Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) – Overview Presentation April 2011.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) – Overview Presentation April 2011

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 2 FAST Overview FAST Components FAST Business Overview Facilities Reports Mailer Rating FAST and Full-Service Registering for FAST / Scheduler Hierarchy Appointments

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 3 FAST Business Overview FAST Overview FAST Components Facilities Reports Mailer Rating FAST and Full-Service Registering for FAST / Scheduler Hierarchy Appointments

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) What is FAST? FAST is a system designed for business mailers to schedule appointments for entry of mail into postal facilities FAST accommodates both drop shipped and origin- entered mailings

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 5 Provide a single integrated customer service product visibility solution for all mail classes Simplify the scheduling process Encourage mailers to provide further information via electronic submission (online or Web Services) for drop shipments and Origin- Entered mailings Provide a complete profile of all mail inducted (mail classes and facilities) The FAST system was designed to: Overview/Benefits Eligible Mail Classes Drop Shipped Origin- Entered First-Class Standard Package Services Periodicals

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 6 Integrate with the Drop Ship Product Files to validate drop ship discounts with drop ship entry points Provide better knowledge to manage the capacity of a facility Encourage better performance for mailers (via mailer rating) Utilize mailer rating to provide greater access for appointment scheduling for “good” mailers Reduce the overall appointment wait times and dock efficiency time Streamline the mailers data maintenance process Report redirection of mailings The FAST system was designed to: Overview/Benefits

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 7 Scheduling an Appointment in FAST Methods of Scheduling an Appointment in FAST 1.Online – Access to FAST online is provided via the Business Customer Gateway. Access to the BCG is required for all appointment scheduling and management 2.Web Services - Provides the ability to submit electronic appointment management requests from mailers Supply Chain Management Systems with FAST using the Mail.XML Specification developed by IDEAlliance or Mail.dat 3.Phone Assistance – By calling the facility directly, the Area Coordinator may be able to schedule an appointment for the user Please note that this method of scheduling FAST appointments should only be done if the user has an extreme circumstance that impedes them from scheduling the appointment on their own

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 8 Web Services FAST Web Services A method of bi-directional communication between the Mailer and FAST “Messaging” concept that is built on open standards, such as Mail.XML (Extensible Markup Language) all managed by IDEAlliance o Allows an industry to define the communication XML standards within an industry Functionality used by corporations that are ready to move from online scheduling of appointments to electronic submission of appointments using Web Services

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) What is Mail.XML? Mail.XML is a method for submitting appointment and mail piece information directly to USPS Mail Owners / Mail Preparers submit tailored XML files directly to PostalOne! o PostalOne! then forwards these messages to the FAST system for processing o Messages containing logistics and content pass through the PostalOne! system Each Mail.XML submission consists of two parts o A request message: (sent by the Mail Owner / Mail Preparer) o A response message: (returned by USPS) indicating the outcome of the previously sent request o Every request submission has a response What is Mail.XML

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) What is Mail.XML? Partnership between USPS and Industry Dramatic change in technology  XML vs. fixed field database format  Internet, Web Services messaging (automated server to server communication) Change from manual processes to highly automated processes resulting in efficiency and cost avoidance. Broadening of scope from container based processes addressed by Mail.dat to full service support that includes advanced functionality What is Mail.XML (cont.)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Mail.XML Benefits Simpler, faster, easier change management model  Specification change does not impact each vertical Specification change with optional data fields does not impact every software Possibilities for Business to Business transactions requiring quick and automated decision making Standard Communication medium within an enterprise/company and within the industry Automated Conflict/Resolution Cost Avoidance through automation Mail.XML Benefits

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Mail.XML Summary What is Mail.XML™ ?  Message communication supporting Mail.dat Why do we need Mail.XML™ when we have Mail.dat?  Different business opportunities require different tools Will Mail.XML™ replace Mail.dat?  No Which should I use?  Evaluate your infrastructure and choose Where to Start  Visit IDEAlliance (www.idealliance.org) and USPS sites Mail.XML Summary

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 13 FAST Interfaces

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 14  PostalOne! – Mail.XML 6.0D/8.0B Interface – Mail.dat Recurring Content Updates – Scheduler ID/Scheduler Corp ID and Hierarchy Process – Acceptance Site and User to Finance Number Association (CSA) – Send Mail Direction File (MDF) and MDFv2  Customer Registration/eAdmin for external user authentication/permissions  FDB (Facilities Database) for facility information  ELLS (External Labeling List) for Label Lists, Default Drop Entry Points, and Address data (via AMS)  Active Directory for internal user authentication  eAccess for internal user permissions  SASP (Seamless Acceptance and Service Performance) to send appointment, container, and CSA data Key Interfaces

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 15  EDW (Enterprise Data Warehouse) for data warehousing  TIMES (Transportation Information Management Evaluation System) interface – Send Appointment Schedules – Retrieve Closeout and Unscheduled Arrivals – Incorporates interfaces to Surface Visibility (SV), TIMES Web, Yard Management System(YMS), Vehicle Tracking Analysis and Performance System (VTAPS) Key Interfaces (cont.)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 16 FAST Components FAST Business Overview Facilities Reports Mailer Rating FAST and Full-Service Appointments / Recurring Appointments Registering for FAST / Scheduler Hierarchy

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 17 Understanding Corporate/Scheduler Hierarchy Before beginning the FAST and/or CSA registration process, users should understand the differences between Corporate and Scheduler locations and roles. A Corporate location may have 1 to many users. However, these should be kept at a minimal. There will be 1 BSA per location per service (i.e. – 1 BSA for ABC Business Entity 2 Chicago/FAST, 1 BSA for ABC Business Entity 2 Chicago/CSA). These BSAs could however be the same person. There may be 1 to many users associated to a scheduler location. 1 user may be associated to more than 1 location.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Registering for FAST / Scheduler Hierarchy Allows users to register for FAST, CSAs and other services Access to view/manage their Profile information All users interested in scheduling appointments and using the FAST system must get access through the Business Customer Gateway. CRID – ID associated to a customer and a business name at an address Business Service Administrators (BSAs) is the primary point of contact (displayed in the Scheduler Profile) Business Customer Gateway:

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Registering for FAST / Scheduler Hierarchy To initiate the customer registration process, new FAST users must access the BCG by navigating to www.usps.com and selecting the Business Customer Gateway hyperlink on the bottom right cornerwww.usps.com Users requesting FAST Access MUST select the “Business” account type The Business Profile page: o Allows users to create a company profile (Contact Information, Company Information o Allows users to affiliate to an existing business entity, user must enter the company CRID o The Select Business Locations page: o Allows users to click the checkbox(es) to select existing business locations or add additional ones not listed BCG New Users

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Registering for FAST / Scheduler Hierarchy When a user requests access at a business location, the system verifies whether or not that service requires a BSA The BSA is the key contact for the management of the selected service and approver of the request When registering for FAST service in the BCG: If there is already a BSA the user will bypass the BSA registration process If there is not already a BSA, the registration process will continue If the user declines the BSA process, the service request will go into pending status until a BSA is designated for the service, the request is held for 10 days Role of the Business Service Administrator (BSA)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Registering for FAST / Scheduler Hierarchy Upon accepting the BSA privilege, the Apply for BSA FAST Service page displays and the user may: Select the Locate Corporation button, this associates the user to an existing corporation in FAST -Or- Select the Create Corporation button, this allows the user’s company to serve as the headquarters/corporate office in FAST Applying for BSA FAST Service

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Registering for FAST / Scheduler Hierarchy BCG Existing Users Existing non BSA users may: o View their profile o Request access to business services o View request approval status o Directly access services Existing BSA users may: o View their profile o Request access to business services o View request approval status o Directly access services o Check the inbox for status requests o Manage user access

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Business Customer Gateway/eAdmin Support Business Customer Gateway/eAdmin Resources: Available on the FAST website Users can navigate to Resources > Reference Documents: o Customer Job Aids: –Business Customer Gateway Introduction – Dock Handout –Business Customer Gateway– New Users –Business Customer Gateway– Existing Users Remedy tickets should be assigned to HQ_CUSTGATE_EADMIN_SUPP

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 24 Profiles Profiles Module in FAST Accessible once the user has created a FAST profile through the BCG Displays customer scheduler and corporate information Provides the ability search for customer information by Corporate Name/ID and Scheduler Name/ID (Internal Users) The Corporate and Scheduler Information is displayed based on the users customer permissions (CRID)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 25 Profiles FAST Profiles Allows the user to update any necessary information Grants the user access the Scheduler Profile Scheduler Profile Manage Publications Manage Preferred Mail Owners and Mail Preparers

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 26 FAST Components FAST Business Overview Facilities Reports Mailer Rating FAST and Full-Service Appointments / Recurring Appointments

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) FAST Components Appointment Management: o Provides the capacity to manage drop ship appointments Recurring Appointment Management: o Provides the capacity to manage drop ship recurring appointments Facility Management: o Provides the capacity to manage facility level information Profile Management: o Displays drop shipment customer information from Customer Registration

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) FAST Components Reports: o Provides visibility to various reports for USPS and customers Resources: o Contains reference documents and additional resources for users to access (e.g., FAST Web Based Training, Job Aids) FAST Origin Entry: o Provides the capability to manage the Origin Entry modules (similar to the functionality for FAST drop ship)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) FAST Components Test Environment for Mailers (TEM): o Provides a testing environment for mailers who will be participating in Full-Service o TEM provides mailers with a way to test appointment scheduling via Mail.XML Customer / Supplier Agreements (CSAs): o Provides External CSA users the capability to view CSAs o Provides Internal CSA users the capability to view/manage and create CSAs Administration Console (Internal Admin Users Only): o Provides Internal Admin users the capability to post messages on the FAST message board and manage the Scheduler Hierarchy Drop Entry Point System (Internal DEPS Users Only): o Provides Internal DEPS users the ability to view/create/manage Facility redirections

