Intelligent Mail Barcode

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The Intelligent Mail® barcode is a 65-bar code applied to mail in the United States, which provides information and benefits to both mailers and postal officials.

The Intelligent Mail initiative was announced by the US Postal Service in 2003, became available in 2006, was expanded upon and enhanced in 2007. This barcode will be required starting in May 2009 for companies looking to earn the maximum USPS automation discounts.

The Intelligent Mail barcode replaces the POSTNETTM and PLANET® barcodes and promises to raise the level of service the USPS provides to its customers. This mandate will help the USPS improve deliverability, provide new service and increase overall efficiency.

Over the years, the Intelligent Mail barcode has also been referred to as OneCodeTM, IMB and the 4-State Barcode.

Contents

[edit] The Intelligent Mail data payload

The Intelligent Mail barcode is a height-modulated barcode that encodes up to 31-digits of mailpiece data into 65 vertical bars.

The code is made up of four distinct symbols, which is why this barcode was once referred to as the 4-State Customer Barcode. These are the tracker, ascender, descender, and full bar (TADF). In total, the new barcode will carry a data payload of 31 digits including the following elements.


Service Type Identifier. A value that corresponds to a particular mail class with a particular combination of service(s).


Mailer ID. A number assigned by the USPS that identifies the specific mailer or subscriber.


Sequence Number. An ID specific to this mailpiece that must remain unique for each 45-day period.


Delivery Point ZIP Code. The same data used to generate the POSTNET barcode today.


[edit] Benefits of a Multi-Service Barcode

Maximum Postal Savings

As of May 2009, mailers looking to earn the maximum postal discounts will be required to implement the Full-Service Intelligent Mail barcode.


Visibility into the Mailstream

By allowing you to track each mail piece individually, the Intelligent Mail barcode provides companies with the precise status if mail and an opportunity to add a level of certainty in several important ways:


1. Low-cost Proof of Mailing

Via the USPS® Confirm® service, the Intelligent Mail barcode allows you to access Destination Confirm service for mere pennies, giving you advance notice about when your high-value mail pieces will reach their destinations.


2. Payment Tracking

Origin Confirm service lets you see when an individual customer’s check (or response) is on the way back to you, enabling you to manage collections efforts smarter and avoid unnecessary cancellations.


3. More Efficient Customer Care

With the right interface, you can provide mailstream visibility to your customer care representatives, giving them the time-sensitive intelligence needed to reduce talk time, determine whether or not late fees should be waived and provide more responsive customer service.


4. More Effective Marketing

Being able to forecast delivery of individual mail pieces makes it easier to forecast the number and timing of incoming phone calls. This helps marketers ensure phone centers are staffed accordingly while minimizing waste. Marketers can also target precise in-home delivery dates.


Free Address Change Service

The USPS is looking to reduce Undeliverable As Addressed (UAA) mail, so it’s not surprising that the new Intelligent Mail barcode makes it easy for mailers to make address corrections, as needed. In fact, on First-Class Mail®, electronic Address Change Service (ACSTM) is free when companies use the Full-Service Intelligent Mail® barcode.


Preparation Efficiency

The USPS offers seamless acceptance for the induction of mailers’ prepared (presorted) mail. Whether preparing their own mail or using presort houses, mailers will benefit from reduced paperwork and greater visibility and transparency with the USPS.


[edit] Implementing the Intelligent Mail® Barcode

Barcodes can be printed on documents (shown through a window envelope) or sprayed directly onto envelopes at various points in the process. Many large companies may use some or all of these approaches based on their business needs and environment, as well as the unique characteristics of an application.[1]

[edit] Document Composition

In recent years, more companies have been applying barcodes as part of document creation, with all barcode information included in the initial data payload. This trend has been driven by other initiatives, such as TransPromo, where the goal is individualized, relevant statements. Creating barcodes at this point in the process may require some added effort, but with the proximity to databases and business applications, some may find it easier to track back data (such as a corrected address) to its original data source.

[edit] Document Production

With today’s document output technologies, mailers can modify and reengineer print streams – moving and adding information (such as barcodes) on the fly. Likewise, mailers can print barcodes directly on envelopes using an envelope finishing system. Either way, this approach enables mailers to centralize and standardize barcode creation on the production floor using the original data files—without impacting the upstream business applications.

[edit] In-house Sortation

When mailers run separate jobs and then want to combine them to achieve additional postal savings, they can physically sort mail after it’s produced using sorter equipment. With new or upgraded sorter technology, mailers can accommodate the new Intelligent Mail® Barcode at the end of the mail production process.

[edit] Third-party Presort

Third-party presort houses may provide mailers an easy way to comply with Intelligent Mail® mandate and also provide the benefits of commingled mail. Even if a third-party applies the barcode, however, it may still be possible for the USPS to monitor the quality of the sortation using a mailer’s unique Mailer ID. It will also be important for mailers to coordinate sequence numbers with their vendor so they can leverage OneCode ACSTM and OneCode ConfirmTM services.

[edit] References

  1. ^ White Paper: “Implementing the Intelligent Mail® Barcode” – www.pbpostalinfo.com/imb


[edit] External links

http://www.intelligentbarcode.com