
3.3.3 Sundays, postal holidays and other non-delivery days will not be
counted in measuring service standard compliance.
3.4 Insurance Claims Processing
3.4.1 ``Start-the-Clock'' and ``Stop-the-Clock''
The date that all information is available for claims processing
resolution is the ``start-the-clock''. The date on which either the
system or the adjudicator pays, denies, or closes the claim and sends a
response for the customer is the ``stop-the-clock''. Insurance claims
included in service measurement must have both a recorded ``start-the-
clock'' and ``stop-the-clock''.
3.4.2 Designated postal holidays will not be counted in measuring
service standard compliance.
3.5 Postal Money Order Inquiry Processing
3.5.1 ``Start-the-Clock'' and ``Stop-the-Clock''
The purchase of the inquiry service is the ``start-the-clock''
event. The response to the customer in the Money Order Inquiry System
(MOIS) is the ``stop-the-clock'' event. Money Order Inquiries included
in service measurement must have both a recorded ``start-the-clock''
and ``stop-the-clock''.
[[Page 36154]]
3.5.2 Money Order Inquiries with a start-the-clock date prior to the
Money Order issue date will not be included in service measurement.
3.5.3 Saturdays, Sundays, designated postal holidays, and other non-
delivery days will not be counted in measuring service standard
compliance.
3.5.4 Only fee-based Money Order Inquiries will be included in service
measurement.
3.6 Address List Service
3.6.1 ``Start-the-Clock'' and ``Stop-the-Clock''
The ``start-the-clock'' event is the receipt of the address list or
address cards from the mailer at the delivery unit or the postal
district Address Management Systems office. The ``stop-the-clock''
event is the transmission of the corrected address information from the
district AMS office to the requestor. Address List Service requests
included in service measurement must have both a recorded ``start-the-
clock'' and ``stop-the-clock''.
3.6.2 Saturdays, Sundays, designated postal holidays, and other non-
delivery days will not be counted in measuring service standard
compliance.
3.6.3 Requests received between November 16 and January 1 will not be
included in service measurement.\19\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\19\ The exclusion of the Nov 16-Jan 1 time frame for Address
List Services performance measurement conforms to the service
standard for this product published at 39 CFR 122.2(b). See 72
Federal Register 72231 (December 19, 2007). As explained at 72 FR
58963 (October 17, 2007), the surge of holiday mail volume places an
extraordinary demand on Postal Service personnel ordinarily
responsible for fulfilling Address List Services requests, making it
very difficult for them to fulfill such requests during this time
frame.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 Inclusions
For purposes of measuring end-to-end market-dominant bulk mail
service quality, only mail that is verified by the Postal Service as
satisfying mail preparation requirements associated with applicable
price categories, and complies with requirements of the Full Service
Intelligent Mail[supreg] option, will be included in service
measurement. Manual Mailing Evaluation Readability Lookup Instrument
(MERLIN) and automated verification results are methods used to verify
the mail.
4.1 Mailing Level Validation
When a bulk mailing does not pass a particular mail preparation
criterion in the verification process, no pieces from that mailing will
be included in service measurement (unless ``Next Day'' Day-0 can be
applied). When a mailing fails verification, the mailing will not be
included in service measurement until the mailer fixes the problem or
pays additional postage. After the mailer fixes the problem, the
mailing will be included in service measurement, although a new
``start-the-clock'' Day-0 may apply. If additional postage is needed,
the mailer may have to submit additional information in order for the
mailing to be included in service measurement.
4.2 Appointment Level Validation
Containers associated with an appointment with one of the
irregularities identified below will not be included in service
measurement.
1. Incorrect Entry Facility; and
2. Damaged Mail.
4.3 Container Level Validation
All pieces inducted at the correct destination facility based on
container preparation and that can be associated with an appointment
will not be included in service measurement per the scenarios below.
4.3.1 Scenario 1. Container inducted at the correct destination
facility based on container preparation, but not included on any
appointment: Pieces associated with that container will not be included
in service measurement.
4.3.2 Scenario 2. Container inducted at wrong destination facility
based on container preparation, but not included on any appointment:
Pieces associated with that container will not be included in service
measurement.
4.4 Piece Level Validation
Mail pieces identified with mail preparation quality issues by the
automated verification system will not be included in service
measurement. Piece level validations include: Barcode uniqueness;
barcode quality; un-manifested mail piece; address validity; address
hygiene (per Postal Service Publication 28); and presort accuracy.
4.5 Parcel Validation
Parcels destined for unique or 100 percent business 5-digit ZIP
Codes will not be included in service measurement.
4.6 Mailer Documentation Validation
Automated validations will be conducted to ensure the integrity of
the electronic documentation submitted by mailers and that it
accurately reflects the mail preparation requirements, price
eligibility and other physical characteristics of the mail to which it
pertains.