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 30 FAST Business Overview Facilities Reports Mailer Rating FAST and Full-Service Appointments / Recurring Appointments

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Ways of Creating Appointments with FAST Creation Process Frequency Method Used Ways to Update Single-entity One-time FAST Online Mail.XML FAST Online (only to cancel the appointment) Mail.XML Recurring FAST Online Mail.XML FAST Online (only to cancel the appointment) Mail.XML Mail.dat transportation updates Joint Scheduling One-time FAST Online Mail.XML FAST Online (only to cancel the appointment) Mail.XML Recurring FAST Online Mail.XML FAST Online (only to cancel the appointment) Mail.XML Mail.dat transportation updates

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) FAST Online Access to the FAST Website is granted through the Business Customer Gateway o Once the user logs into the BCG, they may select the “Schedule a Mailing Appointment (FAST)” hyperlink to navigate to the FAST webpage

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 33 Appointments – Key Capabilities The FAST appointment scheduling system can be used to: Create/Manage one time Appointments Create/Manage Stand-Alone Content Allow collaboration by multiple process owners to provide advanced notification for one appointment via the Joint Scheduling functionality Provide SV/TIMES/VTAPS/YMS with appointment scheduling data that can be utilized at induction Consolidates all closeout information and rates the appointments (Drop Ship Only)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 34 Appointment Scheduling – Key Capabilities A One-Time Appointment is an appointment that occurs on a one-time basis or when necessary In FAST, an Appointment = Logistics + Content o Logistics: Facility Information, Appointment Date/Time o Content: Mail Class, Mail Shape In FAST, Appointments may be scheduled by a single entity or jointly o Single Entity: One business provides the logistics and content details o Joint Scheduling: different business entities provide logistics and content information for the appointment FAST Appointments:

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 35 Can be done in Web Services and within the FAST online application for one-time and recurring appointments Provides a repository of planned vs. actual mail induction information Creates visibility into mail preparation for the benefit of all parties Allows for advanced notification of content and transportation changes Joint Scheduling Capabilities FAST provides joint scheduling capabilities which enables the sharing of information on mail preparation and transportation across all partners to help drive efficiencies throughout the appointment process. Publisher Printer Consolidator Logistics Provider Postal Service Visibility: Planned Induction Times Planned Induction Times Actual Induction Times Actual Induction Times Planned Content Information Planned Content Information Actual Content Information Actual Content Information Recipient FAST

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Joint Scheduling in FAST Creation Process FrequencyMethod UsedWays to Update Joint scheduling FAST allows more than one business entity the ability to provide logistics and content information for an appointment FAST roles for joint scheduling entities: o Mail Owner: the party with items to be mailed who is ultimately in charge of the mailing o Mail Preparer: the party in charge of preparing the mailings/shipments for the Mail Owner, example: addressing the material to be mailed and preparing it on pallets o In some cases this may also be a consolidator, combining shipments from multiple mail owners for delivery to the USPS o Scheduler: the logistics provider, who plans trailer load and date/time of arrival at a specific USPS facility

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Joint Scheduling Data Security and Visibility The Scheduler may view and manage all aspects of an appointment (logistics and content information) The Mail Owner or Mail Preparer may only view or update their own content information In a co-mailing scenario: o Only the mail preparer may view and update the content information o Separate mail owners may view content information but are not permitted to see the other mail owners’ content Mail Owners/Mail Preparers can view appointment closeout times for appointments

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Joint Scheduling Roles & the Appointment Creation Process Logistics information (facility, date, time) o Managed by Scheduler Content information o Managed by Mail Owner – Or – o Mail Owner may delegate to Mail Preparer or Scheduler Note: One entity may play multiple roles for appointment management

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) The Delivery Process Mail Scheduler’s Truck Containing pallets of mail for multiple mail owners Pallet 7 – Mail Owner A Pallets 8, 9 – Mail Owner B Pallets 1 - 6 – Mail Owner C Scheduler can manage all logistics Mail Owner A can manage content only for Pallet 7

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 40 Joint Scheduling Scenario #1 Scenario 1: Consolidator (Prepares and Transports Mail); Recurring Frequency Appointment Scheduling:  Company A prepares and transports mail to the New York SCF every Friday at 2PM  Company B has mail that needs to go to New York SCF every Friday  Company B works with Company A to have their mail prepared and transported by Company A every Friday In this scenario:  Company A creates a recurring appointment and adds Company B’s content information to the recurring appointment (identifying Company B as the Mail Owner)  Company B electronically sends Company A the content of the mailing  Company A prints, prepares and transports the mail every Friday at 2PM to the New York SCF Roles:  Scheduler: Company A  Mail Owner: Company B  Mail Preparer: Company A Note:  Since Company A identified Company B as the Mail Owner of the content, Company B will have visibility into the logistics, closeout and content information (for only their specified content).

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 41 Joint Scheduling Scenario #2 Scenario 2: Logistics provider (Transports mail); Recurring Frequency Appointment Scheduling:  Company A transports mail to New York SCF every Friday at 2PM  Company B and Company C both have mail that needs to go to New York SCF every Friday  Company B and Company C work with Company A to have their mail transported by Company A every Friday In this scenario:  Company A creates a recurring appointment shell and communicates the recurring appointment sequence ID (i.e. 12345) to Company B and Company C  Company B and Company C both add their content information to the recurring appointment shell  Company B and Company C prepare the mail weekly and stage it for pickup by Company A  Company A picks up the mail and drops it off at New York SCF every Friday at 2PM Roles:  Scheduler: Company A  Mail Owners: Company B and Company C  Mail Preparers: Company B and Company C Note:  If there is a major fluctuation in content for a particular day, the mail owner/mail preparer (Company B and Company C) should update their content information for that particular appointment instance.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 42 Joint Scheduling Scenario #3 Scenario 3: Logistics provider (Prepares and Transport mail); Ad-hoc Mailing Appointment Scheduling:  Company A has an ad-hoc mailing for next Friday  Company A will print and prepare the mail  Company B will transport the mail In This Scenario:  Scheduling Model – One-Time Appointment Model 1.Company A creates a stand-alone content and associates it to Company B (Company B receives an email notifying them of the stand-alone content creation). 2.Company B creates a one-time appointment (logistics information only) for next Friday and associates the stand alone content created by Company A. 3.Company A prints and prepares the mail and stages it for pickup by Company B. 4.Company B transports the mail. Roles:  Scheduler: Company B  Mail Owner: Company A  Mail Preparer: Company A

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 43 Appointment Scheduling – Key Data Elements The FAST appointment scheduling process collects the following information: Scheduled Appointment Date/Time o Facility Information (source: FDB, AMS, FAST Facility Constraints) Customer Information (source: CustReg) o Scheduler of the Appointment o Mail Preparer/Mail Owner Content Information (Stand-Alone or directly linked to an appointment) o Mail Class (Standard, Periodicals, etc) o Mail Shape/Processing Category (Letters, Flats, etc) o Presort Information (e.g. Mixed ADC) * o Container Information (IMCB) * * Web Services Appointments Only

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Online Appointment Shells – Key Capabilities An Appointment Shell without its associated content is not recognized as an appointment at a Facility o The mail will be inducted under an Unscheduled Trip and will be unloaded when operationally feasible Automatic Cancellation Policy: Appointment Shells reserve facility slots and volume and are automatically cancelled if no content is associated to the appointment o Standard/Package Services One-Time Drop Ship Shells: must have at least one associated content 24hrs prior to the scheduled appointment date/time o Pure Periodicals One-Time Drop Ship Shells: must have at least one associated content one hour prior to the scheduled appointment date/time FAST Appointment Shells:

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Online Appointment Shells – Key Capabilities (cont.) Cancellation by FAST will result in an appointment rating impact for Standard or Package Services Appointment Shells Cancellation of these Appointment Shells will result in an appointment exemption rating of 50 points Pure periodicals Appointment Shells are exempt from rating FAST Appointment Shells - Rating Impacts:

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Creating a One-Time Appointment through the FAST online application To create a One-Time Appointment online, FAST users must: o Select a USPS facility o Select the mail class (First-Class, Standard, Package Services or Periodicals) o Select the available appointment date and time o Provide content information (mail shape, # of pieces, etc.) Appointment can be created up to 14 days in the future o Appointment must be created at least 1 hour prior to the appointment date/time Creation Process FrequencyMethod UsedWays to Update Single-entityOne-timeFAST Online

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Updating a One-Time Appointment through the FAST online application The user can search for an existing appointment by: o Appointment ID o Scheduler ID o Facility or o CRID Through the online FAST applications, user can: o Edit the logistics information o Edit/Add content o Cancel the appointment Appointment can be updated or cancelled up to 1 hour prior to the appointment date/time Creation Process Frequency Method Used Ways to Update Single-entityOne-timeFAST Online

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 48 Appointment Scheduling – High Level Information The FAST appointment scheduling process collects the following information: Scheduled Appointment Date/Time o Facility Information (source: FDB, AMS, FAST Facility Constraints) Facility Information (source: FDB, AMS, FAST Facility Constraints) Customer Information (source: CustReg) o Scheduler of the Appointment o Mail Preparer/Mail Owner

