Postal Automated Redirection System PARS John Keegan Manager

Postal Automated Redirection System (PARS) John Keegan Manager, Automation Equipment Engineering Mailers´ Technical Advisory Committee (MTAC) November 5, 2003 Washington DC

Postal Automated Redirection System What is PARS Key Concepts and Components Improved Change-of-Address Process Redirection of UAA mail Processes Automated by PARS Electronic Address Corretion Service - ACS Memphis NCSC ACS – Print System Advanced Forwarding Reader - AFR Limitations of the System - Examples Project Timeline MTAC - November 2003 2

Postal Automated Redirection System What is PARS? … A system that reduces the cost of forwarding mail to a customer’s new address by automating each of the currently manual or mechanized processes. MTAC - November 2003 3

Postal Automated Redirection System Key Concepts and Components Change of Address Forms Processing System (CFPS) 86 CFS Sites Scan Change of Address Forms Remote Encoding Site operators Key Images PARS - Interception/Forwarding/Return to Sender CIOSS Machine (Combined ISS/OSS) CARS (Change of Address Record Server) Address Correction Printers and Servers at the Memphis National Customer Service Center MTAC - November 2003 4

Postal Automated Redirection System Improved Change-of-Address Process Redesigned Change-of. Address form MTAC - November 2003 Scanned and processed by OCR software along with remote video operators at 4 locations National Customer Support Center 5

Postal Automated Redirection System Distribution Process Today Correct Destination Origin Delivery Unit MTAC - November 2003 CFS Unit 6

Postal Automated Redirection System The PARS Concept Origin Correct Destination A majority of the UAA volume is identified and redirected at the originating P&DC MTAC - November 2003 7

Postal Automated Redirection System Processes Automated by PARS Notification to Mailer – PS Form 3547 Delivery Unit Receives Cards from NCSC (Memphis) Bearing Image of Mailpiece and Collects Fees Address Change Service Electronic Enhancement to PS Form 3547 UAA Information is Provided Electronically to Mailers by NCSC Versus Hardcopy Notification PS Form 3547 Electronic ACS Immediate transmission to NCSC after automatic recognition by AFR MTAC - November 2003 8

Postal Automated Redirection System Electronic Address Correction Service - ACS NCSC ACS Fulfillment P&DC Image Controllers nationwide Memphis NCSC Image Controller and ACS Server ACS instantly forwarded electronically from P&DCs to NCSC P&DC Image Controllers nationwide send ACS information to NCSC Image Controller ACS Server NCSC ACS Server submits information to the ACS fulfillment system MTAC - November 2003 9

Postal Automated Redirection System Address Correction Notification - PS FORM 3547 Mail piece image Addressee’s Name Old Address New Address Bar coded with Return Address (faster delivery) Return Address’ Postmaster Barcode Postmaster code for postage due handling Return Address as new Delivery address Name & Addresses printed for better readability MTAC - November 2003 10

Postal Automated Redirection System Address Correction Notification – Print System Printing, cutting, autotraying in presort sequence Conveyer to Postal One Up to 800, 000 forms daily Fully automated Central processing of nationwide collected data NCSC Memphis PARS 3547 print system One day turnaround MTAC - November 2003 11

Postal Automated Redirection System Advanced Forwarding Reader – AFR Indicia Return Address Endorsement line Automatic reading of Addressee’s name Mail Class (any type of indicia) Address information Ancillary Service Endorsements Return Address Information (front and back side) ACS Information MTAC - November 2003 12

Postal Automated Redirection System Current Limitations of the PARS System Endorsements not compliant with Postal Standards Interference of Information Bad type face Reverse print Exceptional address format “current resident” not in address block MTAC - November 2003 13

Postal Automated Redirection System Current Limitations of the PARS System Interference of Information First class meter Over Standard imprint Participant ID shifted out of window Wrong position No clear space Fonts too small Light meter prints “low ink” prints MTAC - November 2003 14

Postal Automated Redirection System Project Timeline Nov 2003 – First Article Test (FAT) Jan 2004 – Start Phase I Deployment 53 P&DCs, 40 CFS, 20 RECs 209 CFS for COA Forms processing (86 scanning sites) Sept 2004 – Complete Phase I Deployment September 2006 – Complete Phase II Deployment Remaining 230 P&DC’s Remaining 180 CFS MTAC - November 2003 15