[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 1 (Monday, January 3, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 141-142]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-34051]
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POSTAL SERVICE
Quality Control Reviews for Discounted Letters (Presorted/
Automation Rate Mail)
AGENCY: Postal Service.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Postal Service is implementing more efficient quality
control procedures to check letter mail preparation for rates claimed
on postage statements. An automated, in-depth review of selected letter
size mailings will be conducted using the Mail Quality Analysis (MQA)
program, in addition to verification procedures now in use for all
mailings. MQA will use existing automated equipment and reports to
compare actual presort to mailer documentation for sampled mail. MQA
also will provide feedback on the readability of mailer-applied
barcodes. The Postal Service seeks comments on the Mail Quality
Analysis (MQA) program.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Phase one of the Mail Quality Analysis Program will
begin on January 3, 2000. All written comments must be received on or
before February 2, 2000.
ADDRESSES: Written comments should be mailed or delivered to Rates and
Classification Service Center, U.S. Postal Service, 5904 Richmond
Highway, Suite 500, Alexandria VA 22303-2736.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark Richards, (703) 329-3684.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Improperly prepared mail results in
additional USPS handling and related costs that eventually are passed
on to all customers in the form of rate increases. Since 1982, the
Postal Service has applied quality controls in the form of standardized
mail acceptance and mail verification procedures to support the goal of
keeping postage rates stable. Along with the National Bulk Mail
Verification Program (NBMVP) in 1982, the Postal Service has taken many
steps to control operating costs, assess postage fairly for each
mailer, and charge postage commensurate with the preparation of the
mail. Classification reform in 1996 and the last rate case (R97-1) gave
rate incentives for properly preparing mail that is compatible with
automated processing and presorted to avoid certain processing
operations.
As further background, revisions to the National Bulk Mail
Verification Program through two Postal Bulletin articles in 1989
reduced the acceptable tolerance level for presort errors from 10
percent to 5 percent before a postage adjustment was calculated.
Mailers were later advised in a Postal Bulletin article in 1989 that
tolerance levels for errors would be reduced to 2 percent at a future
date. Further, in 1996, classification reform formalized the
requirement that only mail meeting automation requirements is eligible
for automation rates. MQA does not involve a change in the current 5
percent presort error tolerance level.
Today, both mailer production and Postal Service processing are
highly automated processes. Large mailings are more easily created and
produced with each advance in mail production hardware and software. It
has become increasingly important for mailers to introduce quality
assurance features into mail production operations in the design and
set-up stages. Once production of a mailing begins, problems not
identified through internal quality controls may not be easily
corrected. Problems discovered by the Postal Service related to
presorting and automation specifications generally surface during mail
processing, which is often far from the acceptance point for the
mailing. It is therefore critical for mailers to use the tools noted
below and effective quality assurance procedures to produce mail that
follows Domestic Mail Manual requirements for the postage rates
claimed.
Using mailer's input, the Postal Service has provided a variety of
tools to improve mail quality in the design and set-up stages. Included
are a variety of address management programs, Presort Accuracy
Validation and Evaluation (PAVE), the Mailpiece Quality Control Program
(MQC), the Mail Preparation Total Quality Management Program (MPTQM),
various handbooks and brochures, the Domestic Mail Manual, and Customer
Support Rulings. Information on many of these tools is available on the
Postal Service Internet sites. Postal business centers, business mail
entry managers, mailpiece design analysts, and the National Customer
Service Center are available to assist customers in design of mail. The
net effect of these efforts is the expectation that today's business
mailings should be of exceptionally high quality.
Current Postal Service quality controls focus on manual
verification of a small number of mail pieces and were designed when
mail production and mail processing environments were not highly
automated. Under MQA, larger portions of selected mailings will be
reviewed as they are run on Postal Service barcode sorters. MQA will
use reports already available from this equipment (which has been
performing this function with documented accuracy for years) to compare
the mailing, or a portion of the mailing, to the postage statement and
supporting mailer documentation for that specific mailing. MQA will
assist the Postal Service in providing improved diagnostic feedback to
mailers on the quality of sampled mail. These procedures will lead to
improved mail quality, reduction in costs, and correct payment of
postage.
Mail will be isolated at postal facilities and detached mail units.
The business mail entry unit, revenue assurance, and mail processing
will work together using automated equipment already in place to
perform the analysis of MQA samples. Initial runs will focus on large
volume
[[Page 142]]
mailings, with subsequent mail selection determined by the results of
MQA reports and feedback from mail processing, mail acceptance, and
other sources.
MQA will be implemented in two phases. Phase one will implement the
MQA program on a national basis in December 1999, collect data, and
develop improvements to MQA procedures. During phase one, mailers will
receive diagnostic reports only. The reports will allow the mailer to
correct quality problems. Phase one will run through June 2, 2000.
Phase two will begin on June 3, 2000, and as of this date postage
adjustments will be made when presort error rates over 5 percent are
found. Even during this phase, a mailer's first MQA report (for mailers
who received no report during phase one) will be for diagnostic and
notification purposes only, with no postage adjustment cited.
Additionally, errors discovered through MQA that amount to less than
$50 in additional postage will not be assessed at any point in time.
Mailers will have their normal appeal rights regarding postage
adjustments. Domestic Mail Manual PO 11.4-11.5. In both phase one and
two, MQA will provide feedback on barcode readability. A decision will
be made at a later date as to whether postage adjustments eventually
will apply.
By necessity, MQA will extract data about a mailing after
acceptance of the mail, as it is entered into postal processing. The
numerous postage rates and discounts available, automation of mail
production, and acceptance and processing procedures, combined with
more mail requesting specific in-home delivery dates, mean that
reworking mail after initial acceptance has become less viable. Mailers
will not have the option of reworking mail to avoid a postage
adjustment after June 2, 2000.
Now and in the past, Domestic Mail Manual G020.2 has described how
all mailers are required to comply with applicable postal standards.
DMM G020.2.2 and each postage statement also show that when proper
postage is not claimed on the postage statement, the Postal Service
must collect correct postage, at or after the time of acceptance.
Mailers with effective quality assurance procedures resulting in
accurate representation of their mail on each postage statement will
not encounter postage adjustments and therefore will not be affected by
MQA.
The Postal Service and mailers have worked together for many years
to improve the quality of mail, which ultimately benefits all customers
through lower USPS processing costs and more stable postage rates. MQA
extends this effort further by incorporating an improved feedback
procedure into the process. Mailers have for some time requested
regular feedback concerning their mail. MQA will provide this feedback
for selected mailings.
MQA procedures will be described in an upcoming issue of Mailers
Companion.
Stanley F. Mires,
Chief Counsel, Legislative.
[FR Doc. 99-34051 Filed 12-30-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7710-12-P
