Plan Unveiled to Help Ensure a Viable Postal Service Future

“Ensuring a Viable Postal Service for America,” the Postal Service™ action plan for the next decade, describes a flexible, agile Postal Service that can adapt to America’s changing mailing habits and preferences. The Postal Service understands that to best serve the American people in 2020 and beyond, it must be leaner and more able to quickly respond to customer mailing and shipping needs. Earlier today Postmaster General John E. Potter addressed stakeholders to share plans and action steps to achieve that goal, including changes to delivery frequency, eliminating prepayment of retiree health benefits and expanding access to products and services.

This is a path to the future, a future where the Postal Service remains a vital driver of the American economy, an integral part of every American community and continues to deliver the greatest value of any comparable post in the world. If given the flexibility to respond to an evolving marketplace, the Postal Service will continue to be an integral part of the fabric of American life. For more information and to read the action plan please visit http://www.usps.com/strategicplanning/futurepostalservice.htm.

Plant Verified Drop Shipment (PVSD) webinar

The Postal Service™ continues to look at all areas of its business with an eye to becoming more efficient and cost effective. At the same time, our commitment to customer service remains a top priority.

With this commitment in mind, we invite customers to attend Plant Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS) webinars. These webinars, which have been offered over the past few weeks, touch on key steps in accepting drop-ship mailings.

If you have not yet attended a PVDS webinar, we offer the chance to take part in one this Thursday, March 4, beginning at 2:00 p.m. (EST). Join Pritha Mehra, vice president, Business Mail Entry and Payment Technologies, and Vincent DeVito, vice president, Controller, for a discussion on drop-ship mailing processes followed by a question and answer session.

Here’s how to attend the 90-minute webinar:

Audio only: Dial 1-877-512-0764, meeting ID: 7989790

Web conference with audio:

• Go to  http://meetingplace5.usps.gov/join.asp?7989790
• After the MeetingPlace window opens, click the phone icon (under the participant list or in the upper right-hand corner).
• Click connect me and validate your phone number, or update your phone number and click connect me again.
• When the MeetingPlace system calls you on your phone, press #1 to join the webinar.

Contact Pete Allen, manager, Business Customer Relations, at 202-268-2165 or e-mail william.a.allenjr@usps.gov if you have any questions.

Deflection Update

The Federal Register final rule on deflection standards will be effective June 7, 2010 (see our DMM Advisory on February 17, 2010). However, the implementation of postage consequences will be deferred until October 3, 2010.

A revised Federal Register final rule notice will be available on Postal Explorer on Monday, February 22, 2010.

Intelligent Mail Services Update

New Presentations: Three new educational presentations will be posted next week on RIBBS>Intelligent Mail Services>Education:

• IMb™ Basic Option
• How to Work with Your Mail Preparer
• Intelligent Mail: Initial Steps for Mailers

Beginner’s Overview: The updated Beginner’s Overview guide is being reviewed and will be posted next week at: RIBBS>Intelligent Mail Services>Guides & Specs.

PostalOne!® Release 24.0: The release notes for PostalOne! Release 24.0, scheduled for deployment March 14, 2010, are posted at: RIBBS>Intelligent Mail Services>Latest News>Important Links>PostalOne! Release Notes.

National Postal Forum: Save the date. The 2010 National Postal Forum is scheduled for April 11-14 in Nashville, Tenn.

Assistance: if you have any questions or problems accessing the Business Customer Gateway, your accounts, or submitting electronic documentation, please call the PostalOne! Help Desk at: 1-800-522-9085. The PostalOne! Help Desk is accessible from Canada at no charge.

Webinar – Bulk Mail and Drop-Ship Acceptance for 2010

The Postal Service™ continues to look at all areas of its business with an eye to becoming more efficient and cost effective. At the same time, our commitment to customer service remains a top priority.

With this in mind, over the past few weeks the Postal Service has invited customers to attend Plant Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS) webinars that touch on key steps in accepting drop-ship mailings.

If you have not yet attended a PVDS webinar, we are offering the chance to take part in one this Friday, February 19, beginning at 12:30 p.m. (EST). Join Steve Kearney, senior vice president, Customer Relations; Vincent DeVito, vice president, Controller; and Pritha Mehra, vice president, Business Mail Entry and Payment Technologies, for a discussion on drop-ship mailing processes followed by a question and answer session.

Here’s how to attend the 90-minute webinar:

Audio only:  Dial 1-877-512-0764, meeting ID: 2979650 .

Web conference with audio:

• Go to http://meetingplace5.usps.gov/join.asp?2979650.
• After the MeetingPlace window opens, click the phone icon (under the participant list or in the upper right-hand corner).
• Click connect me and validate your phone number, or update your phone number and click connect me again.
• When the MeetingPlace system calls you on your phone, press #1 to join the webinar.

Contact Pete Allen, manager, Business Customer Relations, at 202-268-2165 or e-mail william.a.allenjr@usps.gov if you have any questions.