4.7 ZIP Codes
All active 3-digit ZIP Codes are included in Service Measurement,
with the following exceptions:
4.7.1 090-098, 340, and 962-966 are all APO/FPO (military) ZIP
Codes and fall outside of the capability of this measurement system.
The mail is processed in a manner that will not produce a final
automation scan that can serve as a reasonable proxy for delivery.
4.7.2 Mail destinating to 202-205, which are the Federal Agency ZIP
Code ranges in Washington, DC. All of this mail continues to be
processed through a complex process of treatment and surveillance prior
to delivery. There is no reliable means to measure actual service
performance.
4.7.3 005, 192, 375, 399, 459, 649, 733, 842 and 938 are unique 3-
digit ZIP Codes for IRS Processing Centers. Due to the unique
processing and flow of this mail, there is no means to provide service
measurement.
4.7.4 For purposes of service measurement, the origin for mail from
Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is the 3-
digit ZIP Code area in which the interstate/interterritorial gateway
processing facility for each state or territory is located. The
destination for mail to Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S.
Virgin Islands is the 3-digit ZIP Code area in which the interstate/
interterritorial gateway mail processing facility for each state or
territory is located.
4.7.5 509, 555, 821, 872, 885, 889, 901, and 942 are unique 3-digit
ZIP Codes for either large businesses or government agencies. Due to
the unique processing and flow of this mail, there is no means to
provide service measurement. 569 is a unique 3-digit ZIP Code that is
used only for a competitive product.
9.2 Implementation Status (June 2008)
The Postal Service will use a phased rollout of the service
performance measurement system, which will correspond with Full Service
Intelligent Mail[supreg] Option adoption. A significant adoption of
IMb's by Full Service mailers is expected after May 2009, when IMb-
based price incentives are expected to take effect, with progressively
higher levels of adoption thereafter. As more and varied mailers adopt
Full Service IMb's, the data available for service performance
measurement will become even more
[[Page 36155]]
robust and representative of the full population.\20\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\20\ Excluding Periodicals Mail.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some components of the measurement system are already in place. The
Postal Service will continue to use EXFC to measure single-piece First-
Class Mail letters and flats, as well as IMMS to measure single-piece
First-Class Mail International letters. EXFC and IMMS are specifically
designed to be representative of those mailstreams and already provide
an external, statistically valid performance measurement. Measurement
is also available for Package Services parcels entered at retail.\21\
The existing Delivery Confirmation performance reports for mail
originating at postal retail facilities can be used in the short-term
to measure the service performance of all Package Services.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\21\ Under Order No. 43, the PRC has classified inbound single-
piece surface parcels tendered at Universal Postal Union inward land
rates as a market-dominant product. This mail includes parcels,
which enter the United States via surface transportation at the New
Jersey International Bulk Mail Center, as well as surface airlift
parcels, which enter at the five International Service Centers in
Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York JFK, and San Francisco. Once
parcels clear U.S. Customs, they are transferred from the acceptance
facility to a Bulk Mail Center (BMC). Once entered into the BMC
network, inbound surface parcels undergo the same processing as
domestic single-piece Package Services parcels. Because the volume
of the inbound surface parcels is small in proportion to other
market-dominant categories, creating a separate measurement system
for these parcels is not cost-justified. Given that inbound surface
parcels are handled through the domestic BMC network, the Postal
Service will use the service performance measurement statistics for
corresponding domestic parcels as a reasonable proxy for
International Mail inbound surface parcels (at UPU rates).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Although use of the IMb will not be required on all automation mail
until May 2010, several mailers have already adopted the IMb and submit
electronic documentation. Pilot programs are currently underway for
measurement of Presort First-Class Mail and Standard Mail. Mailer
adoption rates are expected to continue growing since the lowest
automation price, Full-Service IMb, is expected to be implemented in
May 2009.
Toward the end of FY2008, selected external reporters will be
trained to use a new scanning device for in-home delivery reporting of
all mail received that contains an IMb. In FY2009, IMb and electronic
mailing information adoption will occur in sufficient quantity that
measurement based on scans generated by external reporters will provide
statistically valid measurements for service performance of Presort
First-Class Mail letters and Standard Mail.
For Periodicals mailers, adoption of IMb's and electronic mailing
information is projected to be slower. Measurements from DelTrak and
Red Tag, which are two external measurement systems, will be used
during FY2009 as the Postal Service transitions to a statistically
viable long-term solution using the same methodology explained above.
The following table provides an illustration of the measurement
timeline that the Postal Service will implement while long-term
measures are being developed and adopted.
