ACS A Primer

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ACS A Primer
July 31, 2008
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Key Address Components

• USPS delivers to
• Over 126 million street or rural style addresses
• Over 20 million PO Box addresses
• USPS adds over 2 million addresses annually
• USPS converts over 390,000 addresses annually
  (E-911)

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America Is Growing On the Move

• 13.7 of all Americans move each year
• 41.1 million individual / family
  Change-of-Address (COA) filings
• 19.3 of all businesses move each year
• 2.3 million business COA filings
• 146 million delivery points in USPS database
• 1.8 million new addresses are added each year

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ACS debut

• In the mid-1980s, Address Change Service was
  developed to provide an enhancement to the manual
  address correction process. Where USPS was
  able, address corrections would be provided in an
  electronic environment, reducing USPS cost in
  providing and mailer cost in using address
  corrections.

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Traditional ACS

• The USPS assigns the mailer a Participant ID
  consisting of 7 alpha characters.
• The mailer completes a profile, choosing a class
  and mailpiece treatment option for each
  Participant ID.
• The mailer prints the Participant ID and optional
  keyline at the top of the address block.
• The mailer prints the requested ancillary service
  endorsement on each piece.

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Traditional ACS

• The Computerized Forwarding System (CFS) uses the
  Participant ID and optional keyline, class and
  ancillary service endorsement typed into the
  system by a clerk along with Change-of-Address
  records or reasons for nondelivery to determine
  the disposition of the mailpiece and produce ACS
  records.

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Postal Automated Redirection System (PARS)

• Delivery Barcode Sorters were modified with
  reading and labeling modules to allow them to be
  used to automate the processing of
  Undeliverable-As- Addressed (UAA) mail.
• 3 modes of operation Intercept, Carrier
  Identified, and Return to Sender (RTS, or UAA due
  to reasons other than a move)

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PARS ACS processing

• PARS can read Traditional ACS data, or extract
  the pertinent data from the Intelligent Mail
  barcode requesting ACS, read the postage and any
  on-piece ancillary endorsement, and combine that
  with any Change of Address or Nixie reason to
  create the correct mailpiece disposition and ACS
  records.

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PARS Intercept

• As mail is sorted on all USPS letter machines,
  there is the opportunity to withdraw the mail
  that has a COA filed against it.
• PARS uses the delivery point to begin the
  identification, then performs name matching.

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PARS Carrier Identified

• Mail that cannot be intercepted through the very
  strict matching rules is sorted normally on to
  the carrier/box section.
• The added confidence or correction provided when
  the employee sends the mail for UAA processing
  allows the mail to be processed in Carrier
  Identified mode.

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PARS RTS

• RTS takes the mail that Delivery has determined
  to be undeliverable for reasons other than a move
  and processes it based on the same mailpiece
  attributes it uses for forwarding. The result is
  not always return if the mailpiece requests
  disposal, PARS makes that decision.

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Forwarding Control System (FCS)

• Todays CFS software - very sophisticated
  software used on Flats Forwarding Terminals
  (FFTs) and non-Mechanized Terminals.
• The FFTs were upgraded in 2006 with scanners that
  allow CFS to process mailpieces bearing the
  Intelligent Mail barcode.
• FCS processes primarily flats and parcels.

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ACS availability

• PARS provides Traditional and OneCode ACS
  records for First-Class and Standard Mail
  automation letters
• FCS provides Traditional and OneCode ACS records
  for First-Class, Periodicals, and Standard Mail
  letters and flats.
• FCS also provides Traditional ACS records for
  Package Services flats and parcels.

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Mailers Decisions

• The mailer must decide
• If my mail cannot be delivered as addressed, how
  do I want the mailpiece treated?
• If my mailpiece cannot be delivered, do I want
  the address correction? Do I want the reason for
  nondelivery?
• If I want the new address or nondelivery reason,
  how do I want to receive it?
• How much do I want to pay for corrections?

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Mailpiece Disposition

• What do I want done with the mail?
• Forward where possible, return the rest?
• Dispose of all UAA?
• Dispose of all UAA that cannot be forwarded?
• Return everything?