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 49 Appointment Scheduling – Key Business Rules Entry Points and Appointment Type Validation Entry Point Validations (source: ELLS, FAST DEPS) o Ensures the mail is dropped at the correct location o Based on default drop entry point information from ELLS and redirection information from the FAST DEPS module o Example: Facility A redirects Standard Letters to Facility B Appointment Type to Pallet/Bedload Combinations o Validates the appointment type matches the content of the appointment o Example: A Speedline Appointment cannot have bedloaded content

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 50 Appointments – Key Business Rules II Mail Shape and In-Home Dates Mail Shape (Processing Category) to Handling Unit Validations o Ensures the correct Handling Unit is chosen for a Mail Shape o Example: Letters cannot be put in Parcels In Home Start Dates o A warning message is generated when an In-Home start date for Standard Mail cannot be met o Rules on delivery will differ based on NDC vs. P&DC/Annex

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 51 Appointments – Key Business Rules III Volume Availability Take the Count of Pallets or Bedloaded Units, Mail Shape, and Handling Unit to determine an estimated piece count The volume is deducted (create/update) or added (cancellation) to facility constraints If volume is not available, an appointment transaction may be rejected Used for Standard, Package Services, or Mixed Mail Classes Does not apply to Origin Entry or Pure Periodicals/Pure Perishable Drop Shipments

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 52 Appointments – Key Business Rules IV Slot Availability Hours of Operations (source: FDB) o Used for Origin Entry Appointments, Pure Periodicals/Pure Perishable Drop Shipments to determine when appointments can be made Drop Ship Receiving Hours and Early Bird Hours (source: FDB) o Used for Drop Ship Appointments at Delivery Units Facility Constraints (source: FAST Facility Constraints) o Used to Standard, Package Services, and Mixed Mail Class Drop Shipments o Managed in the FAST Facility Constraints module o Slot constraints are allocated to “tiers” that are determined by the corporate rating process

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Online Appointment Shells An Appointment Shell is the logistics portion of an appointment Appointment = Logistics + Content The FAST online system allows the transportation providers the capability to create Appointment Shells via the Appointments module This capability should be leveraged by the transportation provider once they have agreed with the Mail Owners/Mail Preparers that they are responsible for adding content to the Appointment Shell at a later time FAST Appointment Shells:

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Drop Ship vs. Origin Entry Appointments Origin Entry Appointments Mail Classes: First-Class, Standard, Package Services, Periodicals 5 days to finalize and closeout an appointment No volume constraints Appointments are Not Rated 54 Drop Ship Appointments Mail Classes: Standard, Package Services, Periodicals 12 days to finalize and closeout an appointment Volume constraints (except Pure Periodicals/Perishables) Appointments are Rated (except Pure Periodicals/Perishables)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Drop Ship vs. Origin Entry Appointments (cont.) Origin Entry Appointments Can include First-Class mail Does not perform Drop Entry Point validation Appointments can be scheduled in 10 minute intervals Use Hours of Operation for availability 55 Drop Ship Appointments Does not have First-Class mail Performs Drop Entry Point Validation Appointments are scheduled by the hour Use Slots for Standard, Package Services, Mixed class availability – Use Hours of Operation for Pure Periodicals/Perishables

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Periodicals in FAST 56 Periodicals in FAST Pure Periodicals appointments in FAST are automatically approved Volume availability is not affected by content that is pure Periodicals For Pure Periodicals, the appointment slot availability is displayed for all hours a facility is open and staffed Pure Periodical appointments are always exempt from appointment and corporate rating Pure Periodicals appointment shells are exempt from rating

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 57 FAST Business Overview Facilities Reports Mailer Rating FAST and Full-Service Appointments / Recurring Appointments

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 58 Recurring Appointment Scheduling – Key Capabilities A Recurring Appointment is an appointment that has a consistent frequency o Usually for the same day/days and time and with the same content information o A recurring appointment may occur every week or selected weeks in a time period When creating a recurring appointment the user can: o Specify the details of the recurring appointment (facility, frequency, appointment day/time, etc.) and the content associated to the appointment OR o Specify only the logistics information and have the Mail Owner/Mail Preparer input the content information of the recurring appointment request FAST Recurring Appointments:

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 59 Recurring Appointment Scheduling – Key Capabilities The Facility Approval process: Insert information here  this should include information to note that the slots and covered and the when the coordinator approves the appointment it matches the availability Constraints = Approved Slots

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 60 Recurring Appointments – Key Capabilities The FAST Recurring Appointments module: The Recurring Appointments module grants users the capability to: o Request new Recurring Appointment o Manage a Recurring Appointment/Request o Manage a Recurring Appointment Instance o Create a Recurring Appointment Shell o Manage a Publication Exclusion

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 61 Recurring Appointments – Key Capabilities The FAST Recurring Appointment module (cont.): Approval process for Drop Ship Standard, Package Services, and Mixed Mail Class Appointments Recurring Appointments generated 15 days in advance (prior to appointment window) via batch Recurring Appointment Instances can be updated o Online o Mail.XML o Mail.dat Recurring Content

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Drop Ship vs. Origin Entry Recurring Appointments Origin Entry Recurring Appointments No approval required for Recurring Appointments Recurring Appointments can start the next day after they are created Recurring Appointments are scheduled in 10 minute intervals Facility can be changed for any Recurring Appointment 62 Drop Ship Recurring Appointments Approval required for non-Pure Periodicals Recurring Appointments Recurring Appointments have to start at least 15 days in advance Recurring Appointments are scheduled by the hour Facility can only be changed for Pure Periodical Recurring Appointments (with contents redirected)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Creating or Updating a Recurring Appointment through Web Services Creation Process FrequencyMethod UsedWays to Update Single-entityRecurring Recurring Appointments can be created/updated through the FAST Online application or via Mail.XML A recurring sequence must be created 15 days prior to the desired start date Recurring appointment instances are automatically created 14 days prior to the appointment date/time and can be updated or cancelled up to 1 hour prior to the appointment date/time Web Services contents can only be updated via Mail.XML (or Mail.XML with Mail.dat) for each instance of the recurring appointment

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 64 Web Services Testing FAST Web Services Testing In order to begin submitting Web Services appointments in the FAST Production environment users must first test their desired messages in the FAST testing environment (TEM). Web Services Testing is a two phased testing effort: 1.Phase 1: Corporations test their connection to PostalOne! by using Web Services Users study the functionalities of every message and decide which messages fulfill their business needs 2.Phase 2: Corporations submit their Mail.XML messages and create appointments via Web Services FAST ensures that the messages submitted are valid

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Web Services Testing To start the testing process Mailers will contact the FAST Help Desk via email at FAST@usps.gov or phone (877) 569-6614.FAST@usps.gov During Phase 1: o The FAST Help Desk assists the mailers in creating / activating new testing accounts in the FAST Testing Environment (TEM) o Corporations will verify their connectivity to PostalOne! using Web Services 65 Phase 1 of Web Services Testing

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Web Services Testing – Phase 1 The Phase 1 Testing Process steps (cont.): o Mailers will study the functionalities of every message and decide which messages fulfill their business needs, or their customers’- for additional information they can refer to the Postal Service Mail.XML Technical Specification for Appointment Scheduling (FAST) http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_guides/documents/tech_gui des/xmlspec/SpecDocs/MailXMLTechnicalSpecFAST.pdf http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_guides/documents/tech_gui des/xmlspec/SpecDocs/MailXMLTechnicalSpecFAST.pdf o Mailers will need to complete the FAST Testing Survey (page 75 in the TEM Troubleshooting and Checklist) http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_gateway/documents/tech_g uides/TEMCHECKLIST.pdf http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_gateway/documents/tech_g uides/TEMCHECKLIST.pdf 66 Phase 1 of Web Services Testing

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Web Services Testing – Phase 2 During Phase 2 the Mailers will verify that Phase 1 Connectivity was tested successfully. Based on the FAST Testing Survey that is completed by the Mailer during Phase 1, the FAST Web Services Testing team will provide the mailer with the FAST Testing Scenarios. The FAST Web Services Testing team will verify that the testing scenarios are successfully completed. The FAST Web Services Testing team will assist in the verification of business error handling, such as correct error messages being returned to the corporation. 67 Phase 2 of Web Services Testing

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Web Services Testing – Phase 2 During Phase 2 the Mailers will review the testing scenarios document sent by the FAST Web Services Testing team and begin testing in the TEM environment. For each completed scenario the Mailers will need to email the following to FAST@usps.gov and FAST_WebServices@usps.gov:FAST@usps.gov FAST_WebServices@usps.gov o The scenario number in the Subject Line o The attached request and response XML message o The Shipper_APPT_ID / ConsigneeApptID / ConsigneeContentID (if available) 68 Phase 2 of Web Services Testing

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Web Services Testing – Upon Completion Once completed in TEM the following will occur: o The mailer will switch from the connectivity testing WSDL to the production WSDL located on http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_guides/documents/tech_gui des/xmlspec/xmlspec.htm http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_guides/documents/tech_gui des/xmlspec/xmlspec.htm o The FAST Web Services Testing team will complete the Readiness for Production Verification Checklist, indicating that the Mailer’s corporation has successfully completed their Web Services testing activities and is ready to submit messages in the FAST production environment. –The mailer will need to provide FAST with their corporate Production information (Scheduler ID, Scheduler Corp ID, and their CRID). 69 Completion of Web Services Testing

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 70 Web Services Appointment Creation Data submission by mailers can be done via: o Pure Web Services o Web Services with Mail.dat o Mail.dat for recurring appointments FAST Web Services: PostalOne! is the gateway system between mailers and FAST

