Engineering '05

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Thomas G. Day Vice President -
Engineering United States Postal Service
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• Increased Cost
• Time compressed processing windows lead to
  extraordinary measures to protect service
• Redundant processes
• Same process done multiple times is wasteful and
  impacts service

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• Opportunity exists to
• Reduce processing steps and costs
• Improve International Service
• How
• Uniquely identify mail pieces
• Share images of those mail pieces
• Optimize processing window

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• Origin
• Apply an existing global standard ID tag
• Capture image of address
• Transmit data while mail is in transit
• Destination
• Resolve image prior to arrival
• Use result for sortation at first handling

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Proposed Solution
Amsterdam
New York
Universal Image Exchange Supported by UPU Standard
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• Use of Legacy Systems
• Requires Minimum Equipment Modifications
• Capable of Reading National ID Tags
• Capable of Reading International ID Tags
• One Application Worldwide
• Faster Implementation

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• International Image Exchange Specification
• Identifiable mail piece image
• Readable image format
• Readable header format
• Defined transmission methods
• Testing

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• Testing between Irish Post USPS
• Same ID tag format as USPS
• Same image format as USPS
• An Post sent images
• No physical mail was tested
• USPS analyzed image header

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• USPS developed header translation program
• Translated headers for USPS processing
• Processed images as domestic mail
• Results ready for processing
• Potential for same approach at other posts

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• Contents of image header
• Non standard image header
• Country dependent
• Band width considerations
• ID tag format
• National ID tag (country based)
• Universal ID tag
• Type of Ink

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• Conduct additional testing with live mail
• USPS volunteer for live mail test
• Receive mail piece images
• Develop translation schemes
• Need two more participants
• Prefer same ID tag as used in USPS
• Mechanism to send images
• Beginning discussions with TPG and Canada Post

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• Apply test results for universal standards
• Possible use of different image types
• Develop image exchange International standards

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• Universal Image Exchange Standards will
• Reduce processing steps and costs
• Improve International service
• Universal Image Exchange Standards Require
• Use of Universal ID tag
• Standardized Image and Image Header