ID Parcel & Mail Solutions Replaces Customers’ Outdated Flat Mail Sorting System with Lower Cost Alternative That Still Meets Their Needs

Postal Center Caribbean, the one stop mail center based in San Juan, Puerto Rico has been relying on their ID Mail Dispatcher flat mail sorting system for over 22 years. The Dispatcher Flat Mail Sorting System had provided years of productive barcoding and sorting and paid for itself a many times over.  However, certain hardware and software subsystems had reached the end of their technology lifespan several years ago and it was clear that an upgrade was needed to keep their sorting system working for their flat mail processing demands.

Postal Center Caribbean reached out to ID Parcel & Mail Solutions to help them evaluate their options. One option was to upgrade the critical technology components on the Dispatcher.  ID Mail provided a reasonable proposal, but the average volume of flat mail made justifying the investment on the existing system and its age difficult. And replacing the entire system would be a significant investment that was deemed even more unattractive based on their expected future flat mail volume requirements.

ID Parcel & Mail Solutions suggested replacing the existing Dispatcher with a new, lower cost MAX-M Mail and Parcel Manifesting System. The MAX-M is an OCR enabled itemized Manifesting System for 1^st class flats, packages and several other classes. The previous system barcoded and sorted the flat mail, but it was determined that, based on Postal Center Caribbean’s relatively low sorting volume, the sorting capability was less important or necessary versus the IMb barcoding functionality. And although they are currently only processing flats on the Dispatcher, the MAX-M will allow them to handle a range of mail including parcels and other classes of mail if needed down the line. This opens up the potential for new revenue streams with PCC’s clients.

The MAX-M proved to be an excellent choice for Postal Center Caribbean. It has the same processing capabilities as the previous system except without sorting, which, based on their sorting volume, had proven to be a less important feature. And the MAX-M allows PCC to achieve automation rates.

“After careful evaluation of our requirements, and close discussions with our team to better understand our current and future needs, Jerry and the ID Parcel & Mail Solutions team suggested the MAX-M as a solution. We’ve greatly appreciated the flexibility and close working relationship that the ID team has provided to our organization for the past 20 plus years.” Said Remigio Fernandez, Owner, Postal Center Caribbean.

The lower capital investment of the smaller system was a large factor when choosing the option of the MAX-M, but another key was the lower ongoing technical support cost. Ongoing support on the old system was higher and is no longer required. The end result was completely new hardware and software that meets their needs at a greatly reduced overall cost.

Understanding The Capabilities of the MAX-M

The MAX-M provides the simplicity and flexibility to ship most mail, fulfillment and merchandising items at the lowest possible cost using a variety of USPS mailing, package and parcel services. The system determines each item’s eligibility for presort and automation rates at each qualification level, with postage savings or revenues generated on the spread between the single piece and these work sharing rates. Depending on the mail class, earnings are enhanced by using destination entry points for realization of even deeper discounts to the 3-digit, 5 digit, NDC or SCF levels.

The Mainfest report brings it all together. With the captured weight, coding and ZIP Code group information, a USPS compliant manifest is created for presentation to all induction points, local as well as destination entry. To ensure the mailing’s integrity, the manifesting software checks the mailing against the mail class’s minimum piece/weight requirements.

In addition to the manifest, all required USPS documentation is created, including a separate qualification report (if required), postage statement and destination entry documentation.  A billing report is also created to assist in customer accounting operations plus data is available for export to customer IT systems.  The MAX-M allows the documentation to be presented in either hardcopy or electronic format.

The MAX-M’s powerful trial manifesting feature allows selection of destination entry points to determine if transportation to all selected entry points is economically justified before actual submittal. If not, other entry point combinations can be attempted before finalizing.

The MAX-M can be configured to meet the needs of small as well as large volume operations. For lower volumes a single stand-alone workstation fits the need. This standalone version is supplied with all the software and hardware components needed to start earning revenue or cutting costs. For larger daily volumes, a networked MAX-M system meets the challenge. With a dedicated server supplying the OCR, CASS database lookups and manifesting functions, up to six workstation operators can be attached for processing large volumes of mail items.

The Postal Center Caribbean job is an excellent example of how ID Parcel & Mail Solutions works closely with the customer to understand their specific needs and then provides flexible solutions to get them the most economical and effective equipment possible.

Quelle: www.idmailsystems.com