Table 23.--Measurement Implementation Timeline
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FY2009 FY2010
------------------------------------------------------------------------
First-Class Mail Single-Piece EXFC.............. EXFC.
Letters and Flats.
First-Class Mail Presort Flats EXFC as Proxy..... EXFC as Proxy.
and Single-Piece International
Mail Flats.
Single-Piece First-Class Mail IMMS.............. IMMS.
International Letters.
First-Class Mail Presort Letters Pilot and Reporter Reporter + IMb/
+ IMb/Electronic Electronic
Mailing Mailing
Information. Information.
First-Class Mail Parcels and Retail and Presort Retail and Presort
International Mail Parcels \1\. Delivery Delivery
Confirmation. Confirmation.
Standard Mail Letters and Flats. Pilot and Reporter Reporter + IMb/
+ IMb/Electronic Electronic
Mailing Mailing
Information. Information.
Standard Mail Parcels \2\....... Delivery Delivery
Confirmation. Confirmation.
Periodicals Letters and Flats... Red Tag/DelTrak... Reporter + IMb/
Electronic
Mailing
Information.\3\
Package Services Parcels Retail and Presort Retail and Presort
(includes Bound Printed Matter, Delivery Delivery
Library Mail, Media Mail and Confirmation. Confirmation.
Parcel Post).
Special Services................ Internal Internal
Measurement. Measurement.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ First-Class Mail parcels will be rolled into the First-Class Mail
measurement based on percent of mail.
\2\ Standard Mail parcels will be rolled into the Standard Mail
measurement based on percent of mail.
\3\ The Postal Service may elect to have its external provider use data
from DelTrak or Red Tag even in future years, if it proves to increase
the overall robustness of the data and the statistical validity.
9.3 Modern Service Standards for Market Dominant Products
The following tables are provided as a reference for the modern
service standards.
Table 24.--Domestic Origin Entry Mail
------------------------------------------------------------------------
End-to-end flow
Mail class range (days)
\1\
------------------------------------------------------------------------
First-Class Mail....................................... 1-3
Periodicals............................................ 1-9
Standard Mail.......................................... 3-10
Package Services....................................... 2-8
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ See 72 FR 72216 (December 19, 2007) for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico,
Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands.
[[Page 36156]]
Table 25.--Domestic Destination Entry Mail \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
End-to-end flow range (days) \1\
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail Class DDU (days) SCF (days) ADC (days) BMC (days)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Periodicals................................................. 1 1 1-2 1-2 \2\
Standard Mail............................................... 2 3 ........... 5
Package Services............................................ 1 2 ........... 3
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ See 72 FR 72216 (December 19, 2007) for Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, and U.S. Virgin Islands.
\2\ Only applies to Periodicals receiving the DBMC Container rate.
Table 26.--Special Services
------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delivery Information Services:
Delivery Confirmation................. Availability of delivery
information within 24
hours.
Signature Confirmation
Certified Mail
Registered Mail \1\
Collect on Delivery
Electronic Return Request
CONFIRM................................... Availability of scan
information within 24
hours.
Address Correction Service (automated..... Availability of address
information within 24
hours.
P.O. Box Service.......................... Mail delivered by posted
P.O. Box uptime.
Insurance Claims Processing............... Claims processing within 30
calendar days.
Money Order Inquiry....................... Customer response within 15
business days.
Address List Services..................... Information within 15
business days.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Registered Mail includes domestic mail and inbound international
mail.
III. Trademarks
The following are among the trademarks owned by the United States
Postal Service: Certified MailTM, Click-N-Ship[supreg],
CONFIRM[supreg], Delivery ConfirmationTM, `1DMM[supreg],
Express Mail[supreg], FASTforward[supreg], First-Class Mail[supreg],
Intelligent Mail[supreg], MERLINTM, P.O. BoxTM,
Parcel Post[supreg], Parcel Select[supreg], PC Postage[supreg],
PLANET[supreg], PLANET Code[supreg], Post OfficeTM,
PostalOne![supreg], Postal ServiceTM, Priority Mail[supreg],
Registered MailTM, Signature ConfirmationTM,
Standard Mail[supreg], United States Postal Service[supreg], U.S.
MailTM, U.S. Postal Service[supreg], USPS[supreg], USPS
http://www.usps.com[supreg], ZIP+4[supreg], and ZIP CodeTM.
This is not a comprehensive list of all Postal Service trademarks.
IV. Ordering Paragraphs
It is Ordered:
1. Interested persons may submit written comments on any or all
aspects of the Postal Service's proposed service performance
measurement systems and reporting systems by no later than July 9,
2008.
2. The Secretary shall arrange for publication of this notice in
the Federal Register.
By the Commission.
Steven W. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. E8-14396 Filed 6-24-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-FW-P