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Address Corrections

• Do I want a hardcopy notice?
• Do I want electronic notices, but only of
  forwarding information?
• Do I want a hardcopy if electronic cannot be
  produced?
• Do I want electronic notices in addition to the
  return of the piece with a correction affixed?

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Control of the Mail

• The mailer controls the disposition of the mail
  and the creation of address corrections by
  correct use of required ancillary service
  endorsements and the ACS data applied to the
  mailpiece.
• Incorrect use may lead to unexpected results.

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ACS Record Content

• COA record contains the Move Effective Date, move
  type (Family, Individual, Business), parsed name
  - from the COA, not the mailpiece, parsed old and
  new address.
• Nixie record contains the Participant ID, the
  keyline, and the reason for nondelivery code.
• OneCode ACS records also contain the full 31
  characters of the Intelligent Mail barcode.
• Traditional and OneCode ACS records are different
  sizes for that reason.

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New Address Quality

• Because ACS data comes directly from the
  forwarding database, some percentage of those new
  addresses will not DPV confirm. The information
  provided on the record is the information we used
  for forwarding.
• COA data is corrected where possible through
  processes like LACSLink, Address Element
  Correction (AEC), AEC II, and the Electronic
  Unresolved Address Reporting System (eUARS).

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Nondelivery Codes

• USPS is required to provide a reason for
  nondelivery if the mail cannot be delivered or
  forwarded.
• ACS reasons for nondelivery are a subset of the
  total. The others cannot be automated and must
  be provided manually.

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Source of Nixie data

• Mail is determined to be undeliverable only by
  the clerk, carrier, or postmaster at the address
  on the mail.
• Each piece is marked with the reason for
  nondelivery and submitted to PARS or CFS for
  processing
• Nixie data does not come from a database. It is
  determined on each individual mailpiece.

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Nondelivery Codes
23
Undeliverable, but not a nixie ACS record
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Temporarily Away

• Legitimate reason for non-delivery
• Two ways to receive
• Either the customer has a temporary change of
  address on file
• The customer left mail on hold and did not return
  on schedule. Carrier/clerk not yet able to
  submit a MLNA/BCNO for permanent database entry

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OneCode ACS

• The Intelligent Mail barcode provided an
  opportunity to move from human or Optical
  Character reading in PARS and FCS to the more
  reliable and efficient use of barcode reading to
  provide mailpiece information during processing
  to the mailpiece handling decision and address
  correction production.

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Rates Effective May 12th, 2008
FREE!
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Why should I use OneCode ACS?

• Mailer 1 paid 66,595.68 for 1,109,928 ACS
  records in 2007. If they had been OneCode ACS,
  theyd have paid 12,505.10.
• Mailer 2 paid 80,701.14 for 1,345,019 ACS
  records in 2007. If they had been OneCode ACS
  theyd have paid 332.65.

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OneCode ACS Account Setup

• The USPS assigns a Mailer ID consisting of
  either 6 or 9 digits
• The mailer completes a profile, choosing a class
  and mailpiece treatment option for each MID.
  Crossing classes and ancillary services is
  possible, but should be discussed with ACS to
  anticipate any issues.
• The mailer prints the Intelligent Mail barcode,
  Sequence Number and Service Type ID to indicate
  the desired ancillary service.
• The mailer prints any required or desired
  ancillary service endorsement on each piece.

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ACS Account Approval (prior to mailing)

• Both Traditional and OneCode ACS mailers must
  submit samples to the ACS department for approval
  prior to account activation.
• Samples are reviewed for correct use and
  placement of ancillary service endorsements,
  PID/keyline or Mailer ID (MID) content, Service
  Type Identifier (STID) content, and barcode
  readability (OneCode ACS only).

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Record Fulfillment

• Address corrections are compiled by Participant
  ID/MID, posted to RIBBS (Traditional or OneCode)
  or mailed on CD (Traditional only).
• Mailer chooses daily, biweekly, weekly,
  bimonthly, or monthly fulfillments.
• Mailer logs into website manually or through a
  script or other automated process to collect data.

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Record Delivery on RIBBS

• Access is provided via a login and password by
  the customer account number, also known as a MEM
  number.
• MEM number is an umbrella account number for
  billing purposes, under which PIDs and MIDs can
  be grouped, by class.