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 71 Appointments Creation via Web Services Web Services Appointments & FAST Appointments can be created via FAST Web Services with the DeliveryAppt Mail.XML messages Appointments created via Web Services are treated the same as those created online and should have two corresponding parts: o Logistics: Appointment date, time, location, etc. and o Content: Number of pallets, Mail Class, Mail Shape, etc. Message NamePurpose DeliveryApptQueryQueries the availability of slots for drop ship (one-time and recurring) and Origin Entry appointments DeliveryApptCreateCreates a new appointment DeliveryApptUpdateUpdates appointment logistics and/or contents DeliveryApptCancelCancels the specified appointment and its associated content

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Additional Appointment Creation Processes Pure Web Services o Mail.XML transaction in which all logistics and content detail is sent in the XML file by the customer Web Services with Mail.dat o Logistics information is sent in the XML file o Content information is pulled from an existing database in the PostalOne! System Users can also create appointments in FAST in the following ways:

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Ways to Update Appointment Through the FAST Online application o Users can update appointments created online as well as via Web Services Using software to exchange data with FAST in Mail.XML format o Pure Web Services o Web Services with Mail.dat Using Mail.dat to send container barcode and content information o For recurring appointments only Appointments can be updated in the following ways:

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Creating or Updating a One-Time Appointment through Web Services Creation Process FrequencyMethod UsedWays to Update Single-entityOne-timeMail.XML The user may use Mail.XML messages to send the appointment logistics and content information through the PostalOne! system to FAST o Logistics and content information can be provided as part of the Mail.XML transaction, process referred to as Pure Web Services o Alternately, the Mail.XML transaction can provide logistics information, and content can be provided by referring to the PostalOne! Mail.dat container data stored in the PostalOne! database, processed referred to as Web Services with Mail.dat

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Web Services Appointment Shells Message NamePurpose DeliveryApptShellCreateCreates a new Appointment Shell DeliveryApptShellUpdateUpdates an existing Appointment Shell DeliveryApptShellCancelCancels an existing Appointment Shell Appointment Shells can be created/managed/cancelled via FAST Web Services with the DeliveryApptShell Mail.XML messages Since Appointment Shells only contain the logistics portion of an appointment, content can be added later by submitting a DeliveryContent Mail.XML message FAST Web Services Appointment Shells:

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Message NamePurpose DeliveryContentCreateCreates content (either Stand-Alone content or content associated to an appointment) DeliveryContentUpdateUpdates an existing content (either Stand-Alone content or content associated to an appointment) DeliveryContentCancelCancels an existing content (either Stand-Alone content or content associated to an appointment) DeliveryContentQueryQueries content linked to a specific Appointment ID Appointment Content can be created/managed/cancelled via FAST Web Services with the DeliveryContent Mail.XML messages Content can be created in one of two ways: o As Stand-Alone content that is not associated to an Appointment o As standard content that is associated to an existing appointment upon content creation Web Services Content FAST Web Services Content:

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 77 FAST Business Overview Facilities Reports Mailer Rating FAST and Full-Service

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 78 Facilities Facility Management in FAST provides: Information such as hours of operation, facility contact info, Critical Entry Times and Additional Information Information on mail discounts processed associated with the facility Facility constraints management such as slots and volume for Standard and Package Services mail Holiday Management to modify operational information for USPS holidays

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 79 Facilities Facility Profile Search Capabilities o Facility Name, City/State, NASS o District o Area Facility Information (source: FDB, AMS, ELLS, DEPS) o Physical Characteristics (e.g. Dock Height) o Delivery, Physical, and Mailing Address o Hours of Operation and Drop Ship Hours o Primary and Secondary Contact Information o Default Drop Entry Point and Redirections Holiday Administration o Holidays set at the Area and District Level

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 80 Facilities Facility Constraints and Holidays Facility Constraints o Set Default and Holiday/Contingency Constraints o Slots by Appointment Type, Hour, and Day of Week o Volume Constraints by Mail Shape and Day of Week o Hours of Operation (Holiday/Contingency Only) Additional Information o Default Facility Information (may redirect mail to alternate facilities and may also receive redirected mail from other default facilities) - and - o Non-Default Facility Information (may only receive redirected mail and not redirect to any other facility.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 81 FAST Business Overview Reports Mailer Rating FAST and Full-Service

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 82 Reports FAST reports provide important logistics information to Mailers and USPS Appointment closeout information by customer, publication, appointment ID Summary information on appointments by status, mailer, area/district Corporate and Appointment Rating details

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 83 Reports FAST reports provide important logistics information to Mailers and USPS Drop Entry Point, Redirections, and Label List information Holiday and Contingency Constraint Listing Appointment schedules for incoming mail Calendar summarizing appointment information

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Reports available online Appointment Calendar Appointment Rating Analysis Report Appointment Status Report Closeout Data Report Corporate Rating Report Holiday and Contingency Constraints Report Mail Direction Search Recurring Appointment Performance Report Scheduler Performance Report Scheduler Report Slot Availability Report

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 85 Reports I Appointment Calendar Offers a Calendar or Date Range View Generates data by Facility Displays the Number of Appointments, Total Pallets, etc by day Date Range View offers breakdown at Handling Unit Level

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 86 Reports II Appointment Rating Analysis Report Generates data by Facility or Appointment ID Displays all details of Appointment Rating Displays the appointment rating by appointment for the selected Date Range, Facility ID and Scheduler

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 87 Reports III Appointment Status Report Generates data by: o Facility/District/Area o Date Range o Mail Class o Status o Scheduler (optional) Displays individual appointment information for the selected criteria

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 88 Reports IV Closeout Data Report Generates data by Appointment ID (One-Time and recurring), Facility, CRID, Publication Name, Scheduler ID, and eFile Number Displays several details on the appointment including information specific to the closeout process such as Mail Integrity issues and closeout method (SV scans)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 89 Reports V Corporate Rating Report Generates data by Corporation, Facility, and Rating Date Range Displays a roll up of all appointments under a single corporation at a facility National, Corporate, and Facility Average Rating included

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 90 Reports VI Holiday and Contingency Constraint Report Generates data by: o Date Range o Facility o Area o District o National Displays the Facility and the constraint Hours of Operation and Drop Ship Hours

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 91 Reports VII Mail Direction Search Report Generates data by Mail Class, Mail Shape, Discount, Pallet/Non-Pallet, and ZIP Code Views by Drop Entry Point, Default/Redirections, and Label List Displays a listing of drop entry points including Facility, Address, ZIP, Mail Class, Mail Shape, Pallet/Non-Pallet

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 92 Reports VIII Recurring Appointment Performance Summary Report Generates data by Facility, Scheduler (optional), Date Range, and Mail Class Displays the Recurring Sequence ID, Scheduler, Effective Dates, Total Appointment Instances, Arrival Performance, Mail Class, and Average Rating

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 93 Reports IX Scheduler Performance and Scheduler Generates data by Facility/District/Area, Scheduler, and Date Range Displays the Scheduler, Facility, Total Appointments, Arrival Performance

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 94 Reports X Scheduler Report Generates data by Facility/District/Area, Scheduler, Mail Class, and Date Range Displays the Scheduler, Facility, Scheduled versus Arrival Times

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 95 Reports XI Slot Availability Report Generates data by Facility, Date Range, and Appointment Type Displays the Slot Availability Grid and Volume Availability Similar to Appointment Scheduling process

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 96 FAST Business Overview Mailer Rating FAST and Full-Service

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 97 Mailer Rating Goals & Overview FAST Mailer Rating offers the most efficient drop shipment customers a greater opportunity to schedule appointments Mailer Rating encourages higher standards of performance by the mailer community when providing information for incoming shipments at a USPS facility

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 98 Mailer Rating Process Flow Appointments are given individual scores to rate accurate appointment scheduling data. An appointment may not be scored until it is considered finalized. Appointments are considered finalized at 12 Days (288 hours) past the scheduled appointment time. Appointment rating scores are used when calculating corporate rating. Ratings and Tier placement take effect 4 weeks from the appointment date.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 99 Example - Mailer Rating Timeline Corporate Rating is calculated on August 16th and tiers will be designated based on appointment data from July 7th to August 3 rd. On August 18th FAST allocates appointment slots according to tier availability for appointments scheduled for September 1 st onward. Appointment availability for September 1 st onward will be based on tier.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 100 Mailer Rating Review Submission Method/Content Detail ( 20 Pts) + On-Time Accuracy ( 40 Pts) + Content Accuracy ( 40 Pts) + Pre-Notification & Irregularity Deductions (10 pts) _____________________________ Appointment Score Schedulers who are placed in Tier 1 will have greater availability to slots when scheduling appointments than schedulers placed in Tiers 2-4. Mailer ratings can have a great effect on future drop shipments and mailer logistics.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 101 Tier Percentage and Slot Allocation Functionality Slot allocation will always award the first slot to tier 4 Remaining slots distributed based on tier percentage and the “trickle down” effect starting with Tier 1 Additionally, if the distribution equals 0.6 of a full slot or greater, a full slot will be allocated to tiers 1, 2 and 3 The remaining slots will be assigned to tier 4 if not utilized in other tiers Partial Slots will carry over to the next available tier: o If distribution < 0.6 o If a fractional slots remain after allocation (e.g. 0.2 slots will be carried to tier 2 if 1.2 slots are allocated to a tier 1 based on tier percentage)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 102 ANY FACILITY (ABC) Example - Slot Allocation Conversion Percentage of Total Appointments Scheduled for Each Tier Number of Pallet Slots per Hour Current Functionality 6 Slots At 8 PM TIER 110%0 slot TIER 25%1 slot TIER 325%1 slot TIER 460%4 slots  Current functionality with 6 Pallet Appointments at 8 PM  First Slot awarded to Tier 4 with 5 Slots Calculated by Tier Percentage  Tier 1: 5 X.10 =.50 (0 slot rounded down)  Tier 2: (5 X.05) +.5 =.75 (1 slot rounded up)  Tier 3: (5 X.25) = 1.25 (1 slot rounded down)  Tier 4: (5 X.60) +.25 = 3.25 (1 slot awarded + 3 slots remaining = 4 slots)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 103 Appointments are given individual scores to rate accurate appointment scheduling data. An appointment may not be scored until it is considered finalized. Appointments are considered finalized at 288 hours (12 days) past the scheduled appointment time. Appointment ratings do not differentiate between recurring and non-recurring appointments for calculations. An appointment’s rating fall into one of three categories: – Routine (Closed – No Exceptions) – Exceptions (Routine appointment score is overridden) – Exemptions (Appointments are not included in rating) Appointment Rating

