Electronic Mail Improvement Reporting (eMIR) Bundle Breakage Blitz Results July 22 – August 5, 2005

2 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Bundle Breakage study conducted July 22 through August 5, 2005 Nationwide participation in blitz Sites utilized the electronic Mail Improvement Reporting (eMIR) program in PostalOne! to report processing issues Not all sites participated due to another national survey 2737 eMIR reports were submitted nationwide with 3296 issues reported 543 reports (20%) were APPS sites What We Did

3 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz eMIR closes communication gaps Operations, BMA, BSN, Customers PostalOne! collects Detailed report data, including pictures, to provide “actionable” information Data to provide historical view of issues by locations Bundle breakage an issue at all reporting sites 15 APPS sites 112 Non-APPS sites What We Learned

4 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Blitz Best Practices Increased utilization resulted in better data collection Better quantitative data Volume information determines extent of problem Better qualitative data Completion of all data collection fields results in more resolved reports Emphasis on preparer and container label information to help identify entry point of mail Pictures powerful in identifying & resolving issues

5 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Blitz Data Results Results not a national statistical sampling Do not represent entire network One third of processing facilities did not participate due to concurrent National required surveys Report volumes affected by Site size Resources Effect of problem

6 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Bundle / Package Issues Breakdown Label Barcode Strap/Band Shrinkwrap Plastic Rubber String Size Issue Overweight Other Error Problem Missing Strap Bands Package

7 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Shrinkwrap Broken at Seam Insufficient Strength Ripped Other -Sealed over address block/blocking out address -Doesn’t cover entire bundle -Loose fitting Identified Top Bundle Issues Conclusion: Shrink wrap accounts for over 28% of the problems but is used on less than 20% of bundles.

8 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Identified Top Bundle Issues Plastic Strap Slipped Off Broken Insufficient Amount Other -Covers address block -Too loose Conclusion: Plastic straps account for only 26% of the problems but are used on over 80% of bundles.

9 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Identified Top Bundle Issues Rubber Bands Slipped Off Broken Insufficient Amount String Slipped Off / Poorly Tied Conclusion: String and rubber bands account for 30% of the problems but are only used to secure approximately 10% of bundles.

10 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Identified Top Bundle Issues Other Bundle Issues Address/Optional Endorsement Line Obscured (APPS) Facing Slips -Covering Address (APPS) -Falling off bundles – causing sensor problems on APPS Presort Errors Conclusion: Address block obstruction is a problematic issue and will be addressed with the upcoming bundle address visibility final rule.

11 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Flat Problems by Mail Class Standard Flats80% Periodical Flats19% Flat Bundle Problem Analysis Flat Problems by Print Material Coated / Glossy Paper67% Uncoated Paper Stock18% Individual Polywrap5% Conclusion: Additional attention must be given to the securing methods on bundles with glossy pieces. Conclusion: The reported problems are approximately proportional to the volumes by class.

12 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Bundle Problems by Container Type Bundles on Pallets30% Bundles in Sacks33% Not Identified37% Flat Bundle Problem Analysis Conclusion: Bundles in sacks account for over 50% of the problems but only 19% of the flat volume.

13 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Reports by Customer Type BSN Managed Accounts1424 National Accounts (34%) Premier Accounts (66%) BMA Contacted Accounts1313 Total2737 Customer Report Breakdown Our largest customers contribute a little over 50% of the total reported problems Small mailers contribute to a large extent

14 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Identification of entry point of mail Company Imprints Integrate new technology Identification of preparer Need mailpiece ID Only 31% of reports identified preparer (up from 21% in prior blitz) Customer notification with multiple reports Identified Issues

15 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Develop field awareness processes that promote consistent reporting from facilities to insure accurate view of data –establishes preparation impact standards –establishes universal problem descriptors Action Items

16 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz BMA eMIR program enhancements (Fall 2005) Historical eMIR information prompts focused verification Additional verification for mailers with repeated eMIR issues Additional postage assessed eMIR response reports -national / area / district / facility views -performance reports Next Steps

17 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz Next Steps Customer Communications Share data with mailers at MTAC Proactive communication to our large volume mailers BME education programs -Presentations to Focus Groups, PCCs -Focus in BMA Days -Webcasts, telecons and handouts to BME personnel “Perfect Bundle” poster and brochure PostalOne! eMIR customer reports Mail Owner/Mail Preparer access to PostalOne! eMIR detailed reports now available

18 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz PostalOne! eMIR Customer Reports

19 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz PostalOne! eMIR Customer Reports - Aggregate

20 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz PostalOne! eMIR Customer Reports – Individual Listing BCSS Test Test Inc. eMIR Test Test Inc.

21 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz PostalOne! eMIR Customer Reports – Detailed Report

22 eMIR Bundle Breakage Blitz To get access to your eMIR reports through the PostalOne! Mail Owner View Apply online at usps.com → National & Premier Accounts → PostalOne! Contact our Customer Care Center at or Getting Access To PostalOne! eMIR Customer Reports

For questions on the Bundle Breakage Blitz, please contact: Bob Fisher at or Marc McCrery at For eMIR questions, please contact: Susan Redman at