Intelligent Mail® Barcode
Sometimes referred to as OneCode, IMB or the 4-State Barcode, the
Intelligent Mail® barcode will raise the service
USPS provides its customers while helping to control costs in the
face of new rate increase limits, higher fuel costs and changing
workforce skills. The Intelligent Mail barcode offers additional
fields that encode mail class and special services, plus identify
the mailer and the mailpiece. Effective May 2009 to qualify for
the lowest postal rates, mailers will be required to implement the
new Intelligent Mail® barcode.
There are two options for implementation. The “Full Service”
option offers the most services and benefits and requires special
barcodes on letter trays, sacks, and pallets along with postage
statements and mailing documentation submitted electronically. For
the “Basic” option, mailers must use the new barcode
and 31-digit data payload, but the added requirements for trays,
sacks, pallets, reporting, etc., would not apply.
How you implement the near-term mandate could have long term implications
for your business. Mailers may choose to address these new barcode
requirements at four different stages (composition, print production,
sortation, or pre-sort service) of the mailstream process depending
on the specific mailing or business application.
You can simplify the process if you produce the barcode at time
of print with real-time document re-engineering of the print stream
just prior to print – moving and adding information (such
as barcodes) on the fly. Additionally, you may be able to centralize
and standardize barcode creation on the production floor, at a point
where you are still working with original data files—without
impacting the upstream business applications and at the same time
enhance your integrity workflow process.
To prepare yourself for one of the most significant postal changes
in years, download our white papers, Getting
Smart About Intelligent Mail®, Implementing
the Intelligent Mail® Barcode, and Optimizing
the Intelligent Mail® Barcode. Or talk to your
Pitney Bowes Emtex professional about our one-to-one consultations
and IMB Readiness Assessment
Surveys.
Business Benefits
- Creation of MRDF files
- File Based/File Audit & Reprint Automation (piece &
job integrity)
- Offers more accurate and detailed information about mailings
- Track-and-trace capabilities for individual mail pieces and
SLA management
- Document Lifecycle Tracking
- Lowest postal rates
- Cleaner-looking mail pieces
- Improved scanning
- Greater accountability
- Ability to participate in USPS Seamless Acceptance program
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