Mailing Systems Technology - July/August 2008 - (Page 24)

Management Money Scrubbing mailing lists to reach intended recipients more quickly and at the lowest possible rates By Harry Stephens saving you P ostal rates are changing. Last year, First-Class rates went from 39¢ to 41¢ and will go up again to 42¢ in May. The cost for other types of business mail is also increasing, including rates on non-standard pieces like 9” x 12” envelopes, international mail and even the discounted rates for pre-sorted automated mailings. Although these increases are measured in pennies or less per item, for business mailers who regularly mail to thousands or even tens of thousands of customers, these pennies can add up fast. So what can mailers do to reduce costs? For decades, the USPS has been investing in more automation to process the mail faster with improved accuracy. While these are important beneﬁts, in order to take advantage of automation, mailpieces have to become more standardized so that addresses and barcodes are placed on the envelope or wrapper where the machines can read it as well as in a recognizable format for the machines to read. But if most standard-sized and properly addressed mailpieces can be sorted and directed more quickly by machines, then the odd-sized items, and those with questionable addresses, become the exception. They are sidetracked because they require special handling, which takes extra time and labor. The USPS has noted that undeliverable as addressed (UAA) mail must be forwarded, returned to the sender or treated as waste because addresses are incomplete, incorrect or out-of- date. These are all forms of special handling. The cost for processing UAA mail is more than $1 billion per year. To combat these costs, the USPS has been focusing on reducing UAA mail to cut this amount in half by 2012. Perfecting the System Since 2004, the USPS has taken a step-by-step approach to improving its internal systems, as well as setting tighter compliance standards for discounted automation postal rates. They are using incentives to implement the new policies, which includes the lowest possible rate for volume mailings, along with tougher requirements to qualify for those rates. Automated mail that is returned as “undeliverable” can be charged to the mailer at First-Class rates, either per item, or in some cases, for the whole mailing. Mailers who repeatedly fail to comply with the current standards can be ﬁned — which ultimately increases overall operating costs. But the USPS also works hard to help mailers meet automated requirements by oﬀering software tools to check, and often even correct, mailing lists before the labels are printed. On its own and working with other vendors, the USPS provides a variety of data and software programs that help mailers keep their lists up-to-date by drawing upon resources that include frequently updated municipal 911/Emergency address information as well as information that mail carriers can provide through familiarity with their delivery routes. Mail that is thoroughly “scrubbed” 24 JULY-AUGUST 2008 | WWW.MAILINGSYSTEMSTECHNOLOGY.COM http://www.mailingsystemstechnology.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Mailing Systems Technology - July/August 2008

Mailing Systems Technology - July/August 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Peer to Peer The Economics of Inkjet Addressing Virtual Mailstream Management Guarding Your Internal Documents Top It Off With Training Implementing Digital Mail Saving You Money Kate’s Slate Products & Services Advertiser Index Sho Time Who’s Who Company Profiles BCC Software BÖWE BELL + HOWELL Collins Ink Corporation Datatech SmartSoft Endicia Hasler, Inc. Kern, Inc. Kirk-Rudy Mail Quip, Inc. MCS, Inc. Melissa Data MidSouth Technologies, a NPI Company Neopost NPI Parascript Pitney Bowes Inc. Rena Systems Satori Software, Inc.

Mailing Systems Technology - July/August 2008

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