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Fulfillments and Shipping Notices

• Each fulfillment data file is accompanied by a
  Shipping Notice file.
• The file format is available in the ACS
  technical guides.
• The Shipping Notice file provides the number and
  type of ACS records provided in the fulfillment
  file of the same date.

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Record Charge Calculations

• Traditional ACS records are provided at the
  Electronic rate 8 cents for First- Class and
  25 cents for all other classes
• OneCode ACS records are provided at the
  Automated rate, which applies to automated
  First-Class and Standard Mail letters only

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OneCode ACS Fees

• Automated fees for First-Class are free for the
  first two notices, 6 cents for each additional
• Automated fees for Standard Mail are 3 cents for
  the first two notices, 18 cents for each
  additional

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Counting OneCode ACS Records Scene 1

• John, Mary, Pete and Abigail Smith all move from
  123 Main Street and file a Family
  Change-of-Address Order (COA)
• 4 First-Class mailpieces are produced, one to
  each Smith
• Because the ACS record is created by the COA, 4
  Smith Family records are created.
• 2 are free, 2 are charged

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Counting OneCode ACS Records Scene 2

• John, Mary, Pete and Abigail Smith all move from
  123 Main Street and file a Family
  Change-of-Address Order (COA) for John and Mary,
  and Individual orders for Pete and Abigail.
• 4 First-Class mailpieces are produced, one to
  each Smith
• Because the ACS record is created by the COA, 2
  Smith Family records are created. 1 Pete record
  and 1 Abigail record are created.
• The first 2 Smith Family records are free, and
  each Pete and Abigail record is free.
• Similar mailpieces are mailed to the same old
  address the next week. The Smith Family records
  are 3 and 4, so they are charged. Petes and
  Abigails records are 2, so they are not
  charged.

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Counting OneCode ACS Records Scene 3

• Mailer creates 16 mailpieces to Bumble
  Incorporated to 16 different employees.
• Bumble Inc. has filed a single business
  Change-of-Address order.
• The first 2 Bumble Inc. ACS records are free,
  the other 14 records are not.

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Monthly Billing

• ACS is the only USPS product not paid for in
  advance.
• Each month, an invoice is sent to the PID/MID
  holder showing each fulfillment, the types of
  records fulfilled, and the amount due.
• Invoices are payable 30 days net
• Statements are also provided.

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Mailer Action on ACS records

• The mailer uses business rules and matching
  processes to apply the address corrections and
  reasons for nondelivery to his addresses.
• The mailer has an updated mailing list for the
  next mailing.
• If you do nothing, your mailing list degrades by
  1 ½ each month.

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For More Information

• Traditional ACS, please read USPS Pub 8a
• OneCode ACS, please read USPS Pub 8b
• Both are available on RIBBS at www.ribbs.usps.gov.
  Both links are on the left side menu.
• Also be sure to read DMM 507 for more
  information on the treatment of UAA mail.

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Other helpful URLs

• http//ribbs.usps.gov/files/Move_Update/MUP.html
•  
• http//ribbs.usps.gov/files/npfpresentations/
•  
• http//ribbs.usps.gov/files/NCOALINK/NCSC_PRESENTA
  TIONS/
•  
• http//ribbs.usps.gov/bestpractices.pdf
•  
• http//ribbs.usps.gov/brochures/taq/
•  
• http//ribbs.usps.gov/imsymposium.htm
•  
• http//ribbs.usps.gov/onecodesolution/
•  
• http//ribbs.usps.gov/onecodesolution/videos/video
  4.cfm
•  
• http//ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail.htm
•  
• http//ribbs.usps.gov/files/intelligent_mail_conta
  iner_barcode/imcontainerbarcode.htm

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Applications

• Applications and 1357-Ws for either service can
  be mailed, faxed, or scanned and emailed.
• Mail to ACS Department, USPS
• 6060 Primacy Pky Ste 201
• Memphis TN 38188-0001
• Fax to [phone]
• Email to acs_at_usps.gov

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• Thank you for your time and attention. I hope you
  found this presentation and discussion helpful.