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 104 Routine Appointment Score Calculation An appointment may receive a score from 0 to 100, with 100 being a perfect score. The appointment’s total score is calculated by adding each individual score together: Submission Method/Content Detail (20 Pts) + On-Time Accuracy (40 Pts) + Content Accuracy (40 Pts) + Pre-Notification & Irregularity Deductions (10 Pts) _____________________________ Appointment Score

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 105 Routine Scoring: Submission Method Content detail refers to pallet presort information. This category is used to encourage schedulers to provide a detailed level of information in an electronic format. 20 points possible The Submission Method category evaluates corporations on submission method and the level of content detail provided when scheduling an appointment. Submission MethodPoints Awarded Mail.dat or Web Services with pallet presort*20/20 Web Services without pallet presort or FAST Online10/20 Phone0/20 *Pallet presort must be provided for all pallets on the appointment in order to receive 20 points.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 106 Routine Scoring: On-Time Accuracy The scheduler appointment information is evaluated against the actual performance information. 40 points possible The On-Time Accuracy category evaluates the schedulers on their ability to meet planned date/time of their appointment. On-Time Induction AccuracyPoints Awarded On-Time (up to 30 minutes late)40/40 Late (>30 minutes to 2 hours late)20/40 Significantly Late (>2 hours to 8 hours late)0/40

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 107 Routine Scoring: Content Induction Accuracy The actual content of the shipment is evaluated against the scheduled content for the appointment. 40 points possible The Content Induction Accuracy category compares the actual contents to the planned contents. Content Induction AccuracyPoints Awarded Accurate (less than or equal to 2 pallets)40/40 Minor Volume Discrepancy (up to 5 pallets or less than 25 % bedload) 20/40 Major Volume Discrepancy (more than 5 pallets or greater than 25% bedload) 0/40

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 108 Routine Scoring: Pre-notification Deductions Pre-notification deductions apply to changes made within 12 hours of the scheduled appointment time and are deducted from the overall appointment score. Pre-notification DeductionPoints Deducted Create20 Update (appointment type, significant volume, appointment time)10 Date Change40 Location Change40 Pre-Notification Update Deduction Details -  Appointment Type Update - defined to be from Pallet to Bedload, Speedline to Bedload, or Speedline to Pallet  Significant Volume Update – If total volume pallet count > 20 and the difference exceeds 10% – If the total volume pallet count <= 20 and the difference exceeds two pallets – If the total bedloaded volume difference exceeds 10%  Appointment Time Update – Same day, different time update

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 109 Pre-notification deductions and irregularities are additive (i.e. – An appointment that has significant volume change within 12 hours and then arrives with broken pallets, will be deducted 10 points for the significant volume change as well as 10 points for the irregularity). Irregularities can include one or more of the following: “Other” Irregularity –Facilities are required to enter comments if “other” is selected as the irregularity. Irregularities – Broken Pallets – Incorrect Appointment Type – Damaged Mail – Improper Mail Makeup – Load Unsafe – Incorrect Mail Class – Container counts do not Match Form 8125 – Mailings are not Separated by Form 8125 – Overweight Pallets – Pallets Too Tall – Package on BMC Non-Machinable – Other

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 110 Exception Rating Appointments meeting certain criteria are considered exceptions to standard appointment scoring and are scored as follows: Exception RatingTotal Points Awarded Multiple Appointments per trailer, Rejected, No Show - more than 8 Hours Late and Unscheduled Arrivals 0 Cancelled Appointments – more than 2 hours past creation and more than 12 hours from the scheduled arrival date and time 50 Cancelled Appointments – more than 2 hours past creation and within 12 hours of the scheduled arrival date and time 15 Date/Time Change and Cancelled Appointment – the date or time change occurs within 12 hours of the scheduled arrival date and time and the appointment is later cancelled 15 Incorrect Mail Class0 Incorrect Appointment Type0

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 111 Exemption Rating The following appointments are always exempt from appointment and corporate rating: 100% Periodicals appointments 100% perishable appointments Delivery Unit drops Cancelled appointments within 2 hours of creation

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 112 Multi-Stop and Holiday & Contingency Constraint On-Time Multi-stop appointments delayed by USPS The first appointment is subject to all rating criteria and full points are awarded for on time arrivals. Any subsequent appointments are rated except for On-Time Accuracy *. Full points are awarded as long as no exceptions or exemptions apply. Appointments updated by USPS due to a Holiday or Contingency Constraint Changes resulting from the following criteria will be exempt from rating – Date Change – Location Change – Cancellation After the appointment is updated, it is subject to all rating criteria *Note: If the appointments in the multi-stop get back on schedule, downstream appointments will be rated for on-time accuracy. Multi-stop and holiday and contingency constraint impacted appointments will be rated as follows:

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 113 Appointment Timeframes If the actual appointment arrival time is earlier than the scheduled appointment time, the timeframe evaluated is from the scheduled appointment date/time to the unload end time, or from the unload start time to the unload end time, whichever occurs first. If the actual appointment arrival time is equal to or within 30 minutes of the scheduled appointment time, the timeframe evaluated is from the unload start time to the unload end time. If the actual appointment arrival time is greater than 30 minutes after the scheduled appointment time, the timeframe evaluated is from the unload start time to the unload end time. If an on-time or early appointment is accepted for unload and is not unloaded within the appropriate timeframe, then this is considered a USPS delay.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 114 Drop & Pick Appointments scenarios are explained below: 1.Scheduled appointment for a time period prior to 3pm and vehicle arrived prior to 3pm – 8 hours to unload 2.Scheduled appointment for a time period prior to 3pm, but vehicle arrived after 3pm – 18 hours to unload 3.Scheduled appointment for a time period after 3pm and vehicle arrived prior to 3pm – 18 hours to unload 4.Scheduled appointment for a time period after 3pm, but vehicle arrived after 3pm – 18 hours to unload Appointment Allowable Unload Times Anything over the allowable unload timeframe is considered a USPS delay.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 115 Overview Appointment rating scores are used when calculating corporate rating. Each corporation is given a separate rating for each USPS facility where they have scheduled appointments. Corporations are placed into rating tiers based on their drop shipment performance. Tier levels are used for each corporation/facility pair to incent good performance from corporations by reserving a greater number of slots. Corporate Rating

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 116 Key Points Corporate rating is defined as the average of all non-exempt appointment scores over a 28 day period for a given facility. Four operational weeks of data are used to calculate corporate rating. Corporate ratings are calculated weekly on Wednesday evenings. When a rating is calculated, it becomes effective approximately 4 weeks following the rating calculation. Each corporate rating score falls into one of four tiers for each of their rated facilities. Corporate Rating (cont.)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 117 Items to Remember Tiers are assigned score ranges for each facility. Higher tiers have greater options for available slots. Tier ranges are set on a national level, not on a facility level Cancelled within 2 hours of creation, 100% Periodicals, 100% perishable and DU appointments will be exempt from rating. Corporate Rating

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 118 Corporate Rating Summary Report - View Facility Average Corporate Rating Tier 90 & UpTier 1 80-89Tier 2 70-79Tier 3 69 & BelowTier 4

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 119 Available Slot Based on Tier - View Example: Slot availability at a given facility for Tier 1 mailer vs. Tier 4 mailer based on allocation. Tier 1 10 Tier 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 120 Mailer Checklist  Ensure all drop shipments have an appointment in FAST  Ensure the appointment number is on all PS Forms 8125  If a shipment arrives without an appointment number, a Scheduler ID must be provided. Drivers will be asked to contact the Dispatcher or Scheduler in order to furnish this information  If you are an LTL carrier, or if you use an LTL carrier, you must work together to ensure you meet the requirement of one appointment per truck per stop. Shipments arriving at postal facilities with multiple appointments reduce the opportunity for other schedulers to book appointments. All multiple appointments will be rated zero for the entire appointment  Monitor your Recurring Appointment Performance Report regularly  Review all PS Forms 8125 returned from your drivers  Schedule accurate content for appointments and update as needed  Cancel appointments with more than 12 hours notice  Arrive on time for all appointments  Monitor your Closeout Data Report and follow-up on discrepancies; contact facility as soon as possible Mailer Reminders

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 121 Mailer Rating Review Tiers are assigned score ranges for each facility. Higher tiers have greater options for available slots. Tier ranges are set on a national level, not on a facility level. Mailer Rating Review Mailer Rating only applies to Standard Mail and Package Services drop shipment appointments; pure Periodicals and perishable appointments are not rated. Mailer Rating does not apply to DDUs. Tiering No Show: No Show appointments can be reopened for up to 288 hours after the scheduled appointment date and time in FAST. If you arrived on-time for your scheduled appointment at a given facility, but it was entered as a No Show in FAST, please review the Closeout Data Report in FAST to confirm the status of the appointment, and contact the Facility Coordinator with the signed copy of the PS Form 8125. If the appointment number is not on the PS Form 8125 you will be accepted as an unscheduled arrival.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 122 Mailer Rating Review (cont.) Early Arrivals Multi-stop If a multi-stop appointment is delayed by USPS, the first appointment is subject to all mailer rating scoring criteria. Any following appointments are rated except for On-Time Accuracy. Full points for On-Time Accuracy are awarded as long as no exceptions or exemptions apply. USPS customers are not penalized or rewarded for early arrivals for their drop shipments. It is at the discretion of the USPS facility whether they are able to accommodate an early arrival prior to the appointment time. The original appointment number must be used when accepting an early arrival. If the facility has the availability to accept the shipment it will be processed as on- time. Otherwise, appointments that arrive at the designated time will receive precedence over early arrivals. If the actual appointment arrival time is earlier than the scheduled appointment time, the timeframe evaluated is from the scheduled appointment date/time to the unload end time, or from the unload start time to the unload end time, whichever occurs first.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 123 If you are an LTL carrier, or if you use an LTL carrier, you must work together to ensure you meet the requirement of one appointment per truck per stop. FAST provides the capability for customers to work together in joint scheduling where multiple mail owners can work within one appointment created/managed by the scheduler If customers arrive at a USPS facility with multiple appointments associated per load per stop, FAST will rate all appointments with a score of 0. For information on Joint Scheduling please review the Joint Scheduling Job Aid at https://fast.usps.com by clicking on the Resources link. https://fast.usps.com For further information please refer to Publication 804, Drop Shipment Procedures for Destination Entry. LTL Carriers Mailer Rating Review (cont.) The Slot Availability Report displays all of the available slots (regardless of mailer rating tier) that are currently available at a given facility. Depending on tier placement users may have access to all, some, or none up to 24 hours prior to the appointment date/time for a specified facility. The report can be leveraged to determine the number of slots that could potentially be available. The Slot Availability Report

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 124 FAST Business Overview FAST and Full-Service

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 125 What is Full Service What is Full Service? One of Two options for using Intelligent Mail Barcodes (the other option is Basic Service) Requires mailers to: o Indicate the induction method o BMEU or Post Office: Origin Entry o Origin Verified, Mailer Transported: Origin Entry o DMU Verified, USPS Transported: Origin Entry o Plant Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS): Destination Entry o Use unique Intelligent Mail barcodes on mail pieces, Use Intelligent Mail tray barcodes and Intelligent Mail container barcodes o Must be unique for 45 days o Electronically submit postage statements and mailing documentation o Via Mail.dat or Mail.XML

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 126 FAST and Full Service Full Service Intelligent Mail Program Benefits: Postage discounts Support service measurement Reduce mail processing costs by improving mail quality Start-the-clock information at no additional charge to notify mailers when USPS takes possession of mailings Address correction information at no charge for qualified letters and flats that do not have the most current address or that are undeliverable for other reasons, when those pieces are endorsed as specified for OneCode ACS

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 127 FAST and Full Service Appointments/Recurring Appointments o For Full Service compliance, mailers are required to make origin or destination entry appointments for all mail that is mailer transported Customer/Supplier Agreements (CSAs): o For Full Service compliance, the USPS requires a valid association of eDoc Customer / Supplier Agreement (CSA) information to the CSA information in the FAST system o Once the Mailer and USPS finalize and approve the CSA document, the information entered into the FAST system is made available to external users

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 128 FAST Operational Overview Customer Supplier Agreements FAST Business Overview Welcome (Introductions and Objectives)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 129 FAST Appointments FAST Coordinators Postal Facility Types Facility Factors What does FAST do for Operations? Appointment Discrepancies FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 130 Closeout Procedures Clearance Document – PS Form 8125 Clearance Document – PS Form 8017 Area Maps No Shows Redirections Operational Resources

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 131 FAST Operational Overview Electronic appointment system Used by 7K plus mailers to schedule mailings at destination entry offices 500+ Postal sites are active in FAST

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 132 FAST Appointments FAST Coordinators Postal Facility Types Facility Factors What does FAST do for Operations? Appointment Discrepancies FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 133 Provides information about incoming mail volumes – class of mail, type, quantity Facilitates scheduling of resources - staffing and equipment Optimizes appointment slots so mail arrives during processing windows Allows directions of the mail to the correct facility for processing Provides general facility information to mailers – location, hours of operation, holidays, contact information, etc. What does FAST do for Operations?

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 134 FAST Appointments FAST Coordinators Postal Facility Types Facility Factors Appointment Discrepancies FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 135 Each Area has an Area FAST Coordinator : Found in Facility Profile – sort by Area o Northeast o Great Lakes o Southeast o Western Facility FAST Coordinators: Most facilities have a FAST Coordinator Works in tandem with Area FAST Coordinator Found in Facility Profile – sort by Facility FAST Coordinators o Capital Metro o Eastern o Southwest o Pacific 8 Geographical Postal Areas

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 136 FAST Appointments Postal Facility Types Facility Factors Appointment Discrepancies FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 137 Postal Facility Types Network Distribution Center (NDC) o A mail processing and distribution plant that handles Standard and Package Services mailings to a large distribution area. There are 21 NDCs in the United States Processing & Distribution Center/Facility (P&DC/F) o A central mail facility that processes and dispatches part or all of both incoming mail and outgoing mail for a designated service area Sectional Center Facility (SCF) o A postal facility that serves as the processing center for post offices in a designated geographic area as defined by the first three digits of the ZIP Codes of those offices. Some SCFs serve more than one 3-digit ZIP Code range. Delivery Unit o A Post Office, station, branch, or carrier annex that has mail delivery functions

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 138 FAST Appointments Facility Factors Appointment Discrepancies FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Facility appointment availability depends on: Appointment Slots Volume Constraints Holiday and Contingency Constraints Facility Factors

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 140 FAST Appointments Appointment Discrepancies FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 1. Plant-Verified Drop Shipment - discounted price mailing verified at origin entry office and transported by the mailer to destination entry facility (PS Form 8125) 2. Origin Entry – verified at origin entry office and transported by the mailer to the destination facility (PS Form 8017) Scheduling FAST Appointments Two Channels for Scheduling Appointments

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Single Appointment - one time appointment Multi-stop Appointment – multiple appointment stops on one truck Recurring Appointment - same day or days of the week and time period with approximately same mail type and content, and same transportation o Approval required o Based on volume and appointment slot availability Pallet Appt.– mailing containerized on pallets o Unload 3 hrs for DNDC mailings o Unload 2 hrs DSCF/DADC mailings Appointment Types

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 143 FAST Appointments Speedline – palletized mailing < 6 pallet positions o Unload 1.5 hrs for DNDC mailings o Unload 1 hr DSCF/DADC mailings Bedload Appt.– mail directly on floor of vehicle o Unload within 8 hrs Drop and Pick Appt. – bedload Parcel Select o Unload 8 or 12 hrs for DNDC mailings

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 144 Appointment Discrepancies Closeout Procedures Clearance Document – PS Form 8125 Clearance Document – PS Form 8017 Area Maps No Shows Redirections Operational Resources FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 145 Appointment Discrepancies Early Arrivals – mailers that arrive in advance of scheduled appointment time Late Arrivals – 31 minutes and up to 24 hours past the scheduled appointment time Cancellations – appointment cancelled Multiple appointments on same vehicle and destination – only 1 appointment per drop shipment No Shows – caused by mailer, postal or system Unscheduled Arrival – a drop shipment which arrives without an appointment number

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 146 Closeout Procedures Clearance Document – PS Form 8125 Clearance Document – PS Form 8017 Area Maps No Shows Redirections Operational Resources FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 147 Closeout Procedures System closeout on the dock o Surface Visibility o TIMES o VTAPS/YMS Daily Reconciliation by Facility FAST Coordinator o Daily Appointment Tracking Sheet (DATS) o Manual closeout after 24 hours Appointments must be closed out in a timely matter. Lack of closeout by USPS causes No Show appointments which adversely affects the mailer! Closeout Procedures

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 148 Through the Appointment Closeout or the Appointment Management section in FAST, Internal FAST users may: o Close an open appointment o Re-open an appointment o Reject an appointment Dock /Facility Coordinator Closeout Closeout Procedures

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 149 An appointment may be closed in FAST in two ways: 1.TIMES/VTAPS/SV systems on the dock sending the closeout information to FAST The visibility applications transfer the closeout appointment in FAST FAST utilizes a batch process to sent and receive the information from the TIMES/VTAPS/SV systems FAST updates and closes the appointment with the information that is provided by TIMES/VTAPS/SV Dock /Facility Coordinator Closeout Procedures Closeout Procedures FASTTIMES SV/ VTAPS TIMES

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 150 2. FAST user manually closes the appointment online and uses the PS Forms 8125/8017 8125 (drop ship): contains the expected unload information appointment information of the scheduled drop ship appointment may also be used when creating an Unscheduled Arrival in FAST Dock /Facility Coordinator Closeout Procedures Closeout Procedures

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 151 8017 (Origin Entry) contains the actual unload information appointment information of the scheduled Origin Entry appointment Dock /Facility Coordinator Closeout Procedures Closeout Procedures

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 152 Drop ship appointments can be closed up to 288 hrs (12 days) after the scheduled appointment time If the appointment remains “open” after 24hrs, FAST will automatically “no show” the appointment A user is able to “re-open” the appointment and enter the closeout information to close the appointment up to 288 hrs past the scheduled appointment time Drop Ship Appointment Closeout Closeout Procedures

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 153 Origin Entry appointments can be closed up to 120 hrs (5 days) after the scheduled appointment time If the appointment remains “open” after 24hrs, FAST will automatically “no show” the appointment A user is able to “re-open” the appointment and enter the closeout information to close the appointment up to 120 hrs past the scheduled appointment time Origin Entry Appointment Closeout Closeout Procedures

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 154 Rejecting an Appointment: Internal Users have the ability to reject an appointment if the transportation arrives at a Facility and does not meet the specified criteria for delivery of the load is unsafe Re-Opening an Appointment: Internal Users have the ability to re-open an appointment in FAST if the incorrect information was entered when the appointment was closed Closeout Data Report: The Closeout Data Report provides the closeout information for all the appointments associated with an Appointment ID, Publication, Scheduler or eFile number provided by the user This report is accessible to Internal and External users Pre/Post – login Additional Closeout Procedures Closeout Procedures

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 155 Clearance Document – PS Form 8125 Clearance Document – PS Form 8017 Area Maps No Shows Redirections Operational Resources FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 156 No Shows Impact on Mailers: Poor mailer rating Premium appointments Lose Full Service discounts Impacts on the Postal Service: Lose appointment slots Distorted expected mailer volume Impacts of No Shows

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 157 Causes of No Shows Failure to document appointment information SV/TIMES/FAST Failure to correct or update appointment information within 288 hr time limit Failure to document refused loads Appointment does not show in IMD and an unscheduled appointment is created Site does not have access to SV/TIMES/FAST and must send documented 8125 to another facility for input – 8125s may not be received timely or may be lost. Examples – SW and Western Areas Staffing limitations – Knowledgeable people may not be available Untrained employees Employees not following procedures USPS Related Causes

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 158 Causes of No Shows Mailer does not show up Mailer fails to cancel appointment timely Mailer records wrong appointment number on 8125 Multiple 8125s on one trailer Mailer shows up at wrong facility Mailer Related Causes

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 159 Clearance Document – PS Form 8125 Clearance Document – PS Form 8017 Area Maps Redirections Operational Resources FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 160 Clearance Document – PS Form 8125 PS Form 8125, Plant-Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS) Verification and Clearance 3 Sections – mailer information, origin Post Office, and Destination Entry Post Office or Delivery Unit Mailings accepted and verified at origin office, then transported by mailer to destination office Destination entry discount allowed Mailer schedules appointment through FAST

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Critical fields on PS Form 8125 161 CRITICAL FIELD = Required on the PS Form 8125 If any of these 8 critical fields are MISSING or ALTERED, follow the resolution steps in the PVDS Process Guide. If an irregularity with one or more of these fields cannot be resolved, contact a supervisor to escalate the issue. Remember: Missing or altered information in NON-CRITICAL fields does not warrant load refusal.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Critical fields on PS Form 8125 162

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 163 Clearance Document – PS Form 8017 Area Maps Redirections Operational Resources FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 164 Clearance Document – PS Form 8017 PS Form 8017, Expedited Plant- Load Shipment Clearance Similar to PS Form 8125 in design Mailings accepted at origin entry office, then transported by mailer to a destination office No destination entry discount price allowed Mailer schedules FAST appointment through Origin Entry module

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 165 Area Maps Operational Resources Redirections FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 166 Operational Resources Pub 804 – Drop Shipment Procedures for Destination Entry FAST Internal User Guide PS Form 8125 – Plant Verified Drop Shipment (PVDS) Verification and Clearance PS Form 8017 – Expedited Plant-Load Shipment Clearance DEPS User Guide PVDS Website USPS policy and procedures

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) PVDS Website and Link to Pub 804 http://blue.usps.gov/procops/pvds/pvds.htm

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) FAST Postal User Guide FAST/Resources/Reference Documents/USPS Internal User Guide

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 169 Area Maps Redirections FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) USPS Geographical Areas

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) The Northeast Area FY2010

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) The Eastern Area FY2010

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) The Western Area FY2010

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) The Pacific Area FY2010

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) The Southwest Area FY2010

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) The Southeast Area FY2010

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) The Great Lakes Area FY2010

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) The Capital Metro Area FY2010

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 179 Redirections FAST Operational Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Redirections What are mail redirections? o Every destination entry discount level (NDC, ADC, SCF and DU) has a single facility designated as a “default” o Default facilities are where all destination entry discount mail is to be deposited for delivery o Sometimes, for a variety of reasons, there are “exceptions” to the default when specific mail (e.g. Standard Letters or Periodical Flats) should be deposited at an alternate location FAST’s Drop Entry Point System (DEPS) is used to identify alternate locations and provide the information to mailers via Drop Shipment product files General Overview

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Redirections Drop Shipment product files are the ONLY official source of destination entry points o The “guy on the dock” or other local personnel are not an official source of entry point information o Sometimes, for a limited period of time, there can be two designated entry points which are official Common misconception o DMM Labeling Lists (e.g. L005 or L601) do NOT define the entry point for destination entered mail o They are used to identify the presort level of the containers of mail General Overview (cont.)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 182 Redirections occur when mail is directed to a facility other than the default facility due to the following reasons: o Certain restrictions on the physical characteristics of the building, such as dock height o Building construction o Peak season volumes o Network and processing operations changes Redirections may be temporary or “permanent” Redirection information may be entered into DEPS before the start date for advance notification to mailers Redirections must be service responsive and mail must be color coded appropriately Redirections

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 183 The Drop Entry Point System (DEPS) within the FAST application is used by USPS staff through the following modules: o Redirection Creation/Management o Content Identifier Number (CIN) Administration o CIN Group Administration o DEPS Resources FAST uses redirections created in DEPS in the following ways: o Validations during appointment Creation/Management o Mail Direction Search Report o The Facility Profile –Additional Information page lists the current and future redirections to and from a selected facility Redirections Internal Use of Redirections in FAST

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) For each level of entry discount, a mailer is required to enter the mailing (combination of shape and class) at one drop ship location Policy does not allow ‘splitting’ a mailing based on the presort level of the containers, e.g. 5-digit pallets dropped in one location and 3-digit pallets at another No changes in policy for FSS processing at this time Existing Policy on Drop Shipments for Destination Entry Discounts Existing Policy – Destination Entry Discounts

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Default and Redirections View: o Identifies what facility is the default facility o Displays any existing redirections AWAY from the default o Used for researching what current situations exist Drop Entry Point View: o Search by specific mail class and mail shape combination o Displays a one-to-one relationship between mail and entry point o Does NOT identify where the default facility is Multiple discount types can be used with either view. Mail Direction Search Report Views The Mail Direction Search Report

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Use Mail Direction Search Report with Default and Redirections View to check each facility o Search by 3-digit ZIP Code o Search for all CIN Groups Use the report to determine what has already been redirected, if anything Check for existing redirections at both the gaining and losing site, making sure the redirection request mirrors any existing redirections at the gaining site The Redirections Process

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Redirections always start from the default facility and you can not “redirect” redirections o Old redirections are ended and new ones begin, managed from the default facility Do not cancel redirections unless you want mailers to return to the default facility as an entry point Use the instructions in 2.3.3, Managing Redirections, in the DEPS user guide to move CIN Groups from one redirection facility to another (not the default) facility The Redirections Process

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Always check for existing redirections before adding more Use a check list to make sure you have everything completed Don’t assume the requestor has ensured the request is service responsive—Ask the questions Early entry of redirection information can shorten the grace period Effective dates can be changed up to 14 days before implementation to allow flexibility to operations The Redirections Process

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) DMM Labeling List changes can automatically cancel existing redirections when information on the default facility changes o Check for changes to L004, L005, L601 and L602 o Changes occur in February, April, June, August, October and December Always double check your work Ask questions first The Redirections Process

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Redirections—Common Questions / Comments Why can’t all the mail go one place? o Postal policy dictates that there be a single entry point per mailing (e.g. class and shape). It does not require that all mail for a particular entry discount be dropped in the same location. “They told me to go somewhere else.” o Use the Mail Direction Search report to confirm the destination entry point. o If a grace period is in place, ????? o Ask how the customer determined the destination entry point (not from Labeling List) o Ask the name and title of the person saying mail could not be deposited at the designated location. The Drop Shipment product is the official source of destination entry points.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 191 Redirection Creation & Management Content Identifier Number (CIN) Administration CIN Group Administration DEPS Resources The Drop Entry Point System (DEPS) within the FAST Application facilitates the management of Mail Redirections by Internal USPS users through the following modules: FAST uses mail redirections created in DEPS in a number of ways: Validations during appointment creation & management Mail Direction Search Report The Facility Profile Additional Information page lists all current and future redirections to and from a selected facility Drop Entry Point System (DEPS) in FAST

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 192 Customer / Supplier Agreements Overview/Benefits CSA Objectives / Definitions Creating a CSA CSAs and Full Service Discounts Common CSA Issues Internal CSA Users Please note that effective November 2011, there will be changes to the existing CSA process and modules in FAST.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Agenda 193 Customer / Supplier Agreements Overview/Benefits CSA Objectives / Definitions Creating a CSA CSAs and Full Service Discounts Common CSA Issues Internal CSA Users CSA Verification for Full Service

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Overview / Benefits A CSA is a written notice that confirms, for a commercial mailer, the Origin-Entry preparation requirements and the acceptance window times necessary for the mail to be considered entered in “Start-the-Clock (STC) Day-0” o STC Day-0 is the date when the clock starts for purposes of service performance measurement May include: o Containerization specifications o Designated postal mail facility entry locations o Time-sensitive mail entry instructions 194 A CSA is not a contract!

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Overview / Benefits Negotiated agreements are not standardized Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act (PAEA) of 2006 mandates service measurement for market- dominant products Need to standardize negotiated agreements to ensure accurate and consistent service measurement 195

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 196 Overview / Benefits FAST CSA module defines customer-specific Critical Acceptance Times Determines Start the Clock Day-0 that is customer- specific o Mail Class o Processing Category (Mail Shape) o Processing Code o Critical Acceptance Time (CAT) o Entry Facility Allows for optional First-Class containerization rules CSA information is passed to SASP o SASP calculates container STC Day-0 based on eDoc (electronic documentation) submission and STC events Maps PostalOne! BMEU users to roles in the FAST CSA module

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) The CSA Process Discuss mailer’s operational capabilities, mail volume, mail preparation, processing, and verification Negotiate and sign the terms of the CSA 1. Mailer/USPS meet to negotiate CSA Currently, FAST supports CSAs for First Class, Standard, Periodicals, and Bound Printed Material Later on, FAST will support CSAs for all mail classes 2. CSA set up in FAST [USPS] Add “Customer Supplier Agreement (CSA)” to the mailer profile in the “Business Customer Gateway” 3. Add CSA to the Business customer Gateway [Mailer] Mailers can download CSA information from FAST, to use with their software, to determine what information to include in the container label 4. View /Download CSA info from FAST [Mailer]

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) CSA Objectives A CSA has 4 primary objectives: 1.Create common understanding regarding “Start-the-Clock” Day-0 criteria 2.Document approved later acceptance times and describe the separation requirements to qualify 3.Describe mail separation and containerization standards not covered in the DMM 4.Provide structured format to support presort software developed for Full- Service requirements 199

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) CSA Definitions Arrival Time The time the mailer’s truck is scheduled to arrive at the USPS facility. Critical Acceptance Time (CAT) The latest time mail can be presented to have the day as Day-0. Critical Entry Time (CET) The latest time that a reasonable amount of a class of mail can be received at the platform at designated induction points Container Destination ZIP® Code The range of destination ZIP Codes associated with containers in a separation. Container Ready Time The time that a container must be ready to load onto a truck to provide adequate time for USPS clerk to validate the pallets.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) CSA Definitions Day of Week The day or days to which the separation applies. Facility Locale Key Standardized facility code that is populated by the system based on the facility selected in Facility Name block Facility Name The USPS facility to which the mail is dispatched. Mail Class The class of mail to which the line item separation applies. Processing Category Field used to distinguish the processing category of the First-Class Mail in a container. Processing Code General description of the contents of the containers on a trailer.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) CSA Definitions Recurring Appointment Sequence ID For Origin-Entered, DMU-verified, mailer- transported mail, this field will be populated when a FAST appointment number is present. Note: The Recurring Appointment Day of Week must match the Transportation Day of Week. If your transportation happens after midnight and the next day falls outside of your recurring appointment days, your recurring appointment should be modified to reflect that day of week. (i.e – A drop at 00:30 Saturday morning will need to map to a Saturday recurring appointment). CSA Status This field represents a list of enumerated values describing the status that a CSA may be in.

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) 204 Internal CSA Users Internal CSA User Role CSAs may be Created/Managed or Viewed by Internal Users In order to access CSAs in FAST, users must add the CSA service to their profile through the BCG Only Internal have access to Create and Manage CSAs

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) CSAs and Full Service Discounts A CSA is required for Full Service when: Accepted at a DMU and transported by USPS Unique First-Class separations are prepared Entered at a BMEU after CAT Entered at a BMEU and volume warrants multiple entry times For Full Service compliance the data from the CSA must be included in eDoc For CSA-DMU Verified USPS Transported CSA ID CSA Trip ID Scheduled Ship Date and Time Label IM Container and Tray Barcode information

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) When to Create a CSA A CSA should be created for any mailer entering mail under the following conditions: Mail is origin entered and verified at the mailer’s facility and mailer transported Mail is origin entered and verified at the mailer’s facility and postal transported Mail entered after Critical Acceptance Time (CAT)

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) When to Create a CSA (cont.) Mailers who have origin entered mail verified at a Detached Mail Unit (DMU) and transported by USPS transportation: Who prepare First-Class separations not covered in the DMM Who enter mail after a Business Mail Entry Unit’s (BMEU) critical acceptance time Whose volume warrants multiple dispatches to the BMEU to avoid the entire mailing being presented close to or at the units CAT

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Creating a CSA The user must select the following items: o Finance Number - Acceptance Site o Customer name and address o Mailer Contact Email o Customer Registration ID (CRID) o Effective Date o Customer / Supplier Template(s): –DMU Verified – USPS Transportation –DMU Verified – Mailer Transportation –BMEU Verified – Entry After CAT –Unscheduled Trip

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Common CSA Issues Incorrect processing codes (L, S, WKG, MXDA, MXDS, SP) Processing Code Label (Air containers) Incorrect use of start the clock indicators (N and P) Ensure all required fields are completed (attachment A & B) Validate that Label to ZIP Code and Processing Code are unique for each separation. 212

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Common CSA Issues (cont.) Missing ZIP Codes ZIP Codes assigned to multiple containers Container minimums Trip numbers duplicated, Numeric trip number required – no alpha numeric. Multiple CAT time for container Incorrect CRID used in FAST 213

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) First CSA Verification Process 1.Confirming that the CSA conforms to actual operations 2.Confirming that the eDoc is populated correctly and correlates to the CSA 3.Reviewing the Mail Quality Reports 4.Confirming that the Start-the-Clock is being generated correctly and accurately 215 Verification of a CSA by the Business Mailer Support (BMS) can be done in five ways:

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) First CSA Verification Process 216 Confirming that the CSA conforms to actual operations Reviewing the CSA to ensure that the key details for USPS and Mailer transported trips are accurate: 1.Verify the CSA ID and Active Status 2.View and Download the current active version of the CSA 3.Verify which Origin Entry STC scenarios are being used 4.Compare the electronic CSA to the offline approved/signed off version (confirm they match) 5.Coordinate with the local BME to identify one USPS transported trip and mailing transported trip to observe

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) First CSA Verification Process 217 Confirming that the CSA conforms to actual operations 6.For the USPS transported trip observed, verify that a row in the CSA corresponds to the physical mail being transported Trip # Day of Week Processing Code Processing Category Mail Class Container Destination ZIP 7.Verify that ‘N’ and ‘P’ have been properly used in the CSA across all trips Uses of ‘N’: If the drop (dispatch time) is prior to the CAT and the customer would still want to assign a Start-the-clock of the next day. Uses of ‘P’: If the drop is after midnight and the CAT is after the drop, the letter ‘P’ should be used to indicate that the Start-the- Clock will be for the previous day

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) First CSA Verification Process 218 Confirming that the CSA conforms to actual operations 8.For Mailer transported trips If a Recurring Appointment is provided, verify that it corresponds to the day of week and timeframe being transported Collect a copy of the 8017 form for the trip and verify that its fields are correctly filled Verify that the local processing facility is using SV and/or FAST to properly arrive the appointment and perform unload scans

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Second CSA Verification Process 219 Confirming that the eDoc is populated correctly and correlates to the CSA This process consists of comparing the electronic documentation with the CSA To complete this verification process: o The BMS logs into the Admin Console and confirms that the electronic documentation for a particular job matches the row(s) in the CSA o Details around correctly mapping the CSA information from FAST to eDocs is dependent on which of the CSA templates is used: –DMU Verified – Mailer Transported –DMU Verified – USPS Transported –BMEU Verified

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Third CSA Verification Process 220 Reviewing the Mail Quality Reports This process consists of reviewing the Mail Quality Reports to determine whether CSA verification errors exist o The Mail Quality Reports are designed to present data detected by PostalOne! and subsystem error detection processing This process is intended to summarize compliance error counts and that Full-Service standards are met The reports are reviewed and if there is no error, the analysis is complete and the results are sent to the BMS leadership If there are CSA errors, the CSA and eDoc business rules and validations are reviewed to determine the cause of the errors

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) Fourth CSA Verification Process 221 Confirming that the Start-the-Clock is being generated correctly and accurately This process consists of using PostalOne! to confirm STC is generated and has appropriate values for each container in a particular job(s) For this process the user will access the Business Customer Gateway Full-Service STC Reports o The total number of containers receiving STC to actual containers is analyzed o The cause of those containers not receiving STC will need to be determined –If the cause is not known, the request shall be analyzed further by the analysis team –The search results and report shall be sent to the mailer and BMS leadership

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) https://fast.usps.com/ is the FAST main pagehttps://fast.usps.com/ A list of resources is available on the FAST Resources WebpageFAST Resources Webpage Resources to assist in using FAST

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) RIBBS Website http://ribbs.usps.gov/ A Guide to Intelligent Mail for Letters and Flats http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_guides/documents/tech_guides/GuidetoI ntelligentMailLettersandFlats.pdf To learn more about Mail.Postal Service Mail.XML Technical Specification for Appointment Scheduling (FAST) http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_guides/documents/tech_guides/xmlspec /SpecDocs/MailXMLTechnicalSpecFAST.pdf Postal Service Mail.dat Technical Specification http://ribbs.usps.gov/intelligentmail_guides/documents/tech_guides/datspec/ PostaloneMaildatTechSpec.pdf Resources

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) FAST Reference Documents FAST FAQs Resources > Reference Documents https://fast.usps.com/fast/ Resources https://fast.usps.com/fast/ – Release Notes – Customer Job Aids – Customer Web Based Training Courses – Mailer Rating Information – Download User Guides – Drop Ship Delivery Unit Hours File – Publication 804 – Domestic Mail Manual – PS Forms (8125) – Customer / Supplier Agreements 224

Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) – Overview Presentation April 2011.

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Facility Access and Shipment Tracking (FAST) – Overview Presentation April 